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Marriage Report in Foreign Countries

□ General procedure for marriage report

○ Even though a national of the Republic of Korea and a foreigner have married in a foreign country according to its marriage procedure, they shall report their marriage in accordance with the Civil Act of the Republic of Korea so that their marital status is registered on the family relation register of the Korean national.

□ Verification of marriage

○ Submission of marriage relation certificate

When submitting a marriage report, the parties to a marriage shall attach documentary evidence (a certified copy of the marriage certificate issued by a competent authority of the country where they have married in and its translation) proving their marriage status recognized by the foreign country where they have married in (Article 35(1) of the Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Article 30(2) of Rules on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships).

○ Where to submit a marriage relation certificate

Where a Korean citizen residing in a foreign country has prepared documentary evidence concerning a marriage relation by the method adopted by the foreign country, he/she shall submit a certified copy of the documentary evidence to the head of a Korean diplomatic mission abroad having jurisdiction over the relevant area, within three months (Article 35 (1) of the Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships).

Marriage Report in the Republic of Korea

□ General procedure for marriage report

○ The parties to a marriage shall report their marriage according to the procedure prescribed in "Procedural Requirements for Marriage" of <International Marriage-Formation of International Marriage-Requirements for International Marriage>.

○ In order to prove that a foreign spouse meets all the requirements for marriage prescribed by the laws of his/her country, he/she shall submit the following evidential documents.

Documents proving a relation between the alien and the applicable laws of his/her country for formation of marriage (Family relation register, birth certificate, copy of passport, other registration certificates, etc. by the laws of his/her country);

Documents which are issued by a competent authority of the country of the alien and prove that he/she meets the requirements for marriage.

○ Complements to certificates required for formation of marriage

In case the foreigner’s country is not able to issue the certificates mentioned in 2., he/she may submit a written oath after taking an oath in front of his/her country's consul, etc. in Korea.

In case the foreigner cannot submit the certificates mentioned in 2 or a written oath, he/she shall prepare the documents proving that he/she is not able to get those certificates but meets the contextual requirements for marriage prescribed by the laws of his/her country and have them notarized. Then, he/she may submit a document proving his/her identification issued by a competent authority of his/her country (e.g. birth certificate, copy of passport, etc.) or a foreigner registration certificate (writing his/her identification information written in the foreign register) instead.

○ If the documents are prepared in a foreign language, translated copies shall be attached (Article 30 (2) of the Regulation on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships).

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