Can a foreign-national Korean compatriot regain Korean nationality?

Yes. If you are a foreign-national compatriot who was once a citizen of the Republic of Korea, you can apply for permission to regain Korean nationality. You must pass a review by the Ministry of Justice (법무부) and get permission. Not every application is approved.

First, check if you are eligible

You can apply if you fit one of the cases below.

• You were a Korean citizen, but you lost Korean nationality because you got foreign nationality on your own
• You held dual nationality, but you lost Korean nationality because you did not choose one, or you renounced Korean nationality
• You got foreign nationality through marriage, adoption, or acknowledgment of paternity with a foreigner, and you did not file a report to keep Korean nationality within 6 months
• Chinese compatriots: you moved from the Korean Peninsula to China before October 1, 1949, or you were born in China (you are regarded as having lost Korean nationality)

If any of the following applies, you cannot get permission.

• You have harmed the country or society
• Your conduct is not upright
• You lost or renounced nationality to avoid military service

What to prepare before applying

• Proof that you were once a Korean citizen: basic certificate, family relation certificate, or the old family register (제적등본)
• Documents showing why and when you got foreign nationality (such as a citizenship certificate)
• A fee of 200,000 KRW (waived for Chinese compatriots born before August 15, 1948)
• Where to apply: the nationality desk (국적계) at the immigration office (출입국·외국인관서). If your address is abroad, you can also apply at a Korean diplomatic mission abroad (재외공관).

Once you get permission, you must give up your foreign nationality within 1 year. However, people who came to settle permanently at age 65 or older, talented individuals, and people adopted abroad as minors can take a "pledge not to exercise foreign nationality" (외국국적불행사서약) and keep dual nationality instead of giving up foreign nationality.

If you are not eligible

Second- and third-generation compatriots who never had Korean nationality are not eligible to regain it. They can usually look into naturalization, or stay in Korea with a status of stay such as Overseas Korean (F-4). If your documents are complicated, or your name or date of birth differs between documents, try the K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation (the visa service in the app).

Be sure to check which office can take your application at HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.