Report of Loss of Korean Nationality — Procedure and Documents after Acquiring Foreign Citizenship

Procedure

1. 1. Confirm when and how nationality was lost

   If you voluntarily acquired a foreign nationality (citizenship), you lost Korean nationality at the time of acquisition (Article 15(1)). A person who acquired a foreign nationality through marriage to a foreigner, adoption, acknowledgment, or a parent's acquisition of foreign nationality is deemed to have lost Korean nationality retroactively to the time of acquisition unless they report their intention to retain Korean nationality within 6 months of acquisition (Article 15(2)). What you need to report differs depending on whether you acquired it voluntarily or together through marriage or similar.

2. 2. Obtain proof of the date of acquiring foreign nationality

   Prepare a document proving the cause and date of acquiring the foreign nationality, such as a certificate of naturalization. If you cannot submit a document proving the date of acquisition, a copy of the foreign passport may be submitted instead (Enforcement Rule, Article 14(3)), and if the date of acquisition is unknown, the foreign nationality is presumed to have been acquired on the first issue date of that foreign passport (Article 15(3)).

3. 3. Complete the report of loss of nationality

   Under Article 20(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the Nationality Act, complete the report of loss of nationality prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Justice, which is Annex Form No. 10 of the Enforcement Rule. Enter personal details, the registration base, and the cause and date of loss of nationality consistently with the family relationship records and foreign documents. Attach translations to foreign documents and check the receiving office's guidance on whether an apostille or consular confirmation is required.

4. 4. Submit with the attached documents

   Attach a certificate of family relationship records, a document proving the cause and date of loss of nationality, and a copy of the foreign passport to the report and submit it to the Minister of Justice (Enforcement Rule, Article 14(2)). Residents in Korea often file through an immigration office that handles nationality matters, and residents abroad through a Korean diplomatic mission, so check the receiving office and whether a visit reservation is needed in advance.

5. 5. Confirm the family relationship register is updated, then proceed with F-4 or residence report

   Once the report is processed, the Ministry of Justice notifies the family relationship registration office and the resident registration office (Article 16(3)). After confirming that the loss of nationality is reflected in the family relationship register, proceed with an F-4 visa or status of stay application or a domestic residence report. Among rights acquired while a national that only nationals may enjoy and that are transferable, those must be transferred to a Korean national within 3 years unless the related laws provide otherwise (Article 18(2)).

Required documents

• Report of loss of nationality (Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act, Annex Form No. 10)
• Certificate of family relationship records
• Document proving the cause and date of acquiring the foreign nationality (certificate of naturalization, etc., with translation)
• Copy of the foreign passport
• Identification (original foreign passport, etc., as guided by the receiving office)

Fees

Certificate issuance fees and translation and authentication costs are charged at actual cost. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the translation of foreign documents and whether a domestic residence report or F-4 application is handled together; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Nationality Act, Article 15
• Nationality Act, Article 16
• Nationality Act, Article 18
• Enforcement Decree of the Nationality Act, Article 20
• Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act, Article 14

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-19

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

• If you acquired a foreign nationality together through marriage, adoption, etc., you must file a retention report within 6 months to keep Korean nationality.
• Before an F-4 application or a domestic residence report, first check that the loss of nationality is reflected in the family relationship register.

Frequently asked questions