How do I get a Korean marriage visa (F-6) with a spouse from Canada? 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 Canada (if you marry in Canada first, report it to Korea within 3 months) ② get an apostille on your Canadian documents and translate them into Korean (Canada has used apostilles since January 2024) 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 Canadian documents: Apostille + Korean translation
• Marriage: Must be valid in both Korea and Canada
• Where to apply: Wherever you are now

Steps

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

(When you can both be in Canada)

1. Apply for a marriage licence in the province where you will marry.
2. Prepare both passports and any required identity documents.
3. Marry before an officiant, and the marriage is registered with provincial Vital Statistics.
4. Get your marriage certificate from Vital Statistics, 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 Canada.

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 Canadian documents and translate them into Korean.
3. Canada does not issue a certificate of marital status, so confirm which document (such as a sworn statement of marital status) will be used instead.
4. Register your marriage at a Korean city or district office.
5. Get an apostille on the Korean marriage certificate and translate it into English so it can be used in Canada too.

Document certification

Canada has been a member of the Apostille Convention since January 2024, so one apostille is enough to use your documents abroad, with no embassy legalization.

• Using Canadian documents in Korea: Issued in Canada → Apostille from Global Affairs Canada or your provincial authority → Korean translation → Submit in Korea
• Using Korean documents in Canada: Issued in Korea → Apostille from Korea's Overseas Koreans Agency → English translation → Submit in Canada

Korea vs. home country

• Minimum age to marry — Korea: 18 for everyone / Canada: Varies by province (mostly 18 or 19 without parental consent)
• Where to register — Korea: City or district office (embassy if abroad) / Canada: Marry after getting a provincial marriage licence, then registered with provincial Vital Statistics
• Using foreign documents — Korea: Canadian documents → apostille + Korean translation / Canada: Korean documents → apostille + English (or French) translation
• How you marry — Korea: Register by submitting documents / Canada: Get a marriage licence, then a ceremony before an officiant
• If you married in another country — Korea: Report to Korea within 3 months / Canada: Recognized if valid under the law of the place you married

What the visa review checks

• Guidance program: Canadian 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 Canada, there may be an interview at a Korean embassy or consulate.

Common reasons for delays or refusal

• Prepared the old way: Documents were prepared for embassy legalization without knowing the switch to apostilles
• 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
• Went to the wrong office: The wrong certificate or apostille office for your province, 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 (Canadian spouse): Passport, birth certificate and marriage certificate (apostille + translation), criminal record 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: Canadian documents: apostille + Korean translation. Korean documents: apostille + English translation

Key terms

• Marriage licence: The permit you get from the provincial government before marrying in Canada. How to apply differs by province.
• Vital Statistics: The provincial government office for birth and marriage records. The marriage certificate for Korea comes from here.
• Apostille: A simple certificate that proves a document is genuine, with no embassy visit. Canada has used it since January 2024.
• Visa Issuance Confirmation: A visa approval your Korean spouse obtains in advance from Korea. With it, you can get your visa in Canada 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 provincial Vital Statistics, and your Canadian documents need an apostille and a Korean translation. You also submit a statement of how you met, plus photos and message history.