Attesting Korean Documents (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions about Korean Apostille services

Can Korean documents be legalized by Apostille?

Yes - South Korea is a member of the Apostille Convention.

Korean documents can be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Korean documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as AE United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates - TW TaiwanTaiwan - MY MalaysiaMalaysia - TH ThailandThailand - ZM ZambiaZambia - QA QatarQatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information see:
Right arrowSouth Korea Apostille Services

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What types of documents can be legalized in South Korea for use abroad?

Apostilles in Korea can be obtained to authenticate documents issued by central or local government agencies, including:

  • Certificates of Family Relations
  • Criminal record and police background checks issued by the National Police Agency
  • University diplomas, certificates of graduation and enrolment
  • Driving records issued by the National Police Agency
  • Passport Records
  • Certificates of Business Registration issued by the National Tax Service
  • Certificates of Origin, free sale, health certificates and GMP certificates
  • Court documents

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in South Korea, please contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our Korean apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Korean documents, see:
Right arrowSouth Korea Apostille Services

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Korean Police Background Check?

Korean Police Background Checks, Investigation Records Check and Criminal Record Certificates issued by the National Police Agency can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Overseas Koreans Agency. The original certificate is required.

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How can I obtain my Korean Criminal Record Certificate to use abroad?

Applications in Korea: Persons requiring a criminal record certificate for the purpose of foreign visa or residency applications should request a Criminal (Investigation) Records Check Reply (범죄· 수사경력 회보서). Applications in Korea may be submitted online on the Korean PoliceExternal link (opens in new tab) (in Korean) website. Applicants (or an authorized representative) will then need to visit a Korean Police StationExternal link (opens in new tab) (in Korean) to process the application.

Applications from outside Korea: From outside Korea, requests for a Criminal(Investigation) Record Check Report should be made through a South Korean embassies and consulates abroad South Korean EmbassyExternal link (opens in new tab) (applicants will need to visit the embassy in person).

Depending on the requirements of the foreign authority requesting the police certificate, the certificate must indicate that all records have been searched, including any lapsed records (실효된 형 포함). You should specifically request a search on your entire record: Criminal Records (including lapsed criminal sentences), and investigation records.

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How long does it take to obtain an apostille on a document in South Korea?

To apostille a South Korean Criminal Record Check Report takes 1 – 3 workings days.

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I need an apostille for my Korean criminal record certificate - do I need to provide an original certificate?

If you need a South Korean Criminal Record Check Report for certification by Apostille, a certificate can normally be obtained from the Korean embassy or consulate. However, we can also obtain a certificate for you in Korea (available in English or Korean). It takes about 1 – 2 weeks, and then another 1 – 3 days to obtain an Apostille.

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Korean University Degree and Transcripts?

Apostille Stamps to authenticate Korean university diplomas, certificates of graduation and enrolment can be obtained from the Overseas Koreans Agency (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The original certificate is required.

Documents issued by private universities must be notarized and then authenticated with an Apostille from the Ministry of Justice.

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Korean School Records?

Korean Apostille Stamps to authenticate General Educational Development certificates can be obtained from the Overseas Koreans Agency.

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Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Korean Attestation and Apostille Services?

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

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How can I legalize a Korean degree certificate for submission to the United Arab Emirates?

Degree certificates and diplomas required for submission to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates must be authenticated by the Overseas Koreans Agency (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and then attested by the UAE embassy in Seoul.

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How can I legalize a Korean degree certificate for submission to Saudi Arabia?

Korean university degree certificates and diplomas required for submission to the authorities of Saudi Arabia can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Overseas Koreans Agency or Ministry of Justice (private universities). Since Saudi Arabia joined the Apostille Convention, attestation by the Saudi embassy in Seoul is no longer required.

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How can I legalize a Korean degree certificate for submission to China?

Korean university degree certificates and diplomas required for submission to the authorities of Mainland China can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from the Overseas Koreans Agency or Ministry of Justice (private universities). Since China joined the Apostille Convention, attestation by the Chinese embassy in Seoul is no longer required.

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How can I verify a Korean Apostille Stamp?

Korean Apostille Stamps can be verified online:
Verify an Apostille issued in South Korea Verify an ApostilleExternal link (opens in new tab)

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How can I obtain an Apostille on a Korean Certificate of Family Relations?

Apostille stamps to authenticate Korean Certificates of Family Relations can be obtained from the Overseas Koreans Agency. For assistance obtaining an official copy of the Family Relations Certificate in Korea, please contact us

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To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:

If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.

Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files (PDFExternal link (opens in new tab), Microsoft Office 365: Save a password protected document to prevent unauthorized people from opening it. Office DocumentsExternal link (opens in new tab), WinRAR Encryption Frequently asked question (FAQ) RAR foldersExternal link (opens in new tab)) and provide us with the passwords separately.

PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)

For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)

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