Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the USA

◇ Declaration of Renunciation of Nationality

  • A person with multiple nationalities who acquired both Korean and foreign nationality by birth chooses to acquire foreign nationality by declaring as such to the Minister of Justice through an overseas mission having jurisdiction over the place of the person’s residence.

    ※ A person who has declared his/her intention to renounce the nationality of the Republic of Korea(ROK) loses his/her Korean nationality at the time the Minister of Justice accepts the declaration.

◇ Multiple National by Birth

  • A person who has both ROK nationality and the nationality of a foreign country because his/her father or mother had ROK nationality at the time of the person’s birth in a country that determines the citizenship of a child by its country of birth

    ※ If the person was born on or before June/13/1998, the father’s nationality at the time of birth shall be confirmed.

    ※ If the person was born on or after June/14/1998, the nationalities of both the father and mother shall be confirmed.

◇ When to Declare

  • [Male] Any male may declare his intention to renounce ROK nationality from the time of his birth to within three months of his being assigned preliminary military service under Article 8 of the Military Service Act(until March 31 of the year he turns 18 years old).

    - One can still declare his intention to renounce Korean nationality after military service has been completed, even if the deadline has passed.

  • [Female] Any female may declare her intention to renounce ROK nationality from the time of her birth until she turns 22 years old. 

◇ Exceptional Permission to Renunciation of Nationality

  • If the deadline for a multiple national to declare their Renunciation of Korean nationality has elapsed(until March 31 of the year when a male turns 18 years old), whose obligation for military service has not been resolved, the multiple national can apply for exceptional permission to renounce ROK nationality, provided the following five requirements* are met.

     ※ (Five Requirements for Permission to Renunciation of Nationality) ① He should be born and reside in a foreign country, ② After his birth, a foreign country should be the main base of his life, ③ He should not have enjoyed his rights as a Korean national for a long time, ④ There are reasonable causes that kept him within a certain period of time. ⑤ He faces significant disadvantages, like career restrictions abroad.

◇ Where to Apply

  • A person who makes a declaration to renounce ROK nationality or applies for permission to exceptionally renounce their Korean nationality must visit the overseas mission with jurisdiction over the place of the person’s residence.

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