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. K-VISA quotes its fee after reviewing your requirements, and we refund 100% of the fee if the visa is denied due to K-VISA's fault.
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.
If you marry in Germany first, the marriage must also be reported to Korea within 3 months.
Korean Family Relationship Registration ActThe documents the two of you need, from marriage registration to the visa.
Based on K-VISA case workGerman documents need just one apostille, with no embassy confirmation. Then you translate them into Korean.
Apostille Convention memberWhat the review checks: income · a home to share · whether you can communicate
Korean Ministry of Justice F-6 standardsIt looks complicated, but you only need to remember three steps. ① Marriage registration → ② Document certification → ③ Visa application
Germany is a member of the Apostille Convention, so a single apostille lets you use documents in other countries without embassy confirmation.
| 🇰🇷 Korea | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age to marry | 18 for both men and women | 18 for both men and women |
| Where to register the marriage | City or district office (시·구청) (an embassy if abroad) | Registry office (Standesamt) |
| Using foreign documents | German documents → apostille + translation | Korean documents → apostille + German translation |
| Extra documents for foreigners | Proof that you meet the requirements to marry | Certificate of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis) or an exemption |
| 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 your spouse is and on your documents and requirements, so we quote it after reviewing your requirements. Actual costs such as government fees, translation and apostilles are separate. Consultation and pre-check are free, and we refund 100% of the fee if the visa is denied due to K-VISA's fault.
After your marriage is recognized in both countries, you either get a Visa Issuance Confirmation (사증발급인정서) in Korea or apply for the spouse visa (F-6) at the Korean Embassy or a Korean Consulate General in Germany. If your husband is already staying in Korea legally, we also check whether he can change his visa in Korea. Once the visa is issued, he enters Korea and completes alien registration.
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.
Either is possible. If you marry in Germany first, the Korean spouse needs the exemption procedure for the certificate of no impediment to marriage, which can take longer. If you start in Korea, the German spouse prepares a certificate of no impediment to marriage. We choose the order that fits your schedule in the pre-check.
The standard changes every year, and even if your income is a little short, assets or other evidence can sometimes make up the difference. We check this first in the pre-check and find a way with you.
You just need to show that the two of you can talk in a shared language (English, German, etc.). We'll sort out which evidence to prepare.
Germany is not one of the countries whose spouses require the international marriage guidance program (국제결혼 안내프로그램). However, the standards can change, so we'll double-check in your consultation.
If you've already registered the marriage, it takes 5–8 weeks on average. If you're starting from marriage registration, it takes about 3–4 months on average (based on K-VISA's working time; immigration review time is separate).
If you apply in Germany, there may be an interview at the embassy or consulate general. We prepare sample questions and how to answer them with you in advance.
You can fill in what was missing and apply again. And if the visa is denied due to K-VISA's fault, we refund 100% of the fee.
Check that it is a registered immigration application agency (출입국민원 대행기관), that it can handle German documents (marriage-related certificates, certification, translation), that it speaks a language your spouse can communicate in, and that the contract states the cost and its responsibility if the visa is denied. K-VISA is a registered immigration application agency (No. 19-IC-RG-041) that publishes 50 approved marriage visa cases (as of October 2026), and has organized the marriage registration and marriage visa steps country by country for 20 countries, including Germany. We also publish a YouTube interview review from a Korean–German couple. We consult in 6 languages, and we refund 100% of the fee if the visa is denied due to K-VISA's fault.
Sources: Sources: Korean Ministry of Justice standards for the marriage migrant (F-6) visa, Korean Act on the Registration of Family Relationships (reporting a marriage made abroad), German Civil Code (BGB) marriage provisions (§1309 certificate of no impediment to marriage), and the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille). Detailed standards may change with amendments to laws and notices, and individual cases are confirmed in consultation.
Updated 2026.10.20