Korea F-6 Marriage Visa — Distinguishing F-6-1, F-6-2 and F-6-3

Overview

F-6 (Marriage Migration) is for persons validly married in Korea who wish to remain in order to continue married life with a Korean national, and related categories.

The sub-code distinction matters in practice: ongoing marriage (F-6-1); raising a minor child after the marriage has ended (F-6-2); and inability to maintain a normal marital relationship due to the spouse's death or disappearance or other reasons not attributable to the applicant (F-6-3).

At a Glance

Scope of Activity

• Residing in Korea to continue married life with a Korean national
• Raising in Korea a minor child born of the marital relationship
• Residing in Korea where the spouse has died or disappeared or other reasons not attributable to the applicant exist

Who Qualifies

• Persons validly married in Korea who wish to stay to continue married life with a Korean national
• A father or mother raising a child born of a marital relationship (including de facto marriage) with a Korean national, as recognised by the Minister of Justice
• Persons who cannot maintain a normal marital relationship due to the Korean spouse's death or disappearance or other reasons not attributable to them, as recognised by the Minister of Justice

Required Documents

• Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34), passport and ARC, standard photo, fee
• Proof of the marital relationship (Korean marriage relation certificate, original foreign marriage certificate, etc.)
• Spouse's ID and resident registration abstract
• Evidence of child-rearing (for F-6-2)
• Evidence of the spouse's death, disappearance or other qualifying reason (for F-6-3)
• Proof of residence

Application Process

1. Check eligibility — confirm your current status, career, degree and contract type match the requirements.
2. Prepare documents — foreign public documents need a translator's certification plus an apostille (or consular confirmation for non-member states).
3. Book a visit — reserve a slot at your Immigration Office via HiKorea (www.hikorea.go.kr), or file online where e-Application is available.
4. File and pay — submit the Integrated Application Form (Form No. 34) and pay the screening fee.
5. Review — respond to any request for supplementary documents within the deadline.
6. Result — on approval, the period of stay and status are granted; reissue your ARC if required.

Key Points

• A de facto marriage exists where there is a subjective intention to marry and, objectively, substance recognisable as joint marital life in terms of family order under social norms (Supreme Court 98Meu961, 8 Dec 1998).
• Mere cohabitation without intention to marry, or a bigamous de facto relationship that cannot be legally protected, does not count as a de facto marriage.
• The maximum period per grant for F-6 is three years.
• Documents issued in Korea must normally be dated within 3 months unless another validity period applies.
• Documents already on file in your alien registration record need not be resubmitted.
• Health certificates, drug test results and pre-employment medical reports must be submitted sealed by the issuing hospital (do not open).
• You must be in Korea when applying; leaving the country after filing may result in refusal.
• Screening fees are non-refundable once the application is accepted.
• The head of the Immigration Office may add or waive documents where necessary for review.

Frequently Asked Questions

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