Reinstatement of Citizenship
Simply put, this refers to a person who was once a citizen of the Republic of Korea becoming a foreigner by acquiring foreign nationality and then becoming a citizen of the Republic of Korea again.
Applicants for Reinstatement of Citizenship
Foreigners who were citizens of the Republic of Korea can acquire Korean nationality by obtaining the Minister of Justice's permission for reinstatement of citizenship. In cases where a foreign nationality is held, that foreign nationality must be renounced within one year from the day the permission for reinstatement of citizenship is granted. However, those who apply for reinstatement of citizenship after the age of 65 and receive permission can maintain dual citizenship by making a pledge not to exercise foreign nationality.
Exclusion from Reinstatement of Citizenship
Citizenship reinstatement is not permitted for those who fall into any of the following categories.
If you have been punished for violating the law, you may not be granted permission to reinstate citizenship due to a lack of good conduct. If your citizenship reinstatement is not permitted due to such reasons, you can seek relief from the refusal to reinstate citizenship through an administrative review, if there are any reasons worth considering.
Criminal Record Certificate
Citizens applying for the Overseas Korean Visa (F4) must necessarily submit their country's criminal record certificate. Unless exempted below, you must submit the original of the United Kingdom - ACRO, United States - FBI BACKGROUND CHECK, China - Certificate of No Criminal Conviction, etc., after receiving public confirmation (Apostille or consular confirmation). Some people prepare in their home country before coming, but many do not think and enter the country. In such cases, we help you apply for and issue it directly before applying for a visa through an agency.
<Exemption from submission of a criminal record certificate>
Reinstatement of Citizenship Procedure
1. Nationality Loss Report
When you acquire foreign nationality, you automatically lose Korean nationality. However, this must be reported directly by the person for it to be processed in the system, so you must report the loss of nationality. If a report of nationality loss does not precede, it is impossible to apply for an Overseas Korean F-4 visa and residence permit. Nationality loss reports can be received and processed at the Immigration Office in Korea and abroad.
2. Overseas Korean Visa F-4 Application + Domestic Residence Report
There are many cases where a nationality loss report has not been made when consulting about an F-4 visa application. If you entrust us with your F-4 visa application and residence report, we will proceed with the nationality loss report as well.
3. Application for Permission to Reinstate Citizenship
You can apply for permission to reinstate citizenship at the immigration office in charge where the nationality department that handles nationality tasks is located. There are a total of 18 immigration offices nationwide that handle nationality tasks in Seoul, Southern Seoul, Yangju, Incheon, Suwon, Cheongju, Daejeon, Busan, Chuncheon, Donghae, Sokcho, Daegu, Changwon, Ulsan, Jeonju, Gwangju, Yeosu, Jeju, etc. From February 1, 2021, you must visit on the reserved date after making a reservation due to the implementation of the nationality task visit reservation system. It takes about 6 months to get permission after applying for permission to reinstate citizenship, etc., but if you leave the country during the review, the review will be suspended, so you must stay in Korea until permission is granted.
4. Under 65 years old - Renunciation of Foreign Nationality within 1 Year / Over 65 years old - Pledge not to Exercise Foreign Nationality
If the Minister of Justice's permission to reinstate citizenship is granted, you will receive a nationality reinstatement certificate after making a national pledge in front of the Minister of Justice (the head of the immigration and foreigner office). Those under 65 must renounce their foreign nationality within one year from the date of acquiring nationality, and those who apply for nationality reinstatement after the age of 65 and receive permission can maintain dual citizenship by making a pledge not to exercise foreign nationality. Therefore, you cannot be recognized as a foreigner in administrative tasks in Korea, and if you use foreign ID and foreign passport in the Republic of Korea, you will receive a nationality selection order for violation of the Immigration Control Law and you will not be able to maintain dual citizenship.
5. Resident Registration Report
6. Return of Overseas Korean Residence Certificate
Documents Required for Reinstatement of Citizenship Application
1. Application for Reinstatement of Citizenship
2. Statement of Citizenship Reinstatement, Statement of Identity
3. Documents proving the cause and date of acquiring foreign nationality
4. Certificate of Family Relationship Record
5. Deregistration Copy or Document proving that the applicant was previously a Korean citizen
6. Original and copy of foreign passport and Overseas Korean Residence Certificate
7. Criminal Record Certificate from your home country
You must issue or write the above documents for the application for citizenship reinstatement.
Some expect to be granted within 1-2 months of applying for citizenship reinstatement and come to Korea, but can't wait for the long 6-month review period and return to their home country.
If there is any mistake in the process of preparing the documents by an individual, the review period will be longer.
As mentioned before, if you leave the country during the review period, the review will be suspended, so please prepare without any missing documents,
I hope that the review period will not be longer, and that the long waiting time will not be wasted.