Criminal Record Certificate — The One You Get in Korea and the One from Home Are Different Documents

There is no document in Korea named "criminal record certificate." The official name used by every counter, every application form, and every government system is 범죄·수사경력회보서, rendered in English as "CRIMINAL/INVESTIGATION RECORD CHECK REPORT." Before April 2015 it was called 범죄경력증명서, and for a while after that it went by 신원조사(범죄경력)증명서 — which is why notices from Korean missions abroad still list the two names side by side (per the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the UK, 2024-02-13, and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Portugal, 2026-05-28).

Before the name, there is one more thing to sort out: whether the document you have been asked for is issued in Korea or issued in your home country. The two directions differ completely in issuing authority, governing law, and how long they take. The Korean document is issued by the Korean National Police Agency and gets its apostille from the Overseas Koreans Agency, while your home-country document is issued by that country's government and is authenticated according to that country's system.

And the Korean document splits one more time — at the "purpose" box. Article 6(1)4 of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences opens self-application to only two cases: ① checking the contents of your own investigation record file, and ② when it is required for permission to enter or stay in a foreign country (current as of August 2026). If your employer sent you here, this is where you get stopped.

Start by picking your direction — the two paths are entirely different procedures

First figure out which row you are in, then read only the section that applies to you.

This is a mix-up Korean nationals never run into. The party asking often just writes "criminal record certificate" in English, but which document those words point to changes completely depending on whose system you request it from. Start by checking whether the notice you received names the issuing country, and if it doesn't, ask them that first.

The third row is what produces wasted trips most often. The reason is laid out in the purpose section below. If you want the overall sequence for changing your status of stay, read How to change your visa status first.

The document issued in Korea — its name and three routes

Eligible applicants are Korean nationals aged 14 or older, or foreign nationals with a record of stay in Korea. Even if you have already left the country, a record of stay makes you eligible. There is no fee on any of the three routes.

Do not plan around "same day." The police issuance system says within 14 days of the application date and adds that it can run longer if a court judgment needs to be verified, and that a record of a name change or a change of resident registration number can also stretch it out. The Government24 notice for "Application for various criminal record checks" also lists the processing time as 14 days.

Issuance at Korean missions abroad has been running since January 1, 2014. "You can't get it at the embassy" is old information. That said, you have to go in person and postal applications are not accepted. Applicants aged 14 to 17 also submit a basic certificate (기본증명서).

There are also requirements that apply only to foreign nationals. You need a certificate of foreign resident registration facts (외국인등록사실증명원) or a copy of your alien registration card, and you must write your last address in Korea (your former residence) on the application form. If you got a new passport after leaving Korea, you also have to present the old passport you used during your stay here. The application form (the version for police offices and overseas missions, V. 2024. 2. 13.) asks you right at the top for the country of submission, the receiving institution, and the purpose of issuance (choose one of permanent residency, visa, or citizenship). Gathering your alien registration paperwork before you leave Korea keeps you from getting stuck on those boxes.

One box on the form decides it — it is not issued for employment

The Korean National Police Agency's issuance system screen says it plainly: "This report can only be issued for visa issuance where an embassy of another country requires it for permission to enter or stay abroad, such as for emigration or study, and it cannot be issued for other purposes (e.g., employment at a foreign company, university admission, etc.)." The notice from the Korean Embassy in the UK likewise states flatly that it is not a document that can be issued for employment purposes.

There is no workaround where you write a different purpose to get one. Article 6(3) of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences prohibits obtaining criminal record data or investigation record data for use outside the cases the law provides for, and Article 6(4) prohibits using data you received for any purpose not stipulated in law. A violation carries imprisonment for up to 2 years or a criminal fine of up to 20 million won under Article 10(2) and 10(3) of the same Act (as of August 2026). The up to 5 years' imprisonment or up to 50 million won criminal fine in paragraph 1 of that same article applies to people who manage or query investigation record files and then report or leak their contents, so it is not the penalty that attaches to an ordinary applicant.

