비전 아포코리아
Document guide · Family & marriage
AcceptedPublic document (issued by the Supreme Court)
Apostille for a Korean Family Relation Certificate: submitting it abroad
The Family Relation Certificate is a public document issued by the Supreme Court, so it receives an apostille without notarization. First confirm whether the receiving body wants the general, detailed or specific certificate, and the Korean-language certificate or the certificate in English.
This page covers documents issued in Korea. For documents issued in another country, see our guide to documents issued abroad. →
Operated by Vision Administrative Office · Representative administrative agent Lee Won-jung · Content checked 2026-10-09 · Not sure which certification you need? Find Your Path
Who this is for and request status
- A Family Relation Certificate issued in Korea for submission to an Apostille Convention country — accepted
- Submission to a country that is not a party to the Convention — consular confirmation followed by embassy legalization (pre-review)
- Family documents issued abroad for submission in Korea — see documents issued abroad instead of this page
Request status — Accepted: standard procedure, we proceed directly · Pre-review: we check the document and receiving body first, then confirm whether we can proceed and quote · Information only: guidance on this page, handled by individual consultation
What to confirm before requesting: Family Relation Certificate
| Item | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Type of certificate | Whether the receiving body requires the general, detailed or specific certificate. A detailed certificate can be requested only when the requesting party explains why it is needed. |
| Korean certificate vs certificate in English | There is no English version of the Family Relation Certificate itself. The court’s “certificate in English” (영문증명서) is a separate certificate showing you, your parents and spouse, and your birth and current marriage, written in Roman letters. Check whether it is sufficient for the receiving body. |
| Family members’ names in English | The certificate in English uses the English name in your passport. If you have no passport English name on record, issuance may be restricted. |
| Receiving body requirements | Translation language, whether a notarized translation is needed and the number of originals differ by receiving body. Send us their instructions as they are and we will check against them. |
Issuance and what to prepare
- Where it is issued
- Supreme Court Electronic Family Relationship Registration System, Government24, or any local district office (si/gu/eup/myeon/dong), including unmanned kiosks
- Online issuance
- Available. Online issuance is free; issuance at an office costs KRW 1,000 per copy (Government24).
- Who can apply
- You, your spouse or lineal relatives may request it; a proxy needs a delegation from one of them.
- What to send us
- At first, only the document name, destination country and the receiving body’s instructions. Originals are collected after the quote is confirmed, and an ID copy is requested only at a step that requires a proxy application.
Procedure — what you do and what we do
What you do
- Check which certificate (general, detailed or English) and how many copies the receiving body requires.
- Obtain it yourself, or tell us when you make the request if you need issuance on your behalf.
- Accept the confirmed quote and pay.
What Vision ApoKorea does
- We compare the certificate type, English names and the receiving body’s requirements and tell you what is missing.
- If needed, we translate and arrange notarization of the translation by proxy (the translation is notarized separately from the original).
- We apply for the apostille at the Overseas Koreans Agency (certificates issued by the Supreme Court are eligible for online e-Apostille issuance).
- We send the completed documents by your chosen method: pick-up, domestic courier or international delivery.
Service scope
| Service | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance on your behalf | Issuance with a delegation from the person concerned (delegation letter and ID required) | Subject to conditions |
| Translation | When the receiving body requires a translation | Available |
| Notarization by proxy | Original needs no notarization · only the translation is notarized | Available |
| Certification filing | Overseas Koreans Agency apostille / non-member countries: consular confirmation, then embassy legalization | Available |
| Delivery | Pick-up, domestic courier or international delivery | Available |
Issuing and certifying authority rests with each official body; we file applications on your behalf and do not promise approval outcomes.
Service, cost and timing
Standard service
Apostille for family relation records
- Applies to
- One Family Relation Certificate issued in Korea, one copy, for submission to an Apostille Convention country
- Included
- Document check, Translation, Notarization by proxy, Certification filing
- Possible extra costs
- Issuance on your behalf, Translation and notarized translation (language, pages), Extra copies, International delivery, Embassy legalization for non-member countries, VAT
- Total
- Confirmed quote after we review your document — based on number of documents, language, pages, copies, certification scope and delivery address.
- Government fee
- KRW 1,000 per apostille (electronic revenue stamp; Overseas Koreans Agency, checked 2026-10-09) — separate from our fee
- Processing starts
- After you accept the confirmed quote and payment is confirmed; steps that need the original start on the day the original arrives
- Timing
- Our processing, government processing and delivery are quoted separately. We do not present government processing time as the total completion time.
