Checking an Entry Ban After Deportation or Overstay — Information Disclosure Request by an Agent, 10 Days or Up to 20 Days if Extended

Procedure

1. 1. Organize the departure history and the scope of the request

   Organize how and when the person left Korea (deportation, departure order or voluntary departure) and the passport number used then and the current one. Narrow the request to the result, such as whether the person is currently subject to an entry restriction. Requesting the full reasons for deportation or the investigation file may lead to non-disclosure as information related to investigations or trials or as other people's personal information.

2. 2. Choose the request route

   Under the Official Information Disclosure Act, foreigners who may request disclosure are limited to people residing in Korea with an address or staying temporarily for academic research, and corporations or organizations with an office in Korea (Enforcement Decree, Article 3). For information about a person abroad, also consider an access request under Article 35 of the Personal Information Protection Act, which an agent can also make and which must be answered within 10 days. The request form and letter of authorization differ depending on the route.

3. 3. Prepare the letter of authorization and identity documents

   For an agent to receive the information, the information disclosure letter of authorization prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the agent's identification, and a copy of the requester's identification are required (Enforcement Decree, Article 15(2)3). A foreign requester uses a passport copy, and having a letter of authorization signed abroad apostilled or consular-legalized helps prepare for requests to verify the signature.

4. 4. Submit the request and track the decision period

   The information disclosure request is submitted to the Ministry of Justice in person, by mail, by fax or through an information network (Enforcement Decree, Article 6(1)). The agency must decide on disclosure within 10 days of receiving the request, and if there is an unavoidable reason it may extend the period by up to 10 days from the day after it ends, notifying the extension and reason in writing. When the decision arrives, check the scope of disclosure and whether an entry restriction exists.

5. 5. Objection and preparing to re-enter based on the result

   If the requester disagrees with a non-disclosure or partial disclosure decision, or no decision is made within 20 days of the request, a written objection can be filed within 30 days from receiving the notice or from the day 20 days have passed, and the agency decides within 7 days. If an entry restriction remains, set the time to reapply based on its ground and period. Even without a restriction, the visa and entry inspection are reviewed separately, so prepare materials explaining the past violation and the current purpose of the visit separately.

Required documents

• Information disclosure request form (Enforcement Rules of the Official Information Disclosure Act, Form No. 1-2), or a personal information access request form for the personal information route
• Information disclosure letter of authorization (Form No. 8 of the same Rules)
• Copy of the requester's passport (and copies or numbers of earlier passports if different)
• Agent's identification
• Apostille or consular legalization of a letter of authorization signed abroad (in case of supplementation requests)
• Copies of departure-related documents such as a deportation order or departure order (if available)
• Objection form against information disclosure decisions (Form No. 9 of the same Rules, when contesting a non-disclosure decision)

Fees

Industry range is tens of thousands to several hundred thousand won · we provide a quote after consultation based on the request route (information disclosure or personal information access), whether a letter of authorization must be prepared abroad and whether an objection is needed. Government fees are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 5
• Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 9
• Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 10
• Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 11
• Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 18
• Enforcement Decree of the Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 3
• Enforcement Decree of the Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 6
• Enforcement Decree of the Official Information Disclosure Act, Article 15
• Enforcement Rules of the Official Information Disclosure Act, Articles 2, 6 and 8
• Immigration Act, Article 11
• Immigration Act, Article 12
• Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Act, Article 14
• Personal Information Protection Act, Article 35
• Personal Information Protection Act, Article 38
• Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act, Article 41
• Enforcement Decree of the Personal Information Protection Act, Article 45

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-16

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Even after confirming there is no entry restriction or that it has ended, entry inspection separately reviews whether the visa is valid and whether the purpose of entry matches the status of stay (Immigration Act, Article 12(3)), so prepare objective materials explaining the past violation and the current purpose separately.
• The 30-day objection deadline runs from the day the decision notice is received or the day 20 days have passed after the request, so keep a record of the request date and the date the notice was received.

Frequently asked questions