Apostille for South Korea From Singapore: Bank, Visa and Company Documents

Korea has applied the Apostille Convention since 14 July 2007, so an apostille for Korea from Singapore is complete once SAL has issued it. The Korean Embassy in Singapore does not legalise Singapore documents on top of an apostille. The same logic now applies to mainland China, where Chinese translation adds a step; see our China document apostille page.

The route depends only on what kind of document you have:

Korean receivers often also ask for a Korean translation. Some accept one made abroad; others want it prepared in Korea. Ask before ordering one here, and see our translation attestation service if it is to be made in Singapore.

Some Korean banks and securities firms ask for an original paper apostille, even where an electronic apostille is technically available. If the bank's request says "original" or "hard copy", plan for a paper apostille and an international courier.

SAL now issues e-Apostilles for ACRA Business Profiles and, through the Notary Public's office, for notarised documents. That is fast and convenient — but a bank compliance team in Seoul may still want a physical certificate they can file. We had a Singapore company client whose Korean bank refused anything but paper, which is why we ask this before choosing the format.

Before we start, ask the bank three questions in writing:

• Do you require the original apostilled document, or will a scan do for a first review?
• Will you accept an electronic apostille, or only paper?
• Must the document be dated within a certain period?

Korean banks commonly ask for recently issued documents. Check the bank's own time limit before ordering the document.

A notary cannot simply stamp a PDF that a company system generated. The usual solution is for an authorised officer of the company to sign a printout in front of the Notary Public — confirming it is a true document the company issued — so the notary has a signature to certify. SAL then apostilles the notary's certificate.

Typical documents in this situation: a certificate of employment or service engagement, a salary or remittance confirmation, or a letter the HR system produces without a wet signature. A Korean bank asked one of our corporate clients for several such letters, all apostilled on paper.

Depending on the document and the receiver, the notary may use one of these forms:

• Signed printout. A director or company secretary signs the printed letter on company letterhead before the notary, who attests the signature and checks the signatory's authority.
• Officer's declaration. An officer makes a declaration before the notary, exhibiting the printout and confirming the company issued it.
• Reissued letter. The company reissues the letter in wet-ink form and the signatory signs it before the notary.

Which form is suitable is the notary's decision, made after seeing the document. The signatory must attend in person, bring identification, and show authority to sign for the company — usually the ACRA Business Profile and, for non-directors, a board authorisation. The corporate side is explained further on our corporate document attestation page.

A Declaration of Address Change is usually signed by you in person before a Singapore Notary Public, then apostilled by SAL. Korean banks, brokerages and registries use it to update your records when you live abroad and cannot visit a branch.

If the Korean institution supplies its own form, use it. A form printed only in Korean can create a problem: the notary must be satisfied you understand what you are signing, and SAL works with documents in English or bilingual with English. A bilingual version or an English translation attached to the form avoids this.

The same approach applies to other personal declarations for Korea — identity, name consistency, or authority for a relative to act on your account. How declarations are prepared and signed in general is covered on our declaration and affidavit attestation page.

What to bring when you sign

• Passport (and NRIC or FIN if you hold one)
• The unsigned declaration or form, with no blanks left
• Your Korean account or registration details, exactly as the institution has them