- Delivery
- Pick-up, domestic courier or international delivery (shipping cost included in the quote by destination and method)
Cancellation and re-processing
If something has to be redone, we separate the cause as below. Who bears the cost in each case, and the cancellation and refund terms, are written in the confirmed quote and agreed before payment.
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
| Our processing error | Redo needed because of our mistake, such as a translation error or missing document |
| Change in your materials | The document, destination country or number of copies changes after the request |
| Additional requirement from the receiving body | The receiving body asks for another document, translation or certification |
Family Relation Certificate: frequently asked questions
Can I get the apostille for a Family Relation Certificate myself?
Yes. Family Relation Certificates and certificates in English issued by the Supreme Court can be apostilled online on the e-Apostille website. For the certificate in English, you must consent at issuance to sending the issuance data for the apostille application. Use our service if you also need translation, notarization or international delivery, or want the receiving body’s requirements checked.
Is there an English Family Relation Certificate?
There is no document that is simply the Family Relation Certificate in English. The court’s “certificate in English” is a separate certificate covering you, your parents and spouse, and your birth and current marriage. First confirm whether the receiving body accepts it or wants a notarized translation of the Korean certificate.
Do I need a notarized translation?
The receiving body decides. If a translation is required, the usual route is to notarize the translation and then obtain an apostille, and the translation is certified separately from the original. Another option is a translation certified by a notary in the destination country, so send us the instructions and we will tell you the right route.
I live abroad. Can I still use your service?
Yes. An apostille application can be filed by a proxy with the applicant’s ID, the proxy’s ID and proof of authority such as a delegation letter. If you also want us to obtain the certificate, we will explain the delegation documents needed after you make the request.
How are the cost and time for an apostille on a Family Relation Certificate set?
The government fee is KRW 1,000 per apostille (electronic revenue stamp). Our fee depends on the number of documents, translation and delivery address, so we give a confirmed quote after reviewing your document, and we state our processing, government processing and delivery times separately.
Simple request: Family Relation Certificate
Your request has been received
Reference number
- Current status
- Received automatically — not yet reviewed by our staff.
- We will reply by
- Reply time
- Our staff will check and reply during business hours, Monday to Friday 09:30–17:30 (Korea time).
Next steps
- Our staff review the receiving body’s requirements and your document. If we need more information, we will ask first.
- We send a confirmed quote (scope, possible extra costs and a step-by-step schedule).
- If you accept the quote, we tell you how to pay (we send a payment link). Your request is confirmed once payment is confirmed.
- We update you at each stage: intake, review, filing for certification, completion and delivery.
If you contact us again by phone or email, please quote this reference number so we can continue with the same request. No cost is incurred before you receive and accept a quote.
Replies may be prepared with the help of machine translation.
Chat with us on KakaoTalk or WeChat
If you prefer a messenger, scan a QR code. On a phone, tap the QR code to open the app. If you already have a reference number, please include it.
Sources — official materials and date checked (2026-10-09)
- Overseas Koreans Agency — Apostille issuance procedure (eligible documents, notarization, proxy application, fees, processing time) [Korean] — www.oka.go.kr
- e-Apostille (apostille.go.kr) — documents eligible for online issuance [Korean] — www.apostille.go.kr
- Government24 — issuance of family relationship registration certificates [Korean] — www.gov.kr
- Supreme Court Electronic Family Relationship Registration System — certificates in English [Korean] — efamily.scourt.go.kr
- Supreme Court press release — start of English family relationship certificates (2019-12-27) [Korean] — www.scourt.go.kr
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release — online apostille for English family relationship certificates (from 2019-12-27) [Korean] — www.mofa.go.kr
- Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Articles 14 and 15 [Korean] — www.law.go.kr
- Regulation on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 21-3 (certificates in English) [Korean] — www.law.go.kr
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Uruguay notice (2025-01-15) — notarization of company and private-school documents, separate notarization of translations [Korean] — overseas.mofa.go.kr
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Italy notice (2024-01-30) — apostille after notarization of the translation [Korean] — overseas.mofa.go.kr
Points we could not confirm in official materials are not stated as fact and are marked 'to be confirmed for your receiving body and issuing country'. We update this page when official guidance changes.