I am wanting to marry my Korean girlfriend

Hello Shannara55dw,

Welcome on board !

Feel free to contact the Embassy of South Korea for information about visa, they will gladly help you : https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/gb-en/index.do

All the best

Bhavna

Hi Bhavna,

Thank you for the information

@shannara55dw Marriage in Korea is very simple, just all the paperwork you would expect, and luckily the process is a lot faster and smoother than what you'd get even in the UK/US. Because of the population density, close proximity, and that it's a modern first world country, very clean, zero corruption that you'd ever know about, and the most amazing, friendly people you've ever met. You'll never leave Korea, that's the only warning I give to expats, is that it's very possibly after 10 or more years, that the culture in your home nations will have changed so much that you'll go home to an alien planet, and rush back to Korea and never leave. The process is very simple, have all the documents you already certainly know you need, passport, birth certificate, ID, and so on. Same stuff you already needed for entering a foreign country anyways. Your native spouse will need all the stuff that a person would normally need for getting married in their home nation. Your spouse will be able to find out, what you need, and what they need, by simply calling their local government office. In Korea every neighborhood has their own government office, and so it's very near their home, very convenient, and means there are usually never any lines, very little wait time. And cheap. Some countries you pay and arm and a leg (usually because of corruption) but not in Korea, super cheap, super fast, very convenient, very satisfying experience. The UK and US embassies have online sites where they both say basically the exact same thing, and give a very good and detailed explanation of what you need, the process, and offer their assistance. There are also lots of foreigners who have posted their own experiences online, make sure when you're searching the internet for their articles, blogs, vlogs etc, that you look at the date, because some are 5 or 10 years old, or more. Usually anything within 10 years is pretty reliable and up-to-date information, because any legislative changes which might affect you are usually changes which made everything easier, not harder. Only use those online stories to give you a general idea of what to expect, the process, etc, because always call the local government offices there in near your spouse's home, and the UK embassy (no need to call, they have everything posted at their website, fully detailed instructions, but yes they will answer your call and help you as needed). I'm not an expert, licenses, etc, and so always consult with a licensed professional or government authorities when dealing with such legal matters and processes. And they usually have websites which will give you all the details and information that you need, such as the embassy website. NOTE: The Korean embassy website will be either in Korean language, or slightly different from what westerners are accustomed. And so, always rely on your own country's website in that country, for example the UK embassy in Seoul, not the Korean embassy in London. Countries never have their own embassy in their own country, the whole point of an embassy is to be in a foreign country. That's something that if you are not already familiar with that fact, throws most people for a loop at first. Your country has an embassy in Korea, it's not a Korean embassy, it's all in English, and is British, and is where you'll find all the Korea-related Korea-pertinent information for Brits. Also, if you decide to first visit... before relocating permanently, you can get a 3 month visa, and extend the visa for another 3 months, and so on, very easily, and cheaply... and so that's really the first thing you should do is come visit first, plan to stay for 3 months. See if you fall in love with not only your fiance but also the country. Otherwise, do the opposite, have your fiance come see if they like your country, and do it that way instead. Wherever you'll both be happy. Usually there's no problem visiting another country as a tourist, it's usually very simply, easy, and rarely denied, all countries welcome tourists. And... you'll be a tourist when you get married, in fact. Because it's the only way, usually, to enter a country. Or your spouse will be a tourist in your country, etc. AFTER the marriage, then you'll apply for long-term residence which is almost always guaranteed to be granted since you're married. You basically become a de-facto citizen at that point. In fact, when you apply for citizenship, five or ten years later, they waive many of the requirements for citizenship, for those who are married to a native. For example you won't need to speak the language if you're married to a native, unless that legislation changes. Hope that helps! Congratulations! Contact me anytime if you have more questions. -BenArnold4u

Hello everyone,

Please note that I have moved the post of @BenArnold4u to this existing thread of the South Korea forum as it is better for interaction.

Thank you for this detailed post BenArnold4u, it is very much appreciated.

All the best

Bhavna