What are the requirements for simplified naturalization for marriage immigrants?

A marriage immigrant can apply for simplified naturalization if they have lived in Korea continuously for at least 2 years while married to a Korean spouse, or if 3 years have passed since the marriage and they have lived in Korea continuously for at least 1 year while married. Unlike general naturalization, you do not need 5 years of residence or permanent resident status (F-5).

Requirements you must meet

• Residence period: One of the two cases above (you must be married)
• Be an adult under the Civil Act
• Have good conduct (they check whether you have obeyed the law)
• Ability to make a living: you can live on your own assets or skills, or with the help of the family you live with
• Basic knowledge: Korean language ability and understanding of Korean customs
• Do not harm national security, public order, or public welfare

How residence period is counted

The residence period is the time you stayed continuously after entering legally and completing foreign resident registration. If you leave Korea and re-enter within your permitted period, the periods before and after are joined together. However, time spent abroad is excluded.

If the marriage has ended (marriage breakdown)

In the cases below, you can apply after meeting the residence period above.

• Your spouse died or went missing, or you could not continue the marriage for a reason that was not your fault
• You are raising, or must raise, a minor child born to you and your Korean spouse

In this case, submit a written statement of your own explaining why the marriage ended.

Where to apply and main documents

Apply at the nationality desk (국적계) of the immigration office (출입국·외국인관서). Nationality matters are handled only at 19 designated offices nationwide, such as Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Suwon. You must make a visit reservation in advance.

• Naturalization permit application form (attach 1 color photo, 3.5×4.5cm)
• Copy of passport, copy of home country ID
• Criminal record certificate from your home country
• Korean spouse's family relation certificate, basic certificate, marriage relation certificate, and resident registration abstract (if you have a child with Korean nationality, also the child's family relation certificate)
• Documents showing your ability to make a living (e.g., a certified copy of the real estate register for property with an official price of 30,000,000 KRW or more)

They may ask for more documents during the review. If the marriage breakdown or the residence period calculation is unclear, get advice from the K-VISA AI administrative agent consultation (visa service in the app). For exact information, check once more with HiKorea (hikorea.go.kr) or 1345.