Family registration

A competent administrative agency must be notified of the marriage between a Korean national and foreign national in order for adjustments to be made to the family register.

• Processing agency

  Competent si, gu, eup or myeon

• Application

  In-person application

  • Visit an administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup or myeon

  Application by mail

  • Send registered mail to the proper administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup or myeon

• Basic documents

  • One copy of identification certificate, marriage relation certificate, and family relation certificate for each spouse joined in marriage
  • Where relevant facts can be readily verified by the Family Relation Registration Office, these documents do not need to be submitted.

• Additional documents

  In the case of marriage registration by court decision, conformation de facto of the existence of a marital relationship

  • Transcript of court record and confirmation certificate (One copy of protocol for mediation or reconciliation and one copy of service certificate, wherein mediation or reconciliation is established)

  Wherein a foreign national marries a Korean national in compliance to the Korean legal system

  • An original certificate stating the satisfaction of marriage requirements (certificate of marital status in case of Chinese nationals) and one copy of a document proving nationality (passport or certificate of alien registration)

  Wherein a foreign national marries a Korean national in compliance to a foreign legal system

  • One registered copy of the marriage certificate and one copy of document proving nationality (passport or certificate of alien registration)

  Wherein it is agreed that a child shall bear the family name and place of family origin of the mother

  • One copy of an agreement proving the consent of both the child’s mother and father

• Identification

  Marriage registration (regular)

  • Attended by the registering parties: Identification of both spouses, with both spouses in attendance
  • Wherein the registering parties do not attend and a third party submits the relevant documents: Identification of the submitter, notarized signature or certificate of seal impression of the registering parties

  Marriage registration by mail

  • Copy of identification and notarized signature or certificate of seal impression of all registering parties

  Marriage registration by certified copy of marriage certificate

  • Wherein a registering party is in attendance: Identification
  • Wherein a submitter is in attendance: Identification of submitter
  • In case of submission by mail: Copy of identification of registering parties

• Inquiries

  Contact the competent receiving and processing agency (an administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup or myeon)

The birth of a child must be registered at the competent administrative agency in order to register the child on the family’s certificate of family registry.

• Processing agency

  Competent si, gu, eup or myeon

• Application

  In-person application

  • Visit an administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup or myeon

  Application by mail

  • Send registered mail to the proper administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup or myeon

  Online applicationApply

  • Via the Electronic Family Registration System of the Supreme Court website(http://efamily.scourt.go.kr)

• Required documents

  • A birth certificate or document evidence of the child’s birth
  • A document evidencing that the child’s mother is a Korean national at the time of the child’s birth
  • Documents providing the nationality of the child, in cases in which the child has dual nationality
  • Identification (when the registering party is in attendance: the identification card of the registering party; when a third party submitter is in attendance: the identification cards of both the registering party and the submitter; when submitted by mail: a copy of the identification card of the submitter/registering party).
  • A marriage certificate (exempt when the same information is confirmed through the joint use of administrative information at the Family Relations Registration Office)

• Inquiries

  Contact the competent receiving and processing agency (administrative agency in the competent si, gu, eup, or myeon)