Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nobbyken]

Hi,

We have been led to believe that all we have to do is register our marriage, after it has taken place and I should get a F-2 visa for myself?

[I am planning to enter on a 90 day visa and get married, is this legal?
As foreign nationals entering the UK require a visit-marriage visa.]

Does anybody have experience of, or any advice about Korean legislation they could give?

Once marriage is settled, I can tackle teaching!

[RACETRAITOR]

It's a complicated process. Once your marriage is officially registered, you will need your wife to take you to Immigration so she can sponsor your visa. She will need a lot of documents, including her family registry. Note that she needs a family registry that has a record of your marriage to her. And it will take about a week for the bureaucracy to get it through so you appear on her family registry.

Expect her to have a real headache and yourself to sit quietly next to her feeling guilty.

[tzechuk]

It's not *that* complicated. I am a British woman married to a Korean man and we did everything in one day.

First you need to go to the British Embassy to register your marriage.

You can search in google for the Embassy's homepage and there will be a form that you can download, as well as all the documents you will need in order for them to issue you with the certificate. The Embassy is only open in the morning, so make sure you make an appointment and go there early, cos you need a full day to do the stuff.

Then with your marriage certificate in hand, you go to Joong-ro gu-chong (your wife will know), with your wife's *ho-jock-dong-bun* and *joo-min-deng-look*. There you will need to fill in a form, translate everything from English to Korean (make sure they photocopy your marriage cert. for you before you write the translation on it). Pay a very small fee and they will register your marriage. There is no such thing as a marriage certificate in Korea, the only proof that you are married is that they enter the grand occasion in your wife's ho-jock-dong-bun. The *mayor of Seoul* will also put a rubber stamp on your British wedding certificate to say that he verified you to be truly married according to Korean law.

I remember having to go back to the Embassy for some other stuff - I think that's when you take the oath to vow that you really are married blah blah and the vice-consult puts a big red star sticker stamp thing on the certificate and certify that you are married according to UK law.

They will register your marriage in the UK for you, too but you gotta pay.

After that, you have 14 days in which to apply for your F-2 visa. No need to go out of the country to do that but you need documents:

ho-jock-dong-bun
joo-min-dong-look
UK wedding certificate
Some financial proof that you can support you and your wife when you are in Korea - a job contract will be nice (but make sure the start date is not until AFTER you have your visa).
50,000 won for the visa

Take the wife with you because they need to see her/talk to her.

That's how we did it 4 years ago!

[RACETRAITOR]

One day??? AAAAAAGGH!

There's no way we could've done it in one day. After registering at Guro-gu Office, it took several days for their submission to reach whichever office is in charge of family documents. We ended up doing it over a period of about four days, with a promise to get the non-updated documents by the end of the week.

EDIT: My woman just told me that it's easier for foreign women to get into the man's family and get a visa than it is for men.

[tzechuk]

[tzechuk]

Just a thought:

May be the appearing in the family record part took a few days more, but registering for the marriage definitely only took one day because we needed that from the Korean officials in order to get our UK marriage certificate. The UK Embassy people wouldn't have given us our marriage certificate otherwise.

After that, how long it took for the marriage to appear in the family record made no difference to me, cos I already had my UK certificate which I needed to change my maiden name to my married surname and to get a new passport. As far as I was concerned, I was more interested in getting our marriage legalised in the UK than in Korea - we plan on moving back a few years from now.

[Milwaukiedave]

It's true actually registering the marriage is pretty painless, but I had to wait a week until my wife's family census registery was changed. Although it was slightly diffrent for me (yes, I'm American) the process is pretty close to the same. We got the marriage paperwork done in one day.

Once we went to immigration it took about seven business days. Don't work until you have your visa in hand.

[RACETRAITOR]

[judge-ing-na]

the best thing is to check your embassy website.

As a kiwi when I married it was all pretty straight forward. the thing that took the longest was to get a document from NZ saying I was not already married. If you are organised it should take half a day, depending on where your embassy is and how busy they are. Your wife should be prepared to translate some documents.

Congratulations.

[nobbyken]

Congratulations^^
From the embassy website........

MARRIAGE PROCEDURES IN KOREA FOR BRITISH NATIONALS

Introduction

British nationals are able to go through a civil marriage under article 812 of the Korean Civil Code of 1960. Both parties register with the local authorities and the Embassy notarises the necessary documents. A religious ceremony does not constitute a legal marriage, unless a civil marriage has also take place.
Documentation

The following documents are required:-

� Proof of citizenship for the British party (e.g. a passport).
� If one of the parties is Korean, three copies of the full Family Census Register (Hojuk Dungbon) and one notarised English Translation. An extract of the Family Census Register (Hojuk Chobon) is not acceptable.
� Written parental consent, if the Korean national is under 20 years of age (Two copies in Korean and English). If the parents are deceased, the legal guardian must give permission. The age of consent in the United Kingdom is 18.
� If the British party has been married previously, an original or notarised copy of the Decree Absolute.
� If the non-British party is not Korean, they must seek advice from their Consular representative in Korea. If this does not exist, consult the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Consular Division.
Procedures
� Obtain three blank copies of the
Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage (DOC)
and
Report and Certificate of Marriage (DOC, 24.0K)

From the Consular Section of the Embassy and complete up to question "Date divorce final".

