Living in Korea

IMPORTANT Updates:

With the replacement of the family registry since 1st January 2008 it is more complicated to apply for the F4 visa. With the new system there are new documents that need to be obtained from the local authorities. Furthermore most of the adoptees need to go through the process of "renouncing the Korean citizenship" even though the Korean citizenship in most cases already have been cancelled. In order to simplify the application process G.O.A.'L highly recommends to contact its staff in order to set up an appointment.  (as of March 14, 2008)

The F4 Visa is now valid for 3 years instead of 2 years only. When it comes to handing in paperwork, some of the government officials are known to be very picky, so make sure you have all your documents in order.  (as of July 20, 2009)

F4 Introduction

G.O.A.'L lobbied in 1999 for an inclusion of Korean adoptees under the new law on Overseas Koreans. Since then adoptees can apply for the F4 visa which gives them many advantages over the old F1, F2 or just tourist visa. There are no visa runs necessary any longer and the extension can be done within the country.

There are two ways how to obtain the F4 visa:

1. You apply for it at your local Korean embassy. Warning! There are still embassies where the F4 visa is virtually unknown. That may cause some problems. In case you do not get the F4 visa you might want to try method number 2. Once you get a F4 visa from the Korean embassy you still have to visit the Immigration office here in Seoul or where you will live in Korea. The first time you will drop off your passport and the second time you can go pick it up or you can ask to have it sent to you via mail/courrier service.

2. You come to Korea on a regular tourist visa (you just fill in the regular application while on the flight to Korea) and then apply for the F4 here in Korea. Make sure you respect the tourist visa time limit. For US citizens it's only 30 days whereas for most countries it is 90 days/3 months. For Canadians it's 180 days/6 months. The process is as follows:

Apply for the F4 documents at your local Korean adoption agency (KSS, Holt, SWS, ECWS). You will receive an adoption certificate. With the adoption certificate you can then go and get a copy of the familly registry at the local district office. If you are uncertain about the whole process you can also visit our office and we will guide you through the whole process. We also provide a volunteer who accompanies you to the district and immigration office. Once you applied for the adoption certificate it will take approx. 2 - 4 working days until the document arrives at our office. We then arrange a volunteer for you. 

Once you received those documents you can go visit the immigration office with following documents:

• adoption certificate (provided by the adoption agency)
• copy of the family registry (can obtain from any local district office in Korea)
• 2 passport pictures (3x4cm)
• 60'000 Won (reg. fee) +10,000 Won (special F4 additional fee)
• any other official adoption paperwork (not always necessary, but it's always good to have all documents with you in case the immigration officer asks to see further verification of who you are)
• a valid passport (if expiration date is less than two years away, your visa will be approved for the validity of your passport)
• naturalization papers (if  US citizen)
• a birth certificate, citizen's certificate and other documents (depending on your adoptive country)

You will have to fill in two documents (application for visa, registration as Overseas Koreans).

You need to buy revenue stamps equaling 70'000 Won. Hand in all documents to the immigration officer (window for overseas Koreans) and you will receive a small paper stating that you handed in the documents and that you could go pick up your passport and F4 ID Card within 9 working days. You can also choose your passport and ID card to be mailed to you or to G.O.A.'L office.

In case you are still a Korean citizen (You will only find out after you receive your copy of the family registry if you're still a citizen or not) you will have to decide if you'd like to give up either the Korean or your adoptive country's citizenship. For the renouncement you will need sometimes extra documents such as a certificate of citizenship, a birth certificate etc. If it's not in English you will need a certified translation which you can usually have done at your embassy here in Korea. If you're not sure about the whole process and the legal consequences, please contact our office.

If you have problems with any of the steps please call us or come to our office. We'd be pleased to provide you a volunteer who goes with you to the immigration office. Please remain always friendly as the officer has all the rights to demand other paperwork or information from you. Sometimes it just depends on who you will get. We have had adoptees who had to visit the immigration office 3 times before they got accepted.

IMPORTANT: During the 9 days while your application is being processed your passport is not available (you have to hand it in). That means that you have to do all business that requires a passport either before you hand it in or after you receive the passport back. You also can't leave the country!!!

Please contact Lydia Kim at volunteer@goal.or.kr in case of questions/problems. 

For the latest updates on F4 Visa regulations, application and rules, visit the Immigration Office website.