A woman from Daegu called me a while ago. She was born in a Korean university hospital before 1998, between a Korean mother and an American citizen father (a candidate for special naturalization)
She attended elementary, middle, high school, and university in Korea (exempt from the comprehensive evaluation of the social integration program). She had only traveled abroad briefly and had never lived abroad for more than 6 months (exempt from the criminal record certificate). On the surface, she seemed like a Korean but had never held South Korean nationality (not a candidate for nationality recovery). When she was born, her American father reported her birth at the U.S. Embassy in Yongsan, which led her to acquire U.S. citizenship.
Until now, she has lived in Korea with an F4 overseas Korean visa, and she has a Korean boyfriend she plan to marry.
We consulted for about an hour, and I suggested two alternatives
1. Choose the F6 (marriage visa) → marriage naturalize after 2 years → maintain dual citizenship.
2. Direct special naturalization.
She said she needed some time to think.
A day later, she decided to go for special naturalization, giving up her U.S. citizenship and choosing Korean nationality. She requested our agency services. (In her opinion, she was just a Korean and had to settle in Korea. She had no intention of living in the U.S. She also seemed to feel regretful about not receiving any benefits as an overseas Korean all these years.)
Today, let's look at the requirements and documents for special naturalization (child of a citizen). For reference, you can check the exemption criteria for the criminal record certificate and the naturalization (nationality) interview exemption at the link below.
Special Naturalization (Child of a Citizen) Criteria and Requirements
○ Child of a naturalized (recovered) person
- Refers to the child of a person who has naturalized (recovered nationality) in South Korea, applicable to both adults and minors.
○ Minor adoptee
- A foreigner adopted as a child by a South Korean citizen before reaching adulthood.
- Those who were adopted as minors and seek naturalization approval after becoming adults are also candidates for special naturalization.
○ Child of a nationality adjudication recipient
- The child of a Sakhalin Korean who received a nationality determination (3rd generation Sakhalin Korean).
- Child of a North Korean nationality adjudication recipient.
○ Child of a non-naturalized person
- Children born in a legal marriage between a Korean and a foreigner before June 13, 1998.
- If the child recognized by a Korean is an adult according to the 'Civil Law' at the time of nationality application.
Documents required for special naturalization application
[Common Documents]
① Naturalization application form (Appendix 2), with one photo attached (3.5cm×4.5cm), application fee of 300,000 KRW.
② Documents proving foreign nationality - Original and copy of passport - Original and copy of foreigner registration card or residence report card or residence card - (Additional) For Chinese Koreans: Copy of Chinese resident card, household register (originals must be presented) ③ Overseas criminal record certificate (must be issued within the last 6 months).
④ Documents required for family relationship registration - Handwritten family relationship notification. - Evidence regarding the status of parents, spouse, children, marriage or singlehood, adoption, etc. * For China: Family relationship certificate authenticated by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. * If father or mother is deceased: Death certificate or government-issued certificate indicating death (for China, family relationship certificate indicating '己故'). - For ethnic Koreans: Official document issued by the People's Republic of China proving Korean ethnicity. - If birth date needs to be specified anew: Certificate from the embassy or consulate of the original nationality country. [Specific Documents for Relevant Individuals]
○ Child of a naturalized (recovered) person ⑤ Documents proving the Korean nationality of the parent and the biological relationship - Basic certificate, family relationship certificate, marriage relationship certificate, resident registration transcript, copy of resident registration card of the naturalized (nationality recovered) parent or mother (must be a 'detailed certificate' issued within the last 3 months). - For China: Family relationship certificate (needs authentication from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs). - Photos from childhood and recent photos with the parent (submitted if necessary). - Additional evidence for proving the biological relationship: old household register, family relationship certificate, birth certificate, divorce judgment, resident registration, entire family resident registration table, etc. ⑥ If the child of the naturalized person is under 15 and the biological parents are not in a marital relationship - Documents proving custody (civil agreement, notarized custody relinquishment documents, etc.). - Death certificate, missing person declaration, etc. - Judgment or statement confirming birth out of wedlock. ○ Minor adoptee ⑤ Documents proving the child's adoption by a Korean parent - Basic certificate, family relationship certificate, adoption relationship certificate, marriage relationship certificate, resident registration transcript, copy of resident registration card of the Korean adoptive father or mother (must be a 'detailed certificate' issued within the last 3 months). - Adoption details statement (detailed statement signed by the parent about the adoption circumstances). ○ Child of a nationality adjudication recipient ⑤ Documents proving the Korean nationality of the parent and the biological relationship - Basic certificate, family relationship certificate, marriage relationship certificate, resident registration transcript, copy of resident registration card of the Korean parent (must be a 'detailed certificate' issued within the last 3 months). - For China: Family relationship certificate (needs authentication from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs). - For Sakhalin Koreans: Birth certificate, parents' marriage relationship certificate (needs Apostille or consular verification from the Republic of Korea). - Photos from the past and recent photos with the Korean parent (submitted if necessary). - Additional evidence for proving the biological relationship: old household register, family relationship certificate, birth certificate, divorce judgment, resident registration, entire family resident registration table, etc. ○ Child of a non-naturalized person ⑤ Documents proving the Korean nationality of the parent and the biological relationship - Basic certificate, family relationship certificate, marriage relationship certificate, resident registration transcript, copy of resident registration card of the Korean parent (must be a 'detailed certificate' issued within the last 3 months). - For China: Family relationship certificate (needs authentication from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs). - Photos from the past and recent photos with the Korean parent (submitted if necessary). - Additional evidence for proving the biological relationship: old household register, family relationship certificate, birth certificate, divorce judgment, resident registration, entire family resident registration table, etc.
※ For all cases of special naturalization, a birth certificate is mostly submitted.
※ For those visiting the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, it's challenging to get an appointment, and they don't reissue birth certificates. U.S. citizens need to request a reissue from the U.S. Department of State.
In the case of the client, she had lost the original birth certificate since it was too old and had to get it reissued. However, because she had to get it from the U.S., it wasn't an easy situation. Therefore, as evidence proving the biological relationship, we additionally attached a genetic test report of the mother and daughter.
※ In my case, I always attach a genetic test report when applying for special naturalization. It's one of the strongest documents to prove that one is a child of a South Korean citizen.