Korean and Chinese flags / Yonhap
By Kim Hyun-bin
Korea and China are simplifying their official document certification process, with the latter implementing the Apostille Convention, Tuesday.
The cumbersome two-step verification process is being replaced by a more straightforward single-step procedure. This development comes as China officially implements the Apostille Convention, to which it acceded in March this year.
The Apostille Convention, officially the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, was first enacted in 1965. In Korea, it has been in effect since July 2007. This international agreement simplifies the certification process for foreign public documents.
The primary distinction between the previous consular verification and the Apostille certification lies in the method of confirming foreign public documents. Until now, when using documents issued in Korea in China, or vice versa, individuals had to navigate a complex path of consular verification. This included validation from both the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Korea, as well as similar procedures for documents issued in China to be used in Korea.
With China becoming a signatory to the Apostille Convention, commencing Tuesday, documents issued in Korea can now be used in China with a single Apostille certification obtained from either the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Ministry of Justice.
Likewise, Chinese official documents can be recognized in Korea with only the Apostille certification issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bypassing the previous need for verification at the Korean Embassy in China.
“For our citizens or businesses to use our official documents in China for activities such as obtaining residency qualifications, employment, studying abroad or business, it is generally necessary to prepare Korean Apostille certification in advance before entering China,” the Embassy of China in the Republic of Korea stated.
“However, for official documents that can be issued electronically through our embassies, Korean Apostille is unnecessary.”
Additionally, the embassy clarified that for documents requiring accompanying translations, both the original document and the translation-certified document must undergo Apostille certification.
This development marks a significant improvement in the ease of cross-border document usage between Korea and China, simplifying bureaucracy and promoting international cooperation through the Apostille Convention.