In practice, only two purposes are genuinely open to foreign readers: permission to enter or stay in a foreign country, and international marriage. But a report issued for the international marriage purpose can only be used for submission to an international marriage brokerage under Article 10-2 of the Act on the Management of Marriage Brokerage Agencies; it is not issued for a marriage between individuals arranged without a brokerage.

For a hagwon or daycare job, it's a completely different document

What is required when you take a job at a child- or youth-related institution in Korea is a reply on a sex offense record check (성범죄 경력 조회 회신서) — a different document from the report in this article, with a different procedure. The basis is Article 56 of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses ([in force 2026.5.12.] Act No. 21108), under which the head of the institution requests the check with your consent and the head of the relevant agency issues the reply. It is not something you pick up at a counter yourself.

What gets written down and what gets left out

The Korean document keeps "conviction records" and "investigation-stage records" in separate boxes. Criminal record data covers sentences of a criminal fine or heavier that were imposed or remitted, suspended sentences, and matters such as protective custody, custodial treatment, and probation; investigation record data covers everything else, such as sentences lighter than a criminal fine, a decision by a judicial police officer not to refer a case to the prosecution, and a prosecutor's decision not to indict (Article 2(5) and 2(6) of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences).

The following are left out of a report issued for entry into or stay in a foreign country: sentences that have lapsed; sentences pardoned or with rights restored so that the effect of the sentence was lost under the Amnesty Act; referrals to a juvenile department and protective dispositions where three years have passed since the decision; suspended sentences deemed acquitted under Article 60 of the Criminal Act; and suspended executions that lost effect under Article 65 of the Criminal Act (Article 7-2(3) of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences, amended 2024.4.2.).

This applies where you have not since received another sentence of suspension of qualifications or heavier (Article 7(1) of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences). And it does not mean "your record is erased" — it means it does not appear on this report. The clearing of the register of convicted persons and the convicted persons list, and the clearing of investigation record data, are each governed by separate provisions.

Putting an apostille on the Korean document — the counter is the Overseas Koreans Agency

Korea splits apostille authority between two bodies. The Overseas Koreans Agency handles documents from administrative agencies such as the national and local governments as well as court documents, while the Ministry of Justice handles documents produced by the Ministry of Justice and its affiliated agencies (including the Prosecution Service) and notarized documents. The criminal/investigation record check report issued by the Korean National Police Agency is an administrative agency document, so it falls to the Overseas Koreans Agency.

Online is fastest. Once you have your report, you can enter the report's issuance number on the e-Apostille site (apostille.go.kr) and print an electronic apostille, free of charge. That portal is also run by the Overseas Koreans Agency. If you get a paper apostille at a counter instead, there is a 1,000 won electronic revenue stamp per issuance (per Overseas Koreans Agency guidance · check counter hours and how long it takes at ☎02-6747-0404 before you go).

Korea is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, which entered into force for Korea on July 14, 2007, and as of the June 30, 2026 update there are 130 contracting states. If the other country is not a party, you have to go the consular confirmation route instead of the apostille route, which adds a step. Because the counter that handles document confirmation inside Korea and the consular confirmation you get abroad are handled by different bodies, the accurate way to sequence it is to check with your own country's mission in Korea and with the receiving institution.

The other direction — submitting your home-country document in Korea

There is one governing principle for foreign-issued documents submitted to Korean immigration counters. Guidance from the Seoul Immigration Office provides that documents issued abroad (criminal record certificates, degree certificates, and so on) must be attached with an apostille from that country's government or consular confirmation from the Korean mission in that country.

You need a translation along with it. The same guidance, using a change of status to Overseas Korean (F-4) as its example, says the rule is to submit the original along with a notarized translation, and explains that a notarized translation here means one that states the translator's personal details and contact information and includes a copy of the translator's ID. If you show up with just a translation, it can be sent back.

