Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hun) has announced that it now provides the service of issuing family relation certificates in English in response to the recent increase in the numbers of residents studying and working abroad and marrying foreigners.

Family relation certificates in English are used when there is a need to prove family relations abroad, especially for studying abroad, immigration, employment, travel, international marriage, and the immigration screening process for minors.

Previously, residents had to translate certificates issued in Korean into English and notarize them at their own expense. However, it has been pointed out that this imposes time and economic burden on residents and the translation of certificates in different formats can cause the deterioration of their reliability in actual use.

Gangdong-gu, in cooperation with the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has therefore introduced a service of issuing family relation certificates in English using passport data, which was implemented on the 27th of last month.

  The English version of the certificate is not a simple translation of its Korean version, but a new type of certificate that selectively contains information necessary for use abroad. Family relation certificates in English, which are usually issued under the name of the individual who applies for the issuance, will contain the information of his/her parents and spouse but not their children. Those wanting to include information of their children in the certificate need to apply for the issuance of the document under the name of their children.

Family relation certificates in English can be issued at the Gangdong-gu Office or at any community service center. Overseas residents can visit Korean embassies and legations in the country or request the issuance by mail. By accessing the Supreme Court electronic family relation registration system (http://efamily.scourt.go.kr), one can easily obtain a certificate free of charge.

“There is an increasing demand for family relation certificates in English, as more residents are engaging in studying abroad and international marriage. According to these changes, administrative services are also evolving. Gangdong-gu will continue to actively respond to the changes of the times and the needs of the residents to create a human-centered smart city.”