Apostille

Document Legalization

• Any document must be attested or legalized for overseas use as an official document. (Source: Consular Service Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea)

The typical document authentication types are as follows.

Apostille

1. Apostille proves that documents issued by Apostille Member Countries are official documents. Therefore, the documents with Apostille do notneed to be attested or certified by embassies.

Embassy Attestation

1. Documents issued by Non-Apostille Countries are needed both document authentication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as consular confirmation of Embassies for overseas use.

The typical documents required either Apostille or Embassy Attestation are as follows.

Employment Documents

1. Graduation Certificate, Degree Certificate, Transcript, Career Certificate, etc.

Immigration or Visa Documents

1. Family Relation Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, etc.

Business Documents

1. Business License, Corporation Registration, Contracts, MOU, Certificate of Origin, Shipping Documents, Free Sale Certificate, etc.

Apostille

Apostille

1. Apostille proves that documents issued by Apostille Member Countries are official documents. Therefore, the documents with Apostille do not need to be attested or certified by Embassies.

Apostille Treaty

1. The Embassy Attestation is an inconvenient time-consuming procedure since consuls of Embassies need to verify the authentification as well as legitimation of the official document submitted. Therefore, Apostille Treaty introduced to alleviate the problems of Embassy Attestation, which is an “Agreement to Abolish the Request for Certification of Foreign Official Documents”.

1. 128 countries join to the Apostille Treaty as of Jan. 11, 2024. Therefore, Apostille is required to the documents issued by the Apostille Member Countries, and Embassy Attestation is required for the documents issued by Non-Apostille Countries.

Procedure of Apostille

The following is the Apostille Procedure in Republic of Korea, and additional procedures may be required according to the Regulations of each countries.

Translation Requirements

1. Articles 2 (Duty) and Article 20 (Issuance of Translation Certificate) of the Public Administrative Attorney Act.A Certified Public Translation Attorney is authorized to translate the documents related to the affairs of the Central Government and administrative agencies and to issue the Certificate of Translation.

1. Article 5-2 (Submission of Foreign Family Relations) of Notification 2021-253 of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.The Korean version of Foreign Family Relationship Certificates are recognized as official documents if a Certified Public Translation Attorney translates them and attaches with the Certificate of Translation.

Q & A

I need to get Apostille for a Korean Marriage Certificate. Do I need to get translation notarization ?

1. Official documents issued in English can get Apostille without notarization. However, official documents issued in Korean must be translated into English and then notarized before being applying to Apostille.

I have my Graduation Certificate and Transcript in English. Can I apply to Apostille without notarization ?

1. Since educational institutions including national universities are not public organizations, the documents issued from Universities are considered as private documents and must be notarized for Apostille.

Check Points of Apostille

1. Check for English Document Issuance

1. You must check whether the documents can be issued in English. If the document is not in English, you need to translate it into English and then get notarization before Apostille.

2. Notarization for University Documents

1. Although University Documents such as Graduation Certificates, Degree Certificates, Transcript can be issued in English, they are regarded as private documents and must be notarized before Apostille.

3. Check for Apostille Member Countries

1. 128 countries join to the Apostille Treaty as of Jan. 11, 2024. You need to get Embassy Attestation for the documents if the country is not a Apostille Member Country.

Inquiry on Apostille / Embassy Attestation / Translation

1. DaeHan Public Administrative Attorney’s Office has specialized in the Translation Certification, Apostille, Embassy Attestation, Certification on KFDA/CE/FDA/, Foreign Invested Corporations (FIC) including Branches and Liaison Offices, Immigration on Public Bond Investment and Real Estate Investment, and has provided Immigration & Investment Solutions, Consulting on D8, D7 Visa, Tax and Marketing. We submit applications for licenses or permits on the behalf of clients.

1. Please contact us for the following issues. (1) Translation Certification, Apostille, Embassy Attestation (2) Certification on KFDA/CE/FDA (3) Establishment of FIC, Branches & Liaison Offices (4) Immigration on Public Bond Investment and Real Estate Investment (5) Visa Consulting on D8, D7, F5, F2, F1 (6) M&A & Technology Outsourcing (7) Stock Market Investment (8) Marketing & Tax Consulting.