How do you apostille or legalise documents for South Korea in 2026?

If the country that issued your document is a Hague Apostille member, obtain an apostille from that country's designated authority, not from the Korean embassy in that country. Present the apostilled paper with a sworn Korean translation. HiKorea and embassy checklists often require translations from court-certified or registered translators; keep translator credentials with the packet. Some statuses demand originals rather than notarised copies, and HiKorea may ask you to submit notarised copy certification from a Korean notary after you arrive.

Non-Hague countries use longer consular legalisation chains: local certification, foreign ministry authentication, then Korean embassy legalisation. Budget weeks and confirm whether the immigration office accepts the document type at all for your status code. Police certificates usually need recent issue dates, commonly within six months of filing.

Korean civil documents destined for foreign employers or universities receive an apostille from MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) through the online apostille portal or designated counters. The service covers items such as family relation registers and some notarised instruments when rules match.

Inside Korea, banks and schools ask for different combinations. Open a bank account may want a passport and Residence Card rather than apostilles, while bringing pets can require USDA or EU health papers with apostille on veterinary signatures. School admissions for children without Korean fluency, covered in children and school without Korean, may request prior transcripts with apostille plus certified translation even when immigration did not.