"Mother's maiden name" is to be completed in full; not only surname.

Korean nationals should enter their identity card address under "present address" and their birthplace and family home from the Family Census Register as their "permanent address".

"Citizenship proven by" should be answered by "Family Census Register".

British nationals should give a "permanent address" in their country of nationality, even if they now live elsewhere (the local authorities will not accept a permanent address in any other country). The "present address" should be givien as "c/o British Embassy, 4 Chung-Dong, Chung-Ku, Seoul, Republic of Korea". "Citizenship proven by" should be entered as "Passport No..............".

The local authorities prefer typewritten forms. If manuscript is the only available option, use block capitals and black ink.

Report and Certificate of Marriage (DOC, 24.0K)

Once fully completed and endorsed, is a legally binding document. Care should be taken when completing the forms. If an error is made, complete a new form. Do not use correction fluid.

� Bring the completed forms, with the documentation to the Consular Section of the Embassy. The British party will be required to swear on oath. An appointment is necessary.

� Next, take the documents to the Korean authorities. Local regulations stipulate that these should be submitted personally to the Ward Census Office (WCO) where the Korean party's records are filed. However, some ward offices in Seoul, such as Jong Ro-Gu, will accept documents on behalf of others. If neither party is Korean, any WCO may be used, details of which can be provided by the Embassy. The WCO requires applicants to complete and sign Affidavit forms in Hangul (Korean) which are then stamped.

The Mayor's signature is then put on the form.
Report and Certificate of Marriage (DOC, 24.0K)

The regulations stipulate that two witnesses (of any nationality) must endorse both English and Hangul forms. A personal appearance by witnesses may not be necessary, e.g. if the forms have been correctly completed and witnessed prior to submission. Please confirm this with the WCO.

� Once the above is done, bring the � Report and Certificate of Marriage (DOC, 24.0K)
" back to the Embassy for notarisation of the Mayor's signature. One copy of the form will be retained by the Embassy.

After endorsement by a British Consular Officer, this certificate is valid under UK and Korean law.

For British nationals, the Embassy will forward, on request and payment of an additional fee, a copy of the " Report and Certificate of Marriage (DOC, 24.0K)
" to the General Register Office in Southport (Edinburgh or Belfast for those born in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively) for permanent inclusion in the Public Records of the United Kingdom (Under the provisions of Article 7(1) of the Foreign Marriage Order, 1970). Certified copies of the marriage certificate may then be obtained from the General Register Office at any time in the future.

Fees
Attesting or legalising a signaure or seal: � 27 x2 (for 2 copies of the Report and Certificate of Marriage)
Administering an oath or receinving a declaration or affirmation: � 50 x 2 (for 2 copies of the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage)
Please click here for consular fees.

More at http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1113058825254

I never had to do an oath, as I took a eligibility form from my council in the UK.
I remember the day we went to the embassy we had to take a form to the gu office, which enabled them to print something for ny wife. We then had to return to the embassy with this doc to complete everything.

An early start to the day should see you complete everything.
There are old posts on here, and basically not much has changed.

Not really all day/afternoon weddings like the UK, all over in a few hours after make up. 1 hour to eat buffet style is normal, but don't expect much food to be left for you. Normally you get photos taken in Hanbok and traditional costumes with a funny hat for the man, and red circles on cheeks for the missus, .

[spyro25]

do you need to go to the embassy to get the document claiming you are not married first (the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage) before you can get the korean wedding done?

i dont want to have to go to the embassy first (to do the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage thing) then come to busan to have my wedding, then have to go to seoul again.

can i just get married first and do the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage and the other stuff (marriage regristration) in one trip?

please respond asap if you can!

[spyro25]

sorry to repost from another thread - i will use this thread from now on.

so you are saying that we could get married in seoul city hall, rather than in busan, and do it all in one day? we could do the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage in the morning, then to the city hall to get married, then back to the embassy to do the oath and other stuff?

[nobbyken]

As far as I recall, all the paperwork is done after the ceremony (which I think is what's different from UK style).

Like I say, I never had to do the Affidavit of Eligibility for Marriage as I took one from the UK.

City Hall is only a local government place, it doesn't do weddings.
Your wife will be able to collect a piece of paper from there showing her remved of her existing family tree and on a new one with you.
This is then stamped by the embassy and then you are married.

You could also choose to get married at the embassy, depends on the locality of the bulk of your guests are from and of course wherever your wife prefers^^.

As far as I can remember, you can get married in Busan then travel to Seoul and do the embassy stuff.

Recently I sent an email to the consular at the embassy, and they got back pretty sharpish. They also answered everything perfectly, as they will be best able to direct you.

[maeil]

Silly question maybe, but I haven't seen it asked before.

I'm marrying an F-4 visa holder. Do I get any perks?

[spyro25]

i called the UK embassy and got all the info. it seems like we can do the whole thing in a day after all. thanks for all your help guys!