# South Korean citizenship by naturalisation General naturalisation requires five consecutive years of qualifying residence and a status permitting permanent residence, alongside personal, livelihood and integration conditions. The ordinary route generally requires renouncing an existing foreign nationality after acquisition. Scope: Ordinary adult general naturalisation under Nationality Act Article 5; facilitated marriage or family routes, special naturalisation and restoration are not the baseline. Jurisdiction: Republic of Korea. Sources reviewed 2026-09-17; review due 2026-12-16. General information, not legal advice or a finding of eligibility. Requirements depend on the route, applicant and filing date. Verify the official instructions before applying. ## 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. Evidence: documented. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Nationality: types of naturalisation (Korean)](https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMainBtr.laf?ccfNo=2&cciNo=2&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=1770). Source location: General naturalisation: acquisition requirements; Nationality Act Article 5(1) and (1-2). ## 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. Evidence: conditional. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Acquisition of Nationality by Naturalization](https://m.easylaw.go.kr/MOM/SubCsmOvRetrieve.laf?ccfNo=1&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=2799&langCd=700101). Source location: Domestic residence requirement for naturalization applicants; Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act Article 5. ## 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. Evidence: documented. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Nationality: types of naturalisation (Korean)](https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMainBtr.laf?ccfNo=2&cciNo=2&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=1770). Source location: General naturalisation: acquisition requirements; Nationality Act Article 5(2), (3), (4) and (6). ## 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. Evidence: conditional. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Nationality: types of naturalisation (Korean)](https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMainBtr.laf?ccfNo=2&cciNo=2&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=1770); [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Acquisition of Nationality by Naturalization](https://m.easylaw.go.kr/MOM/SubCsmOvRetrieve.laf?ccfNo=1&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=2799&langCd=700101). Source location: Nationality Act Article 5(5); Comprehensive assessment for naturalization and interviews; restrictions on permission; Decree Articles 4-2 and 4-3, Enforcement Rule Article 4. ## 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. Evidence: conditional. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Acquisition of Nationality by Naturalization](https://m.easylaw.go.kr/MOM/SubCsmOvRetrieve.laf?ccfNo=1&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=2799&langCd=700101). Source location: What is naturalization?; National oath and certificate; Nationality Act Article 4(1) and (3), Decree Article 4-5. ## 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. Evidence: conditional. [Republic of Korea Ministry of Government Legislation: Foreign-nationality renunciation after naturalisation (Korean)](https://easylaw.go.kr/CSP/EasyLawInfoR.laf?csmSeq=1770&easySeq=2509). Source location: Foreign-nationality renunciation card, principle, exceptions and warning; Nationality Act Article 10(1)–(3); source states information as at 15 August 2026. ## Scope and limitations - This is the general adult route, not a complete account of facilitated, special, restoration or military-service rules. - No general physical-presence day total, CEFR level, fee or processing guarantee is asserted. Departure handling and supporting evidence require individual confirmation with the immigration authority. - The cited Ministry of Government Legislation guidance is official explanatory material, not a binding determination of an individual application; the original nationality's retention rules also matter. ## Explore this passport - [Passport rank and travel access](https://multipassrank.com/passport/south-korea) - [Tax residence & income](https://multipassrank.com/passport/south-korea/taxes) - [Country-profile JSON, including sources and scoped requirements](https://multipassrank.com/api/v1/country-profiles/KR) - [Multiple-citizenship policy guide](https://multipassrank.com/dual-citizenship-countries) [Canonical page](https://multipassrank.com/passport/south-korea/citizenship)