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. K-VISA quotes its fee after reviewing your requirements, and we refund 100% of the fee if the visa is denied through K-VISA's fault.
Since January 2024, Canadian documents are certified with an apostille. Embassy legalization is no longer needed.
Apostille Convention in force for CanadaIf you marry in Canada first, the marriage must also be reported to Korea within 3 months.
Korean Family Relationship Registration ActThe documents you need to prepare, from marriage registration to the visa.
Based on K-VISA's case workWhat the visa review looks at: income, a home to share, and whether you can communicate
Korean Ministry of Justice F-6 rulesIt looks complicated, but you only need to remember three steps. ① Marry → ② Get documents certified → ③ Apply for the visa
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.
| 🇰🇷 Korea | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age to marry | 18 for everyone | Varies by province (mostly 18 or 19 without parental consent) |
| Where to register | City or district office (embassy if abroad) | Marry after getting a provincial marriage licence, then registered with provincial Vital Statistics |
| Using foreign documents | Canadian documents → apostille + Korean translation | Korean documents → apostille + English (or French) translation |
| How you marry | Register by submitting documents | Get a marriage licence, then a ceremony before an officiant |
| If you married in another country | Report to Korea within 3 months | Recognized if valid under the law of the place you married |
K-VISA's service fee depends on where you are and your documents, so we quote it after reviewing your requirements. Actual costs such as government fees, translation and apostilles are separate. Consultation and the pre-check are free, and we refund 100% of the fee if the visa is denied through K-VISA's fault.
Once your marriage is valid in both countries, your Korean spouse obtains a Visa Issuance Confirmation in Korea, or you apply for the marriage visa (F-6) at a Korean embassy or consulate in Canada. If you are already in Korea, we check whether you can switch to the marriage visa at an immigration office. Once the visa is issued, you enter Korea and complete your alien registration.
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.
Either works. If you are both in Canada, couples often marry there first. If you are in Korea, couples often register in Korea first. If you marry in Canada first, you must also report it to Korea within 3 months.
The threshold changes every year, and even if income falls a little short, assets can sometimes make up the difference. We check this in the pre-check and find a way with you.
You can show that the two of you communicate in a shared language, such as English. We'll set out what evidence to prepare.
Canada is not on the list of countries that require the guidance program. The rules can change, so we confirm this again during your consultation.
About 2 to 3 weeks on average if your marriage is already registered, or about 4 to 6 weeks if you start from the marriage registration (K-VISA's working time; Korean immigration's review time is separate).
If you apply in Canada, there may be an interview at a Korean embassy or consulate. We prepare sample questions and how to answer them with you in advance.
You can complete the missing items and reapply. And if the visa is denied through K-VISA's fault, we refund 100% of the fee.
Sources: Sources: Korean Ministry of Justice marriage migrant (F-6) visa issuance criteria; Korean Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships (reporting marriages made abroad); Canada's Civil Marriage Act and provincial marriage laws; Apostille Convention (abolishing legalization of foreign public documents, in force for Canada since January 11, 2024). Detailed criteria may change with laws and notices, and individual cases are confirmed during consultation.
Updated 2026.10.20