Documents & authentication

I have my diploma, my transcripts, my passport... I'm ready, right?

Good start! Let's check what schools usually ask for.

Your graduation certificate, or an expected graduation certificate if you're still

in school.

Your transcripts. Your passport. Financial documents.

And a language score, like TOPIK or English.

The final list is in each school's admission guide.

My school back home issued these. Isn't that enough?

Korean schools need to know your documents are real.

That's what authentication is for.

If your country is part of the Apostille Convention, you get an apostille from your

own government.

One certificate, and Korea accepts it.

If not, you need consular legalization.

Your documents are confirmed in your country first, then by the Korean embassy or

consulate there.

So which one is mine?

It depends on your country, and it can change.

Vietnam, for example, started using apostilles in September 2026.

Countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Nepal still need consular legalization.

So always check the current rules before you start.

If a document isn't in Korean or English, you'll usually need a translation,

and often a notarized one.

What goes wrong most often?

Three things. A name spelled differently on different documents.

A certificate issued too long ago. And a missing authentication.

Check your name letter by letter against your passport.

And check each school's rules on issue dates.

Same spelling, recent dates, the right stamps. Got it!

Now, tell us how your country authenticates documents,

and tick the ones you already have.