How do I get a Korean marriage visa (F-6) with a spouse from Australia? Marriage registration steps and documents

To live in Korea with your Korean spouse, you need a marriage visa (F-6, spouse visa). The steps are: ① marry in Korea or Australia (if you marry in Australia first, report it to Korea within 3 months) ② get an apostille on your Australian documents and translate them into Korean (no embassy legalisation needed for Australia) ③ meet the income, housing and communication requirements and apply for the visa.

At a glance

• Your visa: F-6 marriage migrant (spouse) visa
• First stay period: Up to 3 years, then extend
• Your Australian documents: Apostille + Korean translation
• Marriage: Must be valid in both Korea and Australia
• Where to apply: Wherever you are now

Steps

A · Australia first — Marry in Australia → report to Korea

(When you can both be in Australia)

1. Choose an authorised celebrant and lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least 1 month before the wedding.
2. Have your identities checked with both passports and birth documents.
3. Marry before the celebrant, and the marriage is registered with the state registry (BDM).
4. Get your marriage certificate from the state registry, then an apostille and a Korean translation.
5. Within 3 months, report the marriage at a Korean city or district office, or at a Korean embassy or consulate in Australia.

B · Korea first — Register your marriage in Korea

(When you are in Korea)

1. Prepare your passport and birth certificate.
2. Get an apostille on your Australian documents and translate them into Korean.
3. Check with DFAT or the Australian Embassy in Seoul whether you need a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI).
4. Register your marriage at a Korean city or district office.
5. Translate the Korean marriage certificate into English and get an apostille so it can be used in Australia too.

Document certification

Australia is a member of the Apostille Convention, so one apostille is enough to use your documents abroad, with no embassy legalisation.

• Using Australian documents in Korea: Issued by the state registry → DFAT apostille → Korean translation → Submit in Korea
• Using Korean documents in Australia: Issued in Korea → Apostille from Korea's Overseas Koreans Agency → English translation → Submit in Australia

Korea vs. home country

• Minimum age to marry — Korea: 18 for everyone / Australia: 18 (16 to 17 only with court approval)
• Where to register — Korea: City or district office (embassy if abroad) / Australia: Marry before an authorised celebrant, then registered with the state registry (BDM)
• Using foreign documents — Korea: Australian documents → apostille + Korean translation / Australia: Korean documents → apostille + English translation
• How you marry — Korea: Register by submitting documents / Australia: Lodge a NOIM 1 month ahead, then the ceremony
• If you married in another country — Korea: Report to Korea within 3 months / Australia: Recognised if valid under the law of the place you married

What the visa review checks

• Guidance program: Australian spouses are not from a country that requires the international marriage guidance program.
• Income: Your Korean spouse's income must meet the threshold. The amount changes every year.
• Communication: You need basic Korean, or the two of you must be able to talk in a shared language.
• A home to share: You need a home to live in together (owned, jeonse or monthly rent).
• A genuine relationship: Shown through how you met, your messages and photos. If you apply in Australia, there may be an interview at a Korean embassy or consulate.

Common reasons for delays or refusal

• Lodged the NOIM too late: You set the wedding date and travel plans without allowing for the 1-month period
• Unclear income or housing papers: The income history is short, or the housing proof is not clear
• Weak proof of communication: Not enough evidence of your Korean or of a shared language
• Got the wrong certificate: A different certificate was submitted instead of the state registry one, a missing apostille, or a translation error

Documents to prepare

• Your Korean spouse: Passport, basic certificate, family relation certificate, marriage relation certificate (detailed), income and employment papers, housing papers
• You (Australian spouse): Passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate (apostille + translation), police check (if needed)
• Both of you: A statement of how you met, photos and message history, proof that you can communicate
• How documents are certified: Australian documents: apostille + Korean translation. Korean documents: apostille + English translation

Key terms

• Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM): The form you give your celebrant before marrying in Australia. It must be lodged at least 1 month before the wedding.
• State registry (BDM): The state government office for births, deaths and marriages. The marriage certificate for Korea comes from here.
• Apostille: A simple certificate that proves a document is genuine, with no embassy visit. Both Australia and Korea use it.
• Visa Issuance Confirmation: A visa approval your Korean spouse obtains in advance from Korea. With it, you can get your visa in Australia faster.

FAQ

Q. What documents do I need?

Your Korean spouse needs a passport, basic, family relation and marriage relation certificates (detailed), income and employment papers, and housing papers. You need your passport, birth certificate and the marriage certificate from the state registry, and your Australian documents need an apostille and a Korean translation. You also submit a statement of how you met, plus photos and message history.