In some countries the issuing authority and the apostille authority sit in different ministries. The United States is one. The criminal record certificate (Identity History Summary Check) is issued by the FBI, but the apostille is attached by the U.S. Department of State, and Korean mission guidance explicitly says state-level apostilles are not accepted. FBI documents are federal, so they do not need separate notarization, and the Department of State accepts applications by mail only.

For the remaining countries, I won't make definitive claims here. The issuing body varies between the national police, the judiciary, and the interior ministry, and the systems change often, so guidance from your home-country agency and from your country's mission in Korea is the primary source. How to find your country's mission is covered in How to find your embassy in Korea, and how far a mission can actually help you is covered in What your embassy in Korea can do for you.

When to request it so you don't waste money — validity period and which countries you need

This is where money leaks. The standard the Ministry of Justice set in its September 6, 2021 notice, "Notification of Partial Changes to the Standards for Handling Overseas Criminal Record Certificates for Foreign Nationals of Korean Descent," is a document issued within 6 months of the date you apply for the visa, the change of status of stay, or the extension of stay. That extended the previous 3 months to 6 months, so it can look inconsistent with the "all documents must be originals issued within 3 months" line still sitting in immigration guidance booklets produced in the first half of 2021. That said, this notice is, as its title says, a standard for handling cases involving foreign nationals of Korean descent, so you can't assume it applies as-is to every status of stay — check the standard for your own status with ☎1345 or the immigration office with jurisdiction over you.

The starting point of the count is the crux. The F-4 guidance from the Korean Consulate General in San Francisco (2026-08-06) specifies 6 months from the issuance date of the criminal record certificate, not the date the apostille was attached. That means all the time you spend on the apostille application, the notarized translation, and international mail comes straight out of the validity window. So the safe order is to fix your Korean application date first and count backwards from there to decide when to request the home-country document.

Sometimes the list of countries you need documents from doesn't stop at your country of nationality. The Ministry of Justice notice provides that, alongside your country of nationality, you submit documents from any third country where you stayed continuously for a year or more within a certain period, and for extensions of stay, from any country where you stayed continuously abroad for 6 months or more during the permitted period. However, the number of years in that "certain period" differs between the original notice (10 years) and the latest guidance from Korean missions abroad (5 years), so I won't state a fixed figure here. "Stayed continuously" comes with a proviso too — if you re-enter the same country within a month of your departure date, it counts as continuous stay. The examples in the notice: if you spent 5 months in Country A, then 10 days in Korea, then another month in Country A, you need Country A's document; if you spent 5 months in Country A and then 3 months in Country B, neither is subject to submission, but the applicant has to demonstrate that each stay was under 6 months.

Third-country documents are the hardest part. If you worked for a long stretch in another country before coming to Korea, you may need that country's document too — and since you have already left, you have to hunt down the issuing route from scratch. Start by checking that country's mission in Korea or that government's own guidance, and ask first whether postal or proxy applications are possible. It is the item on your checklist that takes the longest, so it is safest to put it first in your sequence.

There are exemptions as well. Under the Overseas Korean (F-4) visa standard, people aged 60 or over, people aged 13 or under, persons of national merit (independence patriots) and their bereaved families, and persons of special merit are listed as exempt. Not being on this list doesn't automatically make you subject to submission, and being on it doesn't mean it carries over to every status of stay. Confirm with the agency with jurisdiction what attaches to your particular status and case.

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What you should not decide from this article — three places to check

The counters split three ways. Knowing which counter answers what saves you time before you walk in.

☎1345 supporting 20 languages does not mean it will answer questions about report issuance. Conversely, the police agency does not decide whether your visa will come through. And the last step is always the receiving institution — what they want and in what format is decided by whoever receives the document. Whether an online-issued copy will do, or whether you need a paper original with a seal, is decided there too.

