Criminal Background Check for Korean Visa — Apostille, FBI Check, Country-by-Country Guide

The following visa categories require a criminal background check as a standard document:

• E-2 (English Language Instructor): Mandatory — required at both the initial application and at each renewal. Must be an apostilled national-level check (not just a local police check).

• E-7-1 (Specialist/Professional): Required for the initial application. Some occupation codes may have waivers at extension.

• E-1 (Professor): Required for initial application.

• E-3 (Research) and E-4 (Technology Transfer): Required for initial application.

• F-5 (Permanent Residency): Required — covers all countries where you have lived for 1+ year.

• Naturalization (귀화): Required.

• D-8-4 (Tech Startup): Required.

• G-1 (Humanitarian): Required in many cases.

Generally NOT required for: C-3 short-stay visas, D-2 student visas (initial application), most F-series extensions.

Korean immigration requires a national-level criminal background check — not a local or state-level check. This is important:

• USA: The FBI Identity History Summary (officially the 'FBI Criminal Background Check') is the correct document — NOT a state-level check. Available via the FBI website or an approved channeler (Identity History Summary Checks at fbi.gov). Processing via FBI directly: 2–12 weeks. Via a USDOJ-approved channeler: 2–5 business days.

• UK: The DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Basic Disclosure is used for UK residents. Non-residents must use the ACPO/National Police Chiefs' Council certificate. Apply at acro.police.uk.

• Canada: RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check (Level 2). Apply via RCMP directly or an approved fingerprint agency. Processing: 3–8 weeks.

• Australia: Australian Federal Police National Police Check. Apply online at afp.gov.au. Processing: 15 business days average.

• Philippines: NBI Clearance (National Bureau of Investigation). Apply at nbi.gov.ph or NBI offices. Quick processing (same day to 1 week for most applicants).

• India: Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) from the Passport Seva Kendra or the Ministry of External Affairs. Processing: 1–4 weeks.

• Other countries: Contact the Korean consulate in your country for the specific accepted document. Generally, the national police authority's certificate is required — local equivalents are not accepted.

For countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention (most countries — 125+ members), the criminal background check must be apostilled before submission to Korean immigration.

• The apostille is applied by the designated competent authority in the issuing country — typically the foreign affairs ministry, the supreme court, or a designated state/national authority.

• USA: The FBI check can be apostilled by the US Department of State (in Washington DC). Some approved channelers handle this step too.

• UK: DBS certificates can be apostilled by the FCDO Legalisation Office.

• Australia: The AFP check can be apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

For non-Hague countries (some Middle Eastern, African, and Southeast Asian countries), authentication through the Korean embassy in your country is required instead of apostille. This typically adds 2–4 weeks.

Always check the current apostille requirements at hcch.net for your country.

Korean immigration typically requires a criminal background check issued within 6 months of the visa application date. This means:

• Start the process well in advance — the FBI check alone can take up to 12 weeks

• For renewals: you will need a new check each time unless your immigration office accepts an earlier one

• For applications: the check must cover ALL countries where you have lived for 1 year or more, not just your home country — if you lived in Japan for 2 years, you need a Japanese police clearance as well

Note: If the issued certificate expires before your visa is approved (unlikely but possible for slow applications), you may need to get a new one.

1. Using a state-level check instead of national — Korean immigration requires national-level (FBI for USA, RCMP for Canada, AFP for Australia). State police checks are not accepted.

2. Missing apostille — Many applicants forget the apostille step. The original certificate without apostille will be rejected.

3. Expired certificate — If the check was issued more than 6 months ago, you need a new one.

4. Wrong translation — The Korean consulate or immigration officer may require a certified Korean translation of the certificate. A general translation agency is usually acceptable; confirm with the consulate.

5. Forgetting other countries — For and naturalization applications, forgetting to include checks from other countries where you lived long-term is a common omission.