Do I need an apostille for my home country's family relationship documents?

If the document was issued in a country that is a party to the Apostille Convention, you need an apostille. If the country is not a party, you need consular confirmation from the Korean diplomatic mission in that country. The exact method can differ a little depending on the agency you submit to.

How to tell the difference

• Documents from member countries: An authorized agency in the issuing country attaches the apostille. A public document with an apostille is accepted as a public document in Convention member countries without consular confirmation by a foreign mission in Korea.
• Documents from non-member countries: Get consular confirmation at the Korean diplomatic mission (embassy or consulate) in the country that issued the document.
• Translations: A document that is not in Korean needs a Korean translation. For health insurance, you must submit a translation notarized by a notary public. Or you must submit a translation made by a licensed foreign-language translation administrative agent (외국어번역행정사) together with a translation confirmation certificate (번역확인증명서).

⚠️ Points to note

• To prove a family or marriage relationship, for example when registering a dependent for health insurance, documents are accepted if they have confirmation from the foreign ministry of the issuing country or an apostille certificate.
• If the translation needs an apostille, you must get the translation notarized first.
• Documents for a visa application or a change of status of stay follow different standards at each agency. First check with the place you will submit to (immigration office, National Health Insurance Service, etc.) which certification it wants.
• You can check whether your home country is an Apostille Convention member on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs apostille site (apostille.go.kr).

If you tell me the agency you will submit to and the type of document (marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.), I can give more specific guidance. For final confirmation, check HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or the Foreigner Information Center (외국인종합안내센터, 1345).