Marriage Registration

Practical Information > Legal Procedures > Marriage Registration

(NOTE: hese guidelines are based on a U.S. male marrying a Korean female. Other nationalities, or a non-Korean female marrying a Korean male, may have slightly different requirements.)

U.S. citizens need the following documents:

proof of citizenship (U.S. passport or birth certificate)

proof of termination of any prior marriages (death or divorce certificate)

parental consent (if under 18)

Korean citizens need the following documents:

copy of family registry (hojok deungbon): 3 copies in Korean with 1 English translation
(Note: it must have been issued by the Mayor of the Ward Office where the Korean's family records are filed and issued within 3 months of the proposed date of marriage. Extracts (hojok chobon) are not accepted; only the full registry will be accepted.)

Korean ID card (jumin deungnok jeung) and name stamp (dojang)

proof of termination of any prior marriages (as for U.S. citizens)

parental consent (if under 20)

First, visit the embassy, fill out the appropriate forms, and pay the processing fee ($174 in cash or money order). Next, take the forms they give you to your local Gu Office (guchong). There you will fill out several forms in Korean, including the names and addresses of two Koreans as "witnesses" to the marriage. They give you a form that you take back to the embassy, where you will get an official, certified copy of your marriage license. The entire process takes at least a couple of hours- more if many people are at the respective government agencies or if your paperwork is not in order.

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