Criminal Record Report (Korea, for Stay and Visa Purposes)

At a Glance

• When you apply yourself because you need it for a foreign entry or stay permit, a criminal record check based on investigation records and a report on it can be made.
• The National Police Agency system states that it issues this report only for visa issuance by foreign embassies for foreign entry or stay permits such as immigration or study, and not for other purposes such as a job at a foreign company or university admission.
• A report for a foreign entry or stay permit leaves out lapsed sentences, sentences covered by a pardon or restoration of rights that voids the sentence, juvenile court referrals and protective dispositions more than 3 years after the decision, suspended sentencing deemed acquitted, and suspended execution that has lost effect.
• Obtaining or using it for another purpose is punishable by imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to 20,000,000 KRW.

Who Needs It

• A person who must submit a report on their Korean criminal record to a foreign embassy for a visa or stay permit review.
• The system user manual tells you to log in with an authentication method in your own name before applying.
• Checks and reports needed for a foreigner's naturalization, recovery of nationality or stay permit are set out separately in the law. Ask the immigration office with jurisdiction whether you must submit this report for a Korean stay permit.

Where to Apply

• Log in to the National Police Agency Criminal Record Report system, then choose 'foreign entry/stay permit' under 'self-issuance/view' and apply.
• When applying, you choose the receiving police station that will check your criminal record (system user manual).
• Ask the place you submit to whether the report needs an apostille. The e-Apostille list of documents for certificate applications includes the National Police Agency criminal record report.

What to Bring

• An authentication method in your own name (to log in to the system)
• Check that the personal information on the application screen matches yours, and choose the report type and related details (user manual).
• A printer to print the report. The user manual says to use Chrome or Edge if printing does not work in Internet Explorer.

Costs

• Ask the competent office about the fee before you visit.
• Check the amounts on the system application screen and in the e-Apostille guide.

Procedure

• Step 1: Log in to the system with an authentication method in your own name.
• Step 2: Choose the 'foreign entry/stay permit' report, read the notice, then select the application details and the receiving police station and apply.
• Step 3: If the status is 'received by police station', the police station is checking your criminal record, so wait until it becomes 'awaiting report issuance'.
• Step 4: When it becomes 'awaiting report issuance', press 'print report' and print it. Once printing is finished, the status changes to 'report issued'.

Common Sticking Points

• You cannot make a new application while a previous one is awaiting issuance or issued (reprint period) (user manual).
• You cannot get this type of report for a job at a foreign company or university admission (system notice).
• If you disagree with the content of the report, request a correction through the disposition (entry) correction request tab created when you issue a report for checking investigation records (user manual).
• A report for checking investigation records is for your own confirmation and cannot be submitted to an institution (system notice).

This guide is general information and does not assess any individual case. Laws and fees can change, so check the original text via the official links and with the competent office.