We handle your Korean police clearance certificate from request through delivery, wherever your residence visa application is being filed. Police clearance certificate from Korea's National Police Agency, issued and apostilled for a long-term residence visa application abroad — without visiting Korea.
When applying for a long-term residence visa in a country other than Korea — including working holiday visas, expatriate/assignee visas, dependent (spouse or family) visas, digital nomad visas, and retirement visas — immigration authorities frequently require a criminal record certificate from every country the applicant has resided in for a set period (often six months to a year). Foreign nationals who previously studied, worked, or lived long-term in Korea are commonly required to submit a Korean criminal record certificate as part of this process, even though the visa itself has nothing to do with Korea.
The Korean criminal record certificate is issued through the National Police Agency's online system (crims.police.go.kr), which requires Korean identity verification — a resident registration number, Korean mobile phone authentication, or a Korean digital certificate. Once residency status in Korea ends, most applicants lose access to these verification methods, making it practically impossible to request the document directly from overseas — right when a visa application deadline is often on the line.
This service is for anyone who previously studied, worked, or lived long-term in Korea and now needs a Korean criminal record certificate for a long-term residence visa application abroad — including applicants for working holiday visas, expatriate or assignee visas, dependent (spouse or family) visas, digital nomad visas, and retirement visas. You do not need a Korean bank account, Korean mobile number, or Digital Certificate (Joint Certificate) — a signed power of attorney and identity verification are enough for us to request the certificate on your behalf.
Korea issues two related documents under the same governing law (the Act on the Lapse of Criminal Sentences). The Criminal Record Certificate (범죄·수사경력회보서) covers immigration, employment, family, and other general purposes. The Background Check (Criminal Records) Certificate (신원조사 범죄경력증명서) is issued specifically for overseas visa, permanent residency, or citizenship applications — its application form states that it cannot be used for any other purpose, and doing so is subject to penalty under Korean law (Article 10).
There are two ways to get a Korean police clearance certificate authenticated for a long-term residence visa once you've left Korea.
Option 1 — Handle it yourself. You can request the certificate directly through the National Police Agency's online system (crims.police.go.kr), which requires Korean identity verification — a resident registration number, Korean mobile phone authentication, or a Korean digital certificate — then bring it to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an Apostille, or to your destination country's embassy or consulate in Korea for Consular Confirmation. This is possible without a service, but once your Korean residency status ends, most applicants lose access to these verification methods entirely.
Option 2 — Use GetKoreanDocs. We request the correct certificate on your behalf, complete the Apostille or Consular Confirmation, and ship the finished document to you internationally, without you needing Korean identity verification or a trip back to Korea.
Two ways to complete authentication, depending on your destination country. Pricing and processing time differ between the two certificate types below.
Covers issuance of the certificate and Hague Apostille certification, for destination countries that are Hague Convention members.
Final pricing depends on your destination country's embassy or consulate in Korea, and is confirmed during your consultation.
Covers issuance of the certificate and Hague Apostille certification, for destination countries that are Hague Convention members.
Final pricing depends on your destination country's embassy or consulate in Korea, and is confirmed during your consultation.
* Need it faster? Expedited processing (faster than the standard 20 business days) is available for an additional fee — let us know your deadline during your consultation.
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Tell us which document you need and where it's being submitted. No Korean phone number, Digital Certificate (Joint Certificate), or physical visit required on your end — you sign a power of attorney and provide identity verification, and we handle the rest directly with the issuing agency.
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We request the document on your behalf from the relevant Korean government office.
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Based on the destination country you provide, we apply the required certification — including notarization first, when that's a prerequisite.
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Your completed, authenticated document is shipped directly to your address, anywhere in the world.
Yes. We request the correct certificate from the relevant Korean government office and complete the Apostille or Consular Confirmation on your behalf, without you needing Korean identity verification or a trip back to Korea.
Korea issues two related documents. The Criminal Record Certificate covers general purposes; the Background Check (Criminal Records) Certificate is issued specifically for overseas visa, permanent residency, or citizenship applications and cannot legally be substituted. If you're not sure which yours requires, let us know during your consultation.
The certificate is issued through the National Police Agency's online system, which requires Korean identity verification — a resident registration number, Korean mobile phone authentication, or a Korean digital certificate. Once your Korean residency status ends, most applicants lose access to these verification methods.
The Criminal Record Certificate generally takes 12 or more business days; the Background Check (Criminal Records) Certificate takes about 29 or more business days, not including international shipping. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee if your deadline is tight.
Yes — this service is designed for applicants who have already left Korea or whose Korean residency has ended, since a signed power of attorney and identity verification are all we need to act on your behalf.
That's common — tell us your destination country during your free consultation, and we'll confirm the correct authentication path before anything is charged.
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Tell us what you need and where it's going. We'll confirm the process, requirements, and next steps before anything is charged.