Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What South Korea Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Country requirements change. This page is re-checked periodically, and nothing on it replaces confirming the position with the Korean body that will receive your document.

For South Korea the authentication answer, where one is needed, is an apostille. Two things about Korea are more specific. Reporting an Australian marriage to the Korean family register through a Korean mission in Australia needs no apostille and no professional translation. And Korean property transactions run on registered seals (ingam), which Australians do not have, so a notarised signature takes the seal's place.

This page covers family registration, property and inheritance. For Korean visas, including teaching and marriage visas, see our separate page on Korean visa applications.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm the Republic of Korea's status against the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention on the day you start. At the time of writing it is listed as a party, so an apostille is the expected route for documents within the Convention's scope.

The usual chain

1. Notarise in Australia, if the document is a private one
2. DFAT apostille
3. Korean translation, of the kind the receiving body accepts

Australian public documents such as registry-issued certificates may be able to go to DFAT directly without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.

Reporting an Australian marriage to the Korean family register

A Korean national who marries in Australia reports the marriage so that it is entered in the Korean family relations register. The Korean Embassy's published requirements for a marriage registered in Australia include:

• The original marriage certificate issued by the Australian state or territory registry. The embassy states that originals are not returned, so order a certificate for the purpose.
• A Korean translation of the certificate. The embassy says the applicant can translate it personally, accurately, and write the translator's name and sign in the margin, and that no separate notarisation is needed. It publishes translation templates for different states' certificates.
• Both parties' passports, evidence of Australian visa status or citizenship, and other forms.

The embassy's page does not list an apostille for this procedure, and the Sydney consulate adds that copies submitted to it for a marriage report do not need to be certified by a JP. If you are paying a notary or DFAT for this, stop and check with the mission first.

Lodge with the mission for your state. The missions' pages divide responsibility as follows: the embassy in Canberra covers the ACT, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania; the Sydney consulate-general covers New South Wales and the Northern Territory; the Melbourne office covers Victoria; and the Brisbane office covers Queensland. Confirm before posting anything.

Property in Korea: the signature replaces the seal

Korean property registration relies on a registered seal and a seal certificate (ingam jeungmyeong) to prove that the owner authorised a transaction. A person from a country with no seal system cannot produce one. Korean registry practice, as described in guidance published by Korean missions, allows a foreign national without a seal system to substitute a certificate from a home-country authority, or a notarisation, confirming that the signature on the power of attorney or application is their own.

For an Australian selling or mortgaging Korean property without travelling, that generally means:

• A power of attorney identifying the property and the attorney precisely, and stating what authority is given.
• A notarised signature on that power of attorney in place of a seal certificate, with an apostille.
• Proof of address. Australia does not issue a resident address certificate of the Korean kind. Mission guidance describes a notarised address statement, or a certified copy of an official identity document, as the alternative for countries without one.
• Proof of a name change, if your name differs from the one on the Korean register, for example after acquiring another nationality.
• Korean translations of everything in a foreign language.

The Korean Supreme Court revised its registry guidance for foreign nationals and Koreans abroad with effect from 1 January 2019, including how apostilled foreign public documents are examined. Rules like these change. The Korean judicial scrivener (beommusa) or lawyer handling the registration should give you the exact wording and list, and should advise on validity.

A Korean national living in Australia has an extra option: Korean registry rules allow a notarisation by a Korean mission abroad in place of a seal certificate in some cases. Ask the mission and the scrivener which route suits the transaction.

Inheritance

Where an estate in Korea is divided by agreement among heirs, each heir's signature on the agreement must be proved. An heir in Australia will usually face the same seal problem as above, and will be asked for a notarised signature, with an apostille, or a Korean consular confirmation if they are a Korean national. Ask the Korean scrivener or lawyer for the document before you sign; the notary will need the final text.

If you are signing a Korean document you do not read, the Australian notary must be satisfied you understand it and may ask for a translation.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Korean embassy need to legalise my Australian document? Not for a Convention-covered document. Korean missions do not issue apostilles; DFAT does.

Do I need a certified translation of my marriage certificate for the family register? According to the Korean Embassy, no. You may translate it yourself and sign the translation.

Does an Australian notary replace a Korean seal certificate? For a foreign national without a seal system, a notarised signature is the usual substitute. Whether it suits your transaction is for the Korean scrivener to confirm.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT, courier time and the Korean office. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.