Apostilles and consular legalisation

If your country is party to the Apostille Convention, you need an apostille; if not, consular legalisation.

What they are

• Apostille — a procedure by which convention member states recognise each other's documents. Obtained from the designated authority in the issuing country.
• Consular legalisation — for non-member states: verification by your foreign ministry, then by the Korean embassy or consulate there.

Which documents need it

• Birth and marriage certificates — for marriage and family registrations. See marriage-registration.
• Criminal record certificates — for some visas and jobs. See criminal-record-certificate.
• Degree certificates and transcripts — for work and study.
• Driving licence verification — for licence exchange. See driver-license-exchange.
• Professional qualifications

The process

1. Ask the Korean body requiring it exactly what they need (apostille or legalisation, original or copy).
2. Obtain the document in your home country.
3. Get the apostille or consular legalisation.
4. If not in Korean, arrange translation and notarisation. See document-translation-notary.
5. Submit to the requesting body.

What you need

• The original document issued at home
• ID and passport
• Issuing fees
• Time — it takes weeks in some countries. Start early.

Where to go

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.go.kr (guidance)
• 1345 Immigration Contact Centre
• Your home foreign ministry or designated authority
• The Korean embassy or consulate in your country
• The Korean body that requested the document (confirm requirements)

Questions people ask

Is my country a convention member? Check on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. If not, consular legalisation applies.

I'm in Korea but need a home-country document. Your embassy in Korea can sometimes issue or verify it. Ask them. See embassy-contacts.

Is there an expiry? The receiving body often sets a validity period from the issue date. Check in advance.

Should I use an agency? You can do it yourself. If you use one, confirm the fee and scope in writing.

Take care

Requirements differ by receiving body. Always ask first whether they want "the apostilled original" or "translated and notarised as well". Getting it wrong means starting over, and international post and issuance take weeks.

Related

document-translation-notary · criminal-record-certificate · marriage-registration · embassy-contacts · naturalization-overview

Source

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.go.kr / As of 2026-08