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

To live in Korea with your Indonesian spouse, you need a marriage visa (F-6). The steps are: ① register your marriage in both Korea and Indonesia (Indonesia only recognizes marriages performed through a religious ceremony) ② get an apostille and Korean translation for your Indonesian documents (since 2022, no embassy consular confirmation is needed) ③ gather income, housing and communication evidence and apply for the visa.

At a glance

• Your visa: F-6 marriage migrant visa
• First stay period: Up to 3 years, then extend
• Indonesian documents: Apostille + translation
• Marriage registration: In both Korea and Indonesia
• Where to apply: Based on where your spouse is

In short: register your marriage in both countries → apostille and translation → apply for the marriage visa.

Steps

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

(When you can both be in Indonesia together)

1. Go together to the consular section of the Korean Embassy in Indonesia to get the Korean spouse's certificate of single status.
2. Decide on the procedure that fits your religions. Muslims register at the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA); other religions register at the Civil Registry Office after the ceremony.
3. Hold the religious ceremony, register the marriage and get your marriage certificate.
4. Get an apostille on the 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.

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

(When the Indonesian spouse is in Korea)

1. Prepare the Indonesian spouse's proof of single status, birth documents, family documents and passport.
2. Get apostilles on the Indonesian documents and translate them into Korean.
3. Check with the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Korea or other offices whether marriage-eligibility documents are needed.
4. Register your marriage at a city or district office (시·구청) in Korea.
5. Get an apostille on the marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서), translate it, and register the marriage in Indonesia too.

Document certification

The Apostille Convention has applied to Indonesia since June 2022, so a single apostille lets you use documents in other countries without embassy confirmation.

• Using Indonesian documents in Korea: Issued in Indonesia → Apostille from Indonesia's Ministry of Law → Korean translation → Submit in Korea
• Using Korean documents in Indonesia: Issued in Korea → Korean apostille (Overseas Koreans Agency (재외동포청)) → Indonesian translation → Submit in Indonesia

Korea vs. home country

• Minimum age to marry — Korea: 18 for both men and women / Indonesia: 19 for both men and women
• Where to register the marriage — Korea: City or district office (시·구청) (an embassy if abroad) / Indonesia: Office of Religious Affairs (KUA) or Civil Registry Office
• Using foreign documents — Korea: Indonesian documents → apostille + translation / Indonesia: Korean documents → apostille + Indonesian translation
• How you marry — Korea: Report by submitting documents / Indonesia: Only recognized after a religious ceremony
• If you married in another country — Korea: Report to Korea within 3 months / Indonesia: Register the marriage in Indonesia

What the visa review checks

• Guidance program: Indonesia 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. 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 Indonesia, there may be a couple interview.

Common reasons for delays or refusal

• Didn't know the religious procedure: You learn late about the marriage procedure that fits your religions and have to redo the order
• 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
• Missed something preparing on your own: Missing apostille, translation mistakes, names spelled differently, expired documents

Documents to prepare

• Korean spouse: Passport, basic certificate (기본증명서), family relation certificate (가족관계증명서), marriage relation certificate (혼인관계증명서) (detailed), health check certificate, income and employment documents, housing documents
• Indonesian 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: Indonesian documents: apostille + Korean translation. Korean documents: apostille + Indonesian translation

Key terms

• Apostille: A certificate that confirms a document is genuine without a trip to the embassy. Indonesia has used it since 2022.
• Office of Religious Affairs (KUA): The Indonesian office that registers marriages of Muslim couples.
• Civil Registry Office: Where non-Muslim couples register their marriage after a religious ceremony. Locally it's called 'Dukcapil'.
• Visa Issuance Confirmation: A visa approval the spouse in Korea gets in advance. With it, you can get your visa in Indonesia faster.

FAQ

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

After registering the marriage in both countries, you either get a Visa Issuance Confirmation (사증발급인정서) in Korea or apply for the marriage visa (F-6) at the Korean Embassy in Indonesia in Jakarta. Once the visa is issued, your spouse enters Korea and completes alien registration.

Q. What documents do I need for the Indonesian marriage 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 Indonesian spouse needs a passport, proof of single status, and birth and family documents. Indonesian documents get an apostille, then are translated into Korean. You also submit a statement of how you met, plus photos and contact records.