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

To live in Korea with your Cambodian spouse, you need a marriage visa (F-6). The steps are: ① register your marriage in both Korea and Cambodia ② get certification from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular confirmation from the Korean Embassy and a translation for your Cambodian documents (Cambodia does not use the apostille) ③ apply for the visa after the Korean spouse completes the international marriage guidance program.

At a glance

• Your visa: F-6 marriage migrant visa
• First stay period: Up to 3 years, then extend
• Cambodian documents: Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification + embassy consular confirmation
• Marriage registration: In both Korea and Cambodia
• Where to apply: Based on where your spouse is

In short: register your marriage in both countries → get certification from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular confirmation from the embassy → apply for the marriage visa. The Korean spouse should also take the international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램) early.

Steps

A · Cambodia first — Register the marriage in Cambodia → report to Korea

(When you can both be in Cambodia together)

1. The Korean spouse's marriage relation, family relation, criminal record and income documents are translated into English and notarized, then confirmed by the Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청) and the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Korea.
2. After entering Cambodia, get consular confirmation from the Korean Embassy in Cambodia, then apply for marriage permission at Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Ministry of Interior. There is an interview at the Ministry of Interior.
3. Once permission is granted, register the marriage at the local office (commune · sangkat).
4. Get the Cambodian marriage certificate, have it certified and translate it into Korean.
5. Within 3 months, report the marriage to a city or district office (시·구청) in Korea or to the embassy.

B · Korea first — Register in Korea → register in Cambodia

(When the Cambodian spouse is in Korea)

1. Prepare the Cambodian spouse's proof of single status, birth and family documents, and passport.
2. Get certification from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consular confirmation from the Korean Embassy, then translate them into Korean.
3. Check with the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Korea or other offices which marriage-eligibility documents are needed and whether Cambodian permission is required.
4. Register your marriage at a city or district office (시·구청) in Korea.

Document certification

Cambodia does not use the apostille, so documents only become valid after certification from Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then confirmation from the Korean Embassy, in that order.

• Using Cambodian documents in Korea: Issued in Cambodia → Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification → Korean Embassy consular confirmation → Korean translation → Submit in Korea
• Using Korean documents in Cambodia: Issued in Korea → English translation · notarization → Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청) consular confirmation → Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Korea confirmation → Korean Embassy in Cambodia consular confirmation

Korea vs. home country

• Minimum age to marry — Korea: 18 for both men and women / Cambodia: From 18
• Where to register the marriage — Korea: City or district office (시·구청) (an embassy if abroad) / Cambodia: Local office (commune · sangkat) after permission
• Using foreign documents — Korea: Cambodian documents → certification + consular confirmation + translation / Cambodia: Korean documents → English translation and notarization + certification
• Marrying a foreigner — Korea: Just report it, no separate permission / Cambodia: Permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior + income requirement
• If you married in another country — Korea: Report to Korea within 3 months / Cambodia: Register the marriage in Cambodia

What the visa review checks

• Guidance program: A Korean inviting a Cambodian spouse must first take the Ministry of Justice international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램).
• Income: The Korean spouse's income must meet the standard. The standard amount changes every year.
• Communication: The foreign spouse needs basic Korean, or the two of you must be able to talk in a shared language.
• A home together: You need a home where you'll live together (owned, jeonse lease or monthly rent).
• A genuine relationship: Shown through how you met, your contact records and photos. If you apply in Cambodia, there may be a couple interview.

Common reasons for delays or refusal

• Didn't know Cambodia's rules: You learn late about the income requirement for local marriage permission and the order of document certification, and have to prepare again
• Not enough relationship records: You've known each other only a short time, or have few records of contact and meetings
• Weak proof of communication: Not enough evidence of Korean ability or a shared language
• Missing document certification: Missing Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification or consular confirmation, translation mistakes, expired documents

Documents to prepare

• Korean spouse: Passport, basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서), marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) (detailed), health check certificate, criminal record documents, guidance program completion certificate, income and employment documents, housing documents
• Cambodian spouse: Passport, proof of single status, birth and family documents, health check certificate, criminal record documents (if required)
• Both of you: A statement of how you met, photos and contact records, evidence that you can communicate
• How documents are certified: Cambodian documents: Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification + consular confirmation + Korean translation. Korean documents: English translation and notarization + confirmation by the Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청), the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Korea and the Korean Embassy in Cambodia

Key terms

• Consular confirmation: A step where an embassy confirms that another country's document is genuine. Cambodian documents need it before they can be used in Korea.
• Commune (sangkat): The local administrative office in Cambodia where you register the marriage after getting marriage permission. In cities it is called a 'sangkat'.
• Marriage permission: The permission you get from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior to marry a foreigner in Cambodia. There is a monthly income requirement for the foreign spouse.
• Visa Issuance Confirmation: A visa approval the spouse in Korea gets in advance. With it, you can get your visa in Cambodia faster.

FAQ

Q. How do I bring my Cambodian wife to Korea?

After registering the marriage in both countries, the Korean spouse takes the international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램), then either gets a Visa Issuance Confirmation (사증발급인정서) in Korea or applies for the marriage visa (F-6) at the Korean Embassy in Cambodia in Phnom Penh. Once the visa is issued, your spouse enters Korea and completes alien registration.

Q. What documents do I need for the Cambodian marriage visa?

The Korean spouse needs a passport, basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서) and marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) (detailed), a health check certificate, the guidance program completion certificate, income and employment documents, and housing documents. The Cambodian spouse needs a passport, proof of single status, birth and family documents, and a health check certificate. Cambodian documents get Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification and consular confirmation, then are translated into Korean. You also submit a statement of how you met, plus photos and contact records.

Q. Do I have to take the international marriage guidance program?

Yes, a Korean spouse inviting a Cambodian spouse must take it. Unless you qualify for an exemption, you need the completion certificate to apply for the visa, so it's best to take it early in your preparation.