A foreign resident who needs a seal certificate?

More and more contracts and filings in Korea ask foreign residents for a seal certificate (인감증명서). A foreign national residing lawfully in Korea can register a seal and obtain one, just as a Korean citizen can, using foreign-resident ID in place of a resident registration card. The registration has to be made once, in person, before any certificate can be issued, and a few details differ from the procedure for citizens.

First registration (인감신고)

• Where: the 읍·면·동 community service centre (주민센터) for your place of stay
• How: in person only. The first registration cannot be made online.
• Who: the applicant in person. An agent is allowed only in exceptional cases where the applicant cannot attend, such as illness or a stay abroad.
• What to bring: the stamp to be registered, your alien registration card or domestic residence report card (국내거소신고증), and your passport. Which ID the centre asks to see can depend on your situation, so bring all of them.
• Stamp size: at least 7 mm and at most 30 mm in both width and height

Getting a seal certificate

Once the seal is registered, certificates can be issued in two ways.

• In person: at a community service centre, by the applicant or by an agent. Bring ID such as an alien registration card, a permanent residence card (영주증) or a domestic residence report card. An agent brings the ID of both the applicant and the agent, and a power of attorney. The fee is KRW 600, and the certificate is usually issued on the spot.
• Online through Gov24 (정부24): for the applicant only, after identity authentication. No agent, and no fee.

An online certificate cannot be used for a submission to a court or a financial institution, or for a vehicle or real estate sale. For those, visit the community service centre. How long a certificate stays acceptable is set by the institution receiving it, so check with them.

Keeping the record in line

An extension of stay, a change of address or a change of name can affect the seal record. Report the change to immigration and the local government first, so the details match when you go to register or collect a certificate. See alien registration and extensions of stay.

Where we help

The registration itself is made in person at the community service centre. We help around it:

• Checking before the visit which ID and documents to bring, and that the name, address and status on them match
• Preparing the power of attorney when an agent will collect the certificate
• Advising whether a submission calls for a visit or can use an online certificate, and whether a signature verification certificate (본인서명사실확인서) can be used instead
• Certified translation of overseas or English-language documents the contract or filing calls for
• Immigration filings that need to be in order first, such as an address change report or an extension of stay

Common mistakes

• Trying to make the first registration online or by sending someone else without an exceptional reason
• Bringing a stamp outside the 7 to 30 mm range
• Printing a certificate on Gov24 for a real estate or vehicle sale, a bank or a court, where only a certificate from a visit is accepted
• Moving or extending the stay without reporting it, then finding the details no longer match

Prefer a signature over a seal? See the signature verification certificate in other administrative filings.