Korean Job Discussion Forums

Carl_00 · Joined: 18 May 2009

Hello people,

I need to get my Criminal Background Check apostilled, how exactly do I do this? Although I barely even know what it actually is... Confused

Cheers.

fl4mers · Joined: 26 Jan 2010

First you need to make sure that your CRB certificate has a stamp and signature on it from Disclosure Scotland (assuming you got your CRB from Disclosure Scotland), which authenticates it for Apostille and counts as a notarisation for Korean Immigration.

Then you have two ways of getting it Apostilled a) by post or b) in person.

Directions by post:

1) Go online and pay for your document to be legalised (currently �34.80)

Website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/services-we-deliver/legal-services/legalisation/by-post

2) Print out the receipt and send your CRB with the receipt to the Legalisation office at:

The Legalisation Office
Norfolk House (West)
437 Silbury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2AH

I advise you to send it registered. It will usually take them 48 hours from the date they receive it to legalise the document. However, it can take longer if there was a recent public holiday, so check the legalisation webpage for updates.

Directions in person (Milton Keynes):

1) Go into the legalisation office, take a ticket, queue to hand in your documents and pay for the legalisation (�28.80) and then wait anywhere between 20 and 90 minutes for your document to be apostilled.

Good Luck! Smile

Carl_00 · Joined: 18 May 2009

Thanks for the response.

Yes, my certificate is already stamped and signed from Disclosure Scotland and I won't be travelling down to MK so, by the post it is! But must I do both steps? Send it to a solicitors and then send it to the legalisation office? Or can't I just send it to the legalisation office?

Side note: Someone's having a laugh at the price of this process, �35 for stamping some paper! Rolling Eyes

fl4mers · Joined: 26 Jan 2010

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

If you're in korea, just go to the embassy in seoul. They will notarise it.

David Gerrington · Joined: 20 Jun 2008

Does the criminal cheeck definetly need the stamp and signature from Disclosure Scotland? What is it needed for?

I've just got mine through without any stamp or signature on it Sad

presson · Joined: 10 Feb 2009

Are you sure Korean Immigration won't accept a CRC that hasn't been notarised by a solicitor? Even if it's been signed and sealed by a recognised signatory? The FCO said that they'd apostille my Disclosure Scotland Cert as long as it was signed and sealed. And isn't the apostille the most important?

presson · Joined: 10 Feb 2009

Isn't an apostille just like an international notarization?

What is an Apostille/Authentication?
APOSTILLE: an international notarization usually issued by the state secretary�s office (US) or department of foreign affairs (other countries).

schneider_w · Joined: 29 Jun 2010 Location: London, UK

David Gerrington · Joined: 20 Jun 2008

fl4mers · Joined: 26 Jan 2010

Ok guys, I'm going to make a HUGE formal apology here, as I just realised reading back my last posts that I made a bit of a mess of the situation. I went to MK with both my degree and my CRB, so I was getting those two mixed up! Don't hit me please! -_-;;

So here is the correction:

If you got your Criminal Background Check from Disclosure Scotland, and you got it stamped and signed by their signatory, you DO NOT have to get it signed by a solicitor before sending it off. The signature and stamp will be considered equal to a notarisation and will be enough for immigration as well as the FCO.

If, however, you got a criminal check from your local police station (the �10 one) you will need to get it notarised by a solicitor, if the FCO or immigration is to accept it.

The copy of your degree certificate is what will need to be certified as real by a solicitor before being accepted by the FCO and immigration.

Once again sorry for the confusion and I hope you guys can get things sorted now! Embarassed

fezmond · Joined: 27 Oct 2008

fezmond · Joined: 27 Oct 2008

i believe it was Kidd Rapinet solicitors - craven street in london. a 5 min walk from trafalgar square and they did it for a fiver

Carl_00 · Joined: 18 May 2009

Fl4mers, anything beaurocratic like this crap is bound to get one muddled Laughing

.

Regarding the receipt for the postal process, you might not know because you did yours in person, but, I've just made my online payment and, as of yet, have only received a short e-mail containing my order number and confirmation of my payment. Is this the receipt I should print and send off?

fl4mers · Joined: 26 Jan 2010

Yup, that's the receipt you print off and send to them, because it should have your confirmation number on it.

Funnily enough, I actually started doing mine by post but then found out that due to a major holiday it was going to be delayed by 2-3 days, so I headed up on a bus to Milton Keynes because I had to get my degree Apostilled anyways. They were kind enough to fish it out of the mail and do it on the spot for me (and refund my �6 mailing fee yay!). The only reason they could do that though was because I had sent it in via Special Delivery, which meant there was a sticker with a tracking number on the envelope...they apparently get hundred plus requests a day, so that was lucky!

Good luck with all your documents though! Smile