Eligibility quiz
Do you have a father or mother who is a South Korean citizen and is your parent by birth or legally for a reason other than adoption?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
South Korean passport
South Korean citizens can get a South Korean passport for travel abroad.
Live in South Korea for life
South Korean citizens can enter, leave and live in South Korea without a visa or residence renewal.
There is no minimum time they must spend in the country.
Study in South Korea
South Korean citizens have an equal right to education and do not need a student immigration status to study.
Work in South Korea
South Korean citizens have the right to work without a foreigner's work permission.
Some jobs and professions have their own requirements.
Use registration services
South Korean citizens can use civil and family registration services, and those living abroad can register as overseas nationals to help with administration and protection.
Get help abroad
South Korean citizens can get consular help abroad, including in emergencies, disasters, criminal proceedings and missing-person cases.
Local and international law, and what a person can resolve themselves, limit the help available.
Vote and run for office
South Korean citizens have the right to vote and hold public office under election rules.
Citizens abroad can also vote from abroad if they register and meet the election conditions.
Use public healthcare
South Korean citizens can join National Health Insurance as domestic participants rather than under the rules for foreign residents.
Enrollment can be through work or where they live, and contributions are payable.
Use social support
South Korean citizens have a right to social support under the law.
Social insurance includes pensions, employment and work-accident insurance, but payments depend on the scheme and factors such as work, residence and income.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your local office
Find the immigration or foreigners office that handles nationality applications for the place where you live in South Korea.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which South Korea immigration office handles Special Naturalization applications for your city?”
Download the application form
Download the naturalization application form from Hi Korea.
Download the formSearches DuckDuckGo for “Where can I download the South Korea Special Naturalization application form on Hi Korea?”
Fill in the form
Fill in and sign the naturalization application form. Attach a 4 cm by 5 cm colour photograph and prepare two copies of the first page.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the South Korea Special Naturalization application form?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the nationality office.
See required documentsBook an appointment
Reserve a visit through Hi Korea before going to the office. Some people, including those aged 70 or over and pregnant women, may be able to visit without a reservation.
Book an appointmentSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I book a Hi Korea visit for a South Korea Special Naturalization application?”
Go to your appointment
Bring your completed form and documents to your local nationality office; a legal representative may attend for an applicant aged 15 or under. Pay the 300,000 won fee with a government revenue stamp and keep the receipt and processing information.
Find appointment detailsSearches DuckDuckGo for “What should I bring to my South Korea Special Naturalization appointment at the immigration office?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the decision on your application. Respond if the office asks for more documents or asks you to attend an interview or take part in other checks.
See processing informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does a South Korea Special Naturalization application take and what happens during screening?”
Attend your citizenship ceremony
If your application is approved, attend the oath and citizenship certificate ceremony when instructed. You become a South Korean citizen through the oath and certificate process.
Find ceremony informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I attend the South Korea Special Naturalization oath and citizenship certificate ceremony?”
Address your other citizenship
If required, give up your other citizenship or declare that you will not exercise it within the applicable deadline. Once you are a South Korean citizen, you can apply for a South Korean passport.
Find next stepsSearches DuckDuckGo for “What must I do about my other citizenship after South Korea Special Naturalization?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Parent's family record
Get your South Korean parent's family relationship register certificate to show your relationship. Adoption by a South Korean citizen alone does not qualify you for this route; if you were adopted as an adult under South Korean law, you are excluded from it.
Adoption records *
Get the official record of your adoption that shows your relationship to your adoptive parent. Ask the office which record it needs.
* Only if the office asks for proof of your adoption.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Military service for men
Male South Korean citizens may have to serve in the military; age, health, time abroad and dual citizenship can affect exemptions or delays.
Those liable who are 25 or older, or doing alternative service, need permission to travel abroad.
Those who left before 25 generally need permission by 15 January of the year they turn 25.
Citizenship can be lost
Voluntarily acquiring another citizenship generally ends South Korean citizenship, with exceptions.
Dual citizens who were not South Korean at birth can lose it after a hearing if keeping it is clearly against national interests or seriously disrupts social order.
Citizenship can also be given up through a legal process, and loss must be reported.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Every Expat in Korea
English Facebook group for people living in South Korea interested in South Korean local life
Join on FacebookForeigners in Seoul
English Facebook group for people living in South Korea interested in South Korean local life
Join on Facebookr/SouthKoreaTravel
English Reddit group for people living in South Korea interested in South Korean local life
Join on RedditConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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