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

To live in Korea with your German spouse, you need a spouse visa (F-6 marriage migrant). The steps are: ① get your marriage recognized in both Korea and Germany (if you marry in Germany first, this includes the exemption procedure for the Korean spouse's certificate of no impediment to marriage) ② get an apostille and Korean translation for your German documents (no embassy consular confirmation needed) ③ apply for the visa.

At a glance

• Your visa: F-6 marriage migrant (spouse) visa
• First stay period: Up to 3 years, then extend
• German documents: Apostille + Korean translation
• Marriage registration: Must be valid in both Korea and Germany
• Where to apply: Based on where your spouse is

In short: get your marriage recognized in both countries → apostille and translation for your documents → apply for the spouse visa. If you marry in Germany first, preparing the certificate of no impediment to marriage takes the longest.

Steps

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

(When you can both be in Germany together)

1. Get the Korean spouse's basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서) and marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서), get apostilles, and have them translated into German by a translator recognized in Germany.
2. When you apply to marry at the Standesamt, the Korean spouse's application for exemption from the certificate of no impediment goes to the Higher Regional Court (OLG) of the state.
3. Once the exemption is granted, you both marry at the Standesamt on the scheduled day.
4. Get an apostille on the German marriage certificate 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 or consulate general.

B · Korea first — Register the marriage in Korea

(When the German spouse is in Korea)

1. The German spouse gets a certificate of no impediment to marriage from the German registry office.
2. Get apostilles on the German documents and translate them into Korean.
3. Register your marriage at a city or district office (시·구청) in Korea.
4. If you get an apostille on the marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) and translate it into German, you can use it in Germany too.
5. Registering the marriage in Germany (Nachbeurkundung) is not mandatory, but you can apply for it separately if you want.

Document certification

Germany is a member of the Apostille Convention, so a single apostille lets you use documents in other countries without embassy confirmation.

• Using German documents in Korea: Issued in Germany → Apostille from a German authority → Korean translation → Submit in Korea
• Using Korean documents in Germany: Issued in Korea → Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청) apostille → German translation → Submit in Germany

Korea vs. home country

• Minimum age to marry — Korea: 18 for both men and women / Germany: 18 for both men and women
• Where to register the marriage — Korea: City or district office (시·구청) (an embassy if abroad) / Germany: Registry office (Standesamt)
• Using foreign documents — Korea: German documents → apostille + translation / Germany: Korean documents → apostille + German translation
• Extra documents for foreigners — Korea: Proof that you meet the requirements to marry / Germany: Certificate of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis) or an exemption
• If you married in another country — Korea: Report to Korea within 3 months / Germany: Recognized if valid under the law of the place you married

What the visa review checks

• Guidance program: Germany is not one of the countries whose spouses require the international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램).
• Income: The Korean spouse's income must meet the standard.
• 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 Germany, there may be a consular interview.

Common reasons for delays or refusal

• Stuck on the certificate of no impediment: When marrying in Germany, you don't know about the exemption procedure for the Korean spouse, and it takes longer
• Unclear income or housing documents: The Korean spouse's income history is short, or the housing proof isn't clear
• Weak proof of communication: Not enough evidence of Korean ability or a shared language
• Missing document certification: Missing apostille, translation mistakes, expired documents

Documents to prepare

• Korean spouse: Passport, basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서), marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) (detailed), income and employment documents, housing documents
• German spouse: Passport, birth certificate, certificate of no impediment to marriage (if marrying in Korea first), marriage certificate (if you married in Germany first), 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: German documents: apostille + Korean translation. Korean documents: apostille + German translation

Key terms

• Standesamt (registry office): The German office that handles civil status records such as marriages and births. If you marry in Germany, you do it here.
• Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (certificate of no impediment to marriage): A document from your home country proving that you are free to marry. Korea has no such document, so people often go through the exemption procedure.
• Apostille: A certificate that confirms a document is genuine without a trip to the embassy. Germany uses it.
• Visa Issuance Confirmation: A visa approval the spouse in Korea gets in advance. With it, you can get your visa in Germany faster.

FAQ

Q. What documents do I need for the German spouse visa?

The Korean spouse needs a passport, basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서) and marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) (detailed), income and employment documents, and housing documents. The German spouse needs a passport, birth certificate and certificate of no impediment to marriage (if marrying in Korea first), and German documents need an apostille and Korean translation. You also submit a statement of how you met, plus photos and contact records.