There is one way to cut down on refusals and delays: cross-check that the country of submission, the receiving institution, and the purpose of issuance you write on the application match what the receiving institution actually wants. If those three boxes are off, you wait 14 days and then start the whole application over.

Guidance from Korean missions abroad only goes as far as saying issuance may be refused or restricted "depending on the receiving institution and the purpose of issuance" and "where the information in the application is insufficient or contains errors." The full list of grounds for refusal and the appeal procedure are not confirmable in public materials, so if you are refused, ask for the reason on the spot and follow up with the counters above. If you are preparing documents alongside a domestic residence report, see Domestic residence report; for procedures like a driver's license that need other documents at the same time, see Exchanging a foreign driver's license.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. A Korean company is asking me for a criminal record certificate — how do I get one? It is not issued for that purpose. Article 6(1)4 of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences opens self-application to only two cases — checking the contents of your own investigation record file, and permission to enter or stay in a foreign country — and the police agency's issuance system screen also states explicitly that it cannot be issued for purposes such as employment at a foreign company or university admission. If it is a job at a child- or youth-related institution such as a hagwon or a daycare center, the procedure is different: it becomes a reply on a sex offense record check under Article 56 of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses. Ask the company to confirm the exact name of the document again.

Q2. I've already left Korea — can I still get the Korean report? Yes. Eligibility covers Korean nationals aged 14 or older and foreign nationals with a record of stay in Korea, so a record of stay makes you eligible. Since January 1, 2014 the police agency has also issued it through Korean missions abroad; you apply in person (no postal applications, appointment required) and it takes about 14 days to come back. Foreign nationals need a certificate of foreign resident registration facts or a copy of their alien registration card, and must write their last address in Korea on the application. If you got a new passport after leaving Korea, you also have to present the old passport you used during your stay here, so check on that in advance.

Q3. The receiving institution wants a document that shows even lapsed sentences. Can I just apply for the self-verification version? No, don't do that. Article 7-2(2) of the Enforcement Decree was amended on April 2, 2024 so that even the self-verification version omits lapsed sentences and similar items unless you specifically request otherwise, and submitting data you obtained for self-verification for a different purpose is a violation of Article 6(4) of the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences, carrying imprisonment for up to 2 years or a criminal fine of up to 20 million won under Article 10(3) of the same Act. The proper route is to explain to the receiving institution that the Korean system does not issue a document in that form for submission abroad, and to ask whether there is an alternative document they will accept.

Q4. Do I get the apostille from the Ministry of Justice? For a report issued by the Korean National Police Agency, it falls to the Overseas Koreans Agency. Korea's apostille authority is split between the Overseas Koreans Agency (administrative agency and court documents) and the Ministry of Justice (documents produced by the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecution Service, and notarized documents), and the criminal/investigation record check report is a document issued by an administrative agency, so it goes to the Overseas Koreans Agency. Once you have the report, you can enter the issuance number at apostille.go.kr and print an electronic apostille free of charge; if you get a paper one at a counter, there is a 1,000 won electronic revenue stamp per issuance. That said, some institutions do not accept documents issued online, and an embassy seal cannot be affixed to an online-issued copy, so check with the receiving institution before submitting.

Q5. When is the best time to request my home-country document? Fix your Korean application date first and count backwards from there. Under the Ministry of Justice notice of September 6, 2021, overseas criminal record documents must have been issued within 6 months of the date you apply for a visa, a change of status of stay, or an extension of stay, and guidance from the Korean Consulate General in San Francisco (2026-08-06) specifies that those 6 months are counted from the certificate's issuance date, not the date the apostille was attached. In effect, all the time the apostille, the notarized translation, and international mail take comes out of the validity window. Because that notice is a standard for handling cases involving foreign nationals of Korean descent, you can't assume it applies as-is to every status, so confirm the reference date for your own status with ☎1345 or the immigration office with jurisdiction over you.