Criminal Background Check

• Federal criminal background checks (CBC) (i.e. USA: FBI, Canada: RCMP, Australia: AFP, UK: Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland, South Africa: Police Clearance Check, New Zealand: MoJ, Ireland: INPS) are required for all teachers who are planning to teach English in Korea. All nationalities (excluding Canadians) must have their CBC authenticated with an Apostille Certificate. Canadians must secure a verification stamp from the Korean consulate in their jurisdiction as an alternative to the Apostille certificate.

• The Korean Immigration Office and the Board of Education both require Criminal Background Check (CBC) authenticated with an apostille or Korean Consulate notarization for Canadians

  You must secure a CBC at the federal level - no exceptions.

  CBC must have an issue date that’s within 5 months of the applicant’s visa application date. Outdated criminal record checks (older than 6 months) are not accepted by the Korean authorities.

  The name on your Background check should match your passport.
  * As it can take a week to several months (FBI up to 12 weeks) to obtain, get this process started in a timely manner.

  IMPORTANT: All nationalities (excluding Canadians) must have their CBC authenticated with an Apostille Certificate. Canadians must secure a verification stamp from the Korean consulate in their jurisdiction as an alternative to the Apostille certificate.
  * It is wise to make a copy of this as some Korean Consulates may ask to see this when you go to apply for your visa

• It is possible to apply for a Criminal Background Check from abroad and have a third party, like a family member apply for you. Once a third party has your CBC, they will need to have it notarized by a notary or lawyer. Teachers from the US, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and Australia must get an Apostille; Canadian teachers could have a third party get it notarized by a notary or lawyer (check the www.Yellowpages.ca to find one nearest you) and then notarized by a Korean Consulate.
  
  FBI Background Check - Include a note with your request: "Please Authenticate"

Click on your flag for more specific information on getting a criminal record check:

Respective Institutions Issuing Criminal Records in Key Countries

• The United Sates: Criminal records are issued by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
  (Documents should indicate all criminal records across the U.S.)

  Canada: RCMP National Repository of Criminal Records issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

  The United Kingdom: Basic Disclosure issued by Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland

  Australia: Standard Disclosure, or National Police Certificate issued by the AFC (Australian Federal Police)

  The Republic of South Africa: Clearance Certificate issued by the South African Police Service

  Ireland: Police Certificate issued by the national police of the Republic of Ireland

  New Zealand: Criminal Record issued by the Ministry of Justice