Certificate of Enrollment and Certificate of Graduation Guide

At a glance

• According to the Government24 civil-service guide, certificates of enrollment and (expected) graduation for kindergartens and elementary, middle and high schools can be requested online, in person, by FAX or by civil-service mail. (Expected) graduation certificates can also be requested at unmanned civil-service kiosks.
• Processing is immediate (3 hours within working hours), and there is no application form (Government24 civil-service guide).
• Fees: exempt at national schools; public and private schools under the education superintendent follow city/provincial ordinances and rules; electronic (online) issuance is free (Government24 civil-service guide).
• Elementary, middle and high school graduation certificates can be issued for graduates from February 1982 onward (Government24 civil-service guide).

Who does this

• The person concerned or a representative can apply. Representatives cannot apply online (Government24 civil-service guide).
• An expected graduation certificate proves the expected graduation of a student in the final grade of the school level (Government24 civil-service guide).
• For registered foreigners aged 6 to 18, enrollment in an elementary, middle or high school is a foreigner registration item, and a change must be reported within 15 days. The Immigration Stay Manual asks that a certificate of enrollment or similar be submitted with stay applications if the child is enrolled.

Where to apply

• Online: Government24 (only the person concerned can apply).
• In person: city/provincial education offices, education support offices, kindergartens and elementary/secondary schools, national and public universities, and local governments (Government24 civil-service guide). The guide says to check with the office whether it actually accepts the request.
• Universities: national universities under the Ministry of Education issue certificates of enrollment, (expected) graduation, (expected) conferral of degree and more. For public and private universities there is no single official source on how to get them, so check with the university.

What to bring

• Present ID such as a resident registration card (Government24 civil-service guide). Foreigners should bring ID such as a residence card.
• If you are not the person concerned: a letter of authorization and documents proving a legitimate interest (Government24 civil-service guide).
• At public and private schools, fees and required documents may differ under city/provincial ordinances (Government24 civil-service guide).

Cost

Procedure

• First, check whether you need a certificate of enrollment or of (expected) graduation, and the format the receiving office requires.
• Next, apply yourself on Government24, or visit an education office, education support office, school, national or public university, or local government with your ID.
• Processing is immediate (3 hours within working hours) (Government24 civil-service guide).
• If the document is for use abroad, check the destination country's rules on whether an apostille or consular legalization is needed (apostille guide).

Common sticking points

• Representatives cannot apply online. For a family member to get it for you, they must visit with a letter of authorization and proof of interest (Government24 civil-service guide).
• Elementary, middle and high school graduation certificates are issued for graduates from February 1982 onward (Government24 civil-service guide).
• For foreign children (aged 6 to 18), when enrollment status changes through admission or moving up a level, a change of foreigner registration must be reported within 15 days.
• In stay documents, a graduation certificate is sometimes accepted in place of a diploma. Example: for job seeking (D-10-1), the Immigration Stay Manual lists "degree certificate (graduation certificate or certificate of degree conferral also accepted)". For certificates from foreign schools, the Visa Issuance Manual has items requiring a graduation certificate with an apostille or consular legalization.

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.