General and Special Naturalization Requirements and Application Documents — Permanent Residency, Livelihood, and the Korea Immigration and Integration Program

Procedure

1. 1. Determine the type of naturalization

   First check which requirements you meet: general naturalization, simplified naturalization such as by marriage, or special naturalization. General naturalization requires a domicile in Korea for 5 or more consecutive years and permanent resident status. If your father or mother is a Korean national, you can apply for special naturalization without a residence period requirement.

2. 2. Check for adverse factors

   A record of illegal stay or deportation, unpaid taxes or health insurance premiums, and a criminal record such as drunk driving are viewed unfavorably in the review of conduct. If you have arrears, clear them before applying, and prepare materials that explain the circumstances of any past record.

3. 3. Prepare proof of livelihood and basic knowledge

   Show your ability to maintain a livelihood through your own income and assets or those of family members who share your livelihood. If you complete the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP, Level 5), you can be exempted from the naturalization comprehensive evaluation (formerly the written test), and if you also scored 60 or more out of 100 on the comprehensive evaluation, you can be exempted from the interview as well.

4. 4. Application and review

   Submit the application for permission for naturalization and the supporting documents to the immigration office that handles nationality affairs. An interview and a check of your actual residence circumstances may take place during the review, and processing takes 1 year or longer in many cases.

5. 5. Deal with your foreign nationality after permission is granted

   Within 1 year from the date you acquire Korean nationality by taking the oath of allegiance and receiving the certificate of naturalization, you must renounce your foreign nationality or, if you are eligible to pledge not to exercise your foreign nationality, make that pledge. If you miss the deadline you lose Korean nationality, so set the schedule right after permission is granted.

Required documents

• Application for permission for naturalization, copy of passport, residence card (residence card)
• Identity and family relationship certificates from your home country (with translations attached)
• Proof of ability to maintain a livelihood (certificate of income, certificate of employment, bank balance, real estate documents, etc.)
• Tax payment certificate, confirmation of payment of health insurance premiums
• Certificate of completion of the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (if applicable)
• Special naturalization: family relationship documents confirming the Korean nationality of your father or mother

Fees

The revenue stamp fee for a naturalization application is 300,000 won. At Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office, the service fee for preparing documents for general or simplified naturalization starts from 1,500,000 won (VAT excluded). For special naturalization or a complicated stay history, we review your materials and inform you of the fee after a consultation.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Nationality Act, Article 4
• Nationality Act, Article 5
• Nationality Act, Article 7
• Nationality Act, Article 10
• Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act, Article 4
• Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act, Article 18

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-05

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 while the naturalization review is in progress, you must separately manage your extension schedule so that your period of stay does not expire.

Frequently asked questions