Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Houston

Consular/Visa Service

Nationality / Naturalization

Consular/Visa Service
Nationality / Naturalization

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Acquisition of Korean Nationality by bitrth

DATE: 2017-02-01

Nationality Act Article 2

(nationality acquisition by birth)

· Those that meet the following conditions will acquire Korean nationality at the time of their birth.

· - Those whose either parent was a Korean national at birth

· - If the only Korean parent had died before the birth of the applicant, applicant is still eligible for acquisition if the aforementioned Korean parent had maintained Korean nationality at the time of death.

· - Those born in Korean while both parents’ nationality was either unclear or nonexistent

· - Abandoned children that were found in Korea

· After June 14,1998 which is the effective date of current nationality act, those who has at least one Korean parent are automatically granted Korean nationality from birth, regardless of their decisions on whether to choose the nationality of the foreign parent or the country of birth (if born outside Korea).

· However, should such children’s birth be declared only to the foreign parent’s country or the country of birth (if born outside Korea), but remains undeclared to Korea until their 22nd birthday, their Korean nationality will automatically be canceled due to the nationality selection system. At this point, family register cannot be made simply with declaration of birth, and special naturalization must be granted in order for them to gain Korean nationality.

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