From passing the test to filing the application
Once you score 60 or higher on the KIIP Comprehensive Evaluation (KINAT) or pass the separate written naturalisation exam (귀화필기시험), you can file a naturalisation application at the Immigration Office (출입국·외국인청) that covers your registered address.
- Proof of passing: KIIP completion certificate plus the comprehensive evaluation result, or the written exam pass certificate.
- Documents typically required: passport, alien registration card, family-relation documents from your country of origin, criminal-record check, proof of income or assets (yours or those of a supporting family member), national/family register documents from your country of origin, and photos.
- Application fee: roughly KRW 300,000 per adult (as of 2026; subject to change). Minors are charged differently.
- General naturalisation requires 5+ years of legal residence with an F-2/F-5 long-stay status; simplified naturalisation is for spouses or parents of Korean nationals; special naturalisation covers contributors and a few other categories.
- Applications usually go through Hi Korea or Government24 for an appointment, then in person at the Immigration Office.
Interview, ministerial approval, and the oath of allegiance
- An interview notice typically arrives 6–12 months after filing (as of 2026; subject to change). Backlogs vary by region and case type.
- The interview tests Korean communication ability, basic knowledge (history, constitution, daily life), and may include singing part of the national anthem (Aegukga). Even applicants exempted from the comprehensive evaluation still go through the communication interview.
- If you pass, the Minister of Justice's naturalisation order is published in the official gazette.
- You then attend the Oath of Allegiance ceremony (국민선서) at the Immigration Office or a designated venue and receive your Naturalisation Certificate. The oath is legally mandatory — without it, citizenship does not take effect.
- Once your name is entered in the family relation register, you are formally a Korean citizen.
Resident registration card and Korean passport
- Resident Registration Card (주민등록증): apply at your local community service centre (주민센터) after the family register entry is created. No fee, around 2–3 weeks for delivery (as of 2026; subject to change). A new resident registration number is issued.
- Korean passport: apply at the passport division of your city/district hall. A standard 10-year, 48-page passport costs about KRW 53,000 and arrives in roughly 1–2 weeks (as of 2026; subject to change).
- Your alien registration card ceases to be valid once the family register entry is in place — confirm with the Immigration Office whether any return/cancellation step is needed.
Handling your previous nationality — read carefully
This is the trickiest part of Korean naturalisation.
- Under Article 10 of the Nationality Act, every naturalised citizen must renounce their foreign nationality within one year of receiving the Korean naturalisation order.
- If you fail to complete the renunciation within that year, your Korean citizenship is automatically lost (by ministerial action or for failure to file). In practice this means your Korean nationality disappears, so calendar discipline matters.
- A few categories may instead use a non-exercise pledge (외국 국적 불행사 서약):
- Special naturalisation (some restoration cases), outstanding-talent naturalisation, applicants 65 or older returning to Korea permanently, minors raised in Korea via marriage, and cases where renunciation is objectively impossible.
- Eligible applicants pledge not to exercise their foreign nationality inside Korea, effectively keeping both passports (as of 2026; subject to change).
- If your country of origin imposes its own rules — automatic loss on acquisition of a foreign nationality, or no formal renunciation procedure — confirm with that country's consulate before filing in Korea.
- Bottom line: Korea is not a broad dual-citizenship country. Always verify both Korean law (1-year renunciation duty) and your home-country law before applying.
Tax and social security
- Citizenship alone does not change your tax status. Korean tax residency is based on your centre of life and 183+ days of presence in a year, not nationality.
- If you were already a Korean tax resident, day-to-day filing changes little. Assets that remain abroad may still trigger reporting in your country of origin.
- National Pension (국민연금): most legal employees are already enrolled and stay enrolled after naturalisation. Korea has totalisation agreements with Germany, the United States and many others, so contribution periods can usually be combined.
- National Health Insurance: your employee or local-resident enrolment continues. Once your family register is set up, dependents can be added accordingly.
Voting and civil rights
- On naturalisation you immediately receive the right to vote and stand in presidential, National Assembly, and local elections (subject to age and eligibility).
- For context: F-5 permanent residents with 3+ years of residence already have a limited right to vote in local elections (running for office is reserved for citizens).
- Public-service positions and some citizen-only roles also become available. Military service for naturalised citizens is generally waived but voluntary enlistment is possible.
Effect on children's nationality
- Minor children (under 19) living with a naturalising parent can apply for dependent naturalisation (수반취득).
- A child born in Korea to at least one Korean-citizen parent generally acquires Korean nationality at birth (jus sanguinis).
- Whether the child keeps the original nationality depends on that country's law — some countries automatically strip nationality on acquisition of a foreign one.
- For dual-national children, Korean law requires a nationality choice by age 22 (different timing for those subject to military service), so plan ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is there a deadline to apply after passing the comprehensive evaluation? A. The pass result has no formal expiry, but residence, status and income requirements are re-checked at filing. Don't wait so long that other conditions lapse.
Q. What happens if I can't renounce my old citizenship within one year? A. By default, Korean citizenship is automatically lost. If your home country's process is slow, file an explanation with the Immigration Office early and ask whether an extension or pledge option applies.
Q. Can I keep both Korean and my birth-country citizenship? A. For ordinary naturalisation, no — the 1-year renunciation rule applies. A few categories (special naturalisation, outstanding talent, etc.) may instead sign a non-exercise pledge and effectively keep both.
Q. What if I fail the interview? A. You'll be told about a re-interview or supplementary procedure. If communication was the issue, you can study Korean further and re-attend.
Q. Is the oath ceremony really required? A. Yes — it is the final legal step of acquiring Korean nationality. Without the oath, naturalisation does not take effect.
Useful links
- Korea Immigration Service: https://www.immigration.go.kr/
- Hi Korea (e-Government for foreigners): https://www.hikorea.go.kr/
- Soci-Net (KIIP portal): https://www.socinet.go.kr/
- Passport information (Ministry of Foreign Affairs): https://www.passport.go.kr/