Apostille for South Korea: E-2 teaching visa and more

Common reasons you need documents for South Korea

The E-2 teaching visa, other work visas, and family or marriage records.

Documents and who authenticates them

Korean immigration requires the federal FBI Identity History Summary, not a state background check, apostilled by the U.S. Department of State. Your university degree is apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where it was issued, often as a notarized copy.

Step by step from Oregon

1. Get fingerprinted for your FBI Identity History Summary. A state background check is not accepted.
2. Send the FBI results to the U.S. Department of State for a federal apostille.
3. Have a notarized copy of your university degree apostilled by the Secretary of State of the state where the degree was issued.
4. Submit both apostilled documents with your E-2 application within 6 months of the FBI check's issue date.

Translation

Requirements vary by consulate. Some Korean consulates accept apostilled documents in English, while others ask for translations, so confirm with the consulate handling your application.

• Certified Korean translation
• All languages

Good to know

• Korean immigration generally expects the FBI check to be issued within 6 months of your E-2 visa application, so time your fingerprinting carefully.

Moving to South Korea: which route, and what it needs

Requirements differ by route and change without notice, so treat this as a starting point and confirm with the consulate or your immigration attorney.

• Work and employment. The E-2 teaching visa is the most common route we see, requiring an apostilled FBI Identity History Summary and an apostilled university degree, generally issued within the last 6 months.
• Business, investor, and self-employment. Company formation, investor permits, and self-employment routes typically need authenticated corporate documents, powers of attorney so someone can act for you locally, and a background check.
• Remote work and digital nomad routes. Where a remote-work route exists, applications usually require proof of foreign income, health insurance, and an authenticated background check. Confirm whether the route is currently open before you build a document pack around it.
• Retirement and passive income. Retirement routes generally require an authenticated background check, proof of pension or investment income, health insurance, and often apostilled birth and marriage certificates.
• Family, marriage, and children. Marriage abroad, family reunification, and registering a child usually need apostilled birth and marriage certificates, and sometimes a single-status or no-impediment document.
• Study. Universities and student permits typically ask for apostilled diplomas and transcripts, and a background check for longer programs.

Document timeline

These are our turnaround times for the steps we handle. Government processing and consulate appointments are set by those offices.

1. Fingerprinting and FBI background check — Submitted within 30 minutes of your appointment
   We capture your prints and submit the request through our channeler partners. The FBI controls how quickly results come back.
2. Notarization, if your documents need it — Same day
   Powers of attorney, affidavits, and copies that need a notary before authentication are handled at your appointment, in our office or at your location.
3. Apostille or authentication courier service — 10 to 15 business days
   We prepare and courier the request to the right office: the U.S. Department of State for FBI results, or a state Secretary of State for state-issued documents.
4. Certified translation — 2 to 3 business days
   Ordered after the apostille when the receiving country wants the apostille page translated too. Some countries require their own sworn translator, and we tell you when that applies.
5. Your consulate appointment — Set by the consulate
   Book early. Appointment backlogs, not document preparation, are usually what delays a move.

Finding the South Korea consulate that covers Oregon

Each South Korea consulate in the United States covers specific states, and you generally have to file with the one that covers Oregon. Check the consulate's own website for its jurisdiction, appointment system, and current document checklist, because those differ by post and change without notice.

The U.S. State Department publishes the official directory of foreign consular offices in the United States, which is the reliable place to find current addresses and contact details rather than a third-party list.

U.S. State Department: Foreign Consular Offices in the United States

We don't book consulate appointments or file applications. We prepare, notarize, translate, and courier the documents you take to that appointment.

How we help with your move to South Korea

One team handles the document chain, so you make one call instead of coordinating four businesses against one deadline.

• Fingerprinting and FBI background checks

  Captured at our Beaverton office or at your location, submitted within 30 minutes. $135, or $350 with the federal apostille package.

• Notary and witnesses

  Powers of attorney, affidavits, and consent letters notarized before they go for authentication. $10 per signature at our office.

• Apostille courier service

  Prepared and couriered to the Oregon Secretary of State, another state, or the U.S. Department of State. $125 to $195 per Oregon document.

• Certified translation

  $65 per document, $75 with a notarized certificate, in 2 to 3 business days. We tell you when the destination requires its own sworn translator instead.

• Passport photos and shipping

  Photos sized for the country you're applying to, and tracked international shipping for the finished documents.

We are notaries and a private document facilitator, not attorneys or immigration consultants. We can't choose a visa route, complete application forms, or advise on eligibility. For that, talk to an immigration attorney or the consulate.

Our prices for documents going to South Korea

Our fees are for our document authentication facilitator and courier service. See all prices.

Related country guides

• Japan
• China
• Vietnam
• All countries

Where we serve South Korea clients

Documents for South Korea are handled at our Beaverton office or by mobile appointment across the Portland metro area.

• Beaverton
• Portland
• Hillsboro
• Tigard
• Lake Oswego
• All service areas