Korean Job Discussion Forums

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

Has anyone recently gone through the marriage process at the 구청 near the American embassy because they/their spouse was an American citizen? I'm making the trip up to Seoul to get married in early January, and I need to know when you get the LEGAL marriage license (the one you can show for immigration purposes) issued.

I was told by an American who got married last year that it is issued right away, but my fiance just called and seems convinced that we won't be able to get it for five days and that they won't even mail it to us in Daegu, but that we'll have to return there and pick it up.

What was your experience? (Dates would be helpful as it's always possible they changed policies recently).

Thanks!

jindodog · Joined: 31 May 2007 Location: not seoul

I went through the process this last january.

You get it right away. You fill out the marriage license at the embassy, then you take it to the gu office and they put stamps on it, then you take it back to the embassy and they give it back to you and that's that. They give you two copies. You don't even have to say anything, it's just stamp, stamp, stamp goodbye.

jindodog · Joined: 31 May 2007 Location: not seoul

okay that said, I was an american getting married to a british citizen. I don't know about Koreans...but when I got married we had to get a UK marriage license and a US one for it to be valid in both countries....so maybe she's talking about the Korean one? Or it may have something to do with her family registry or something...I don't know about all that.

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

Just to clarify, my fiance (not fiancee) is a he.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

I'm guessing he's talking about the paperwork you have to file at your own embassy before and after the Korean ceremony.

To be clear, I want to know about when the Korean marriage license is issued. I need it to file with the U.S. embassy for immigration (his, later in 2010).

I don't want to make a second trip up to Seoul a few weeks later to file the first round of immigration papers... if I can do it the next day, I'd be much happier. Smile

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

Useful links:

Procedure for American citizen getting married in Korea.

Procedure for a British national getting married in Korea (scroll down to Marriage procedures).

Your best bet for getting information about immigrant visas to the US is the visa section of the US Embassy.

There is no marriage license issued in this country. There is only the Report and Certificate of Marriage. You should ask the personnel at the Embassy if the copies they retain of that document will suffice. If you need more copies of the thing, you can check with the Seoul Global Center for information.

jindodog · Joined: 31 May 2007 Location: not seoul

alright, sorry, i didn't mean to say 'license'

There is no Korean marriage license that you get as far as I know (I didn't marry a Korean though). You fill out the "Marriage certificate" at the US embassy. You get some stamps there. You take it to the Korean Gu office, they stamp it. You take it back to the US embassy, they put some more stamps on it. You get two certificates. They don't 'file' anything. You have to hold on to the hard copies. I assume that's what you need for immigration.

We had to do the same thing for the british embassy. I have two US marriage certificates and one british one. I was told this was how it had to be done for the marriage to be valid in both countries.

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

My husband and I are both foreigners. His embassy asked if we wanted to use the US Report of Marriage as the official documentation. We did because we were going to the US. His embassy made and filed a copy of the US document.

jindodog · Joined: 31 May 2007 Location: not seoul

In my case, we are going to the UK, but will want to go to the US later, so we were advised to do both (by both embassies).

Also, the US embassy specifically told me they don't keep marriage reports 'on file' anymore.

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

Ok, thanks guys. I thought the paper they gave you back the same day was the official one we needed for immigration, but I'll double check with the embassy.

I think he's talking about some pretty wall decoration thing that's optional. I don't really understand. He's very excited about some new "orange zone" they have where you get to dress up in the yangban costumes and get your picture taken. It's cute, but not super helpful for the immigration stuff that I'm much more worried about... haha.

CentralCali · Joined: 17 May 2007

jindodog · Joined: 31 May 2007 Location: not seoul

yeah...on tuesdays or thurdays or something they'll take your picture in traditional dress.

The US report thing you get and fill out at the US embassy, and for all intents and purposes is used as proof of marriage, i think that's all you need to know. You get that the same day. End of story. It's not as complicated as it sounds.