South Korean citizenship by naturalisation

Five-year residence and permanent-status conditions

General applicants need a domicile in Korea for at least five consecutive years and a status of stay permitting permanent residence. These are separate conditions; the statute does not describe the entire five years as time holding permanent residence.

Lawful residence and departures

The clock covers lawful residence after lawful entry and alien registration. Qualifying re-entry within an authorised re-entry period, specified temporary departure followed by re-entry within one month with a visa, or an analogous case accepted by the Minister can combine the periods before and after departure. This is not an unrestricted absence allowance.

Adult, conduct, livelihood and public-interest assessment

Applicants must be adults under Korean civil law, meet the prescribed good-conduct requirements and sustain themselves through their assets or abilities or family sharing their livelihood. The Minister must also find naturalisation compatible with national security, public order and public welfare.

Korean language and integration assessment

Basic national qualifications include Korean language ability and understanding Korean customs. Applicants ordinarily undergo a comprehensive assessment and an interview; statutory exemptions include specified age and social-integration-programme cases. The comprehensive assessment normally requires at least 60 out of 100 and the interview must be satisfactory. No CEFR equivalence is established here.

Permission and acquisition formalities

Naturalisation requires ministerial permission. A permitted applicant normally acquires nationality by taking the national oath and receiving the naturalisation certificate; specified age or disability cases may be exempt from the oath. Completing the residence period alone does not grant citizenship.

Renunciation is the ordinary rule

A naturalised person retaining a foreign nationality generally must renounce it within one year of acquiring Korean nationality. Only statutory exception categories may instead pledge not to exercise it in Korea, including certain marriage, special-contribution, restoration and inability-to-renounce cases. Failure to meet the applicable obligation in time causes loss of Korean nationality.