Korean ID Card Translation
Korean ID card translation of the 주민등록증, the 외국인등록증 held by a foreigner in Korea or the 재외국민 주민등록증, for USCIS, a US bank, a DMV or a court that wants a government photo ID in English. The card is small, but almost every field on it has a Korean form a US reader cannot check.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for Korean id card records
What a 주민등록증 says
Korea issues the 주민등록증 to every citizen at 17, and it carries the number every other Korean document refers back to.
The number and the name
The 주민등록번호 is thirteen digits in two groups: the birth date as YYMMDD, then a digit that gives the century and sex, 1 and 2 for people born in the 1900s, 3 and 4 for the 2000s, then the serial. The card prints the name in Hangul with the Hanja beside it. We copy the number exactly and keep the Hanja in brackets, and the Roman spelling follows whatever document the recipient already holds, with a note saying so.
Address and the issuing office
The address is in the 도로명주소 road-name form used since 2014: 시 or 도, 구 or 군, 로 or 길, the building number, then 동 and 호 for an apartment. The back of the card lists address changes with the date of each 전입. The 발급기관 is a district head, for example 서울특별시 강남구청장, and the translation names the office rather than leaving a title a US clerk cannot place.
Other Korean ID cards
A foreigner in Korea holds an 외국인등록증 with an 외국인등록번호 in the same thirteen-digit form, a 체류자격 such as D-2 or F-6 and a 체류기간, and the back records extensions and changes of status. A Korean citizen living abroad who registers a Korean address holds a 재외국민 주민등록증, issued since 2015 and marked as such. Card layouts have changed over the years, so we describe the card you send rather than a template, and name its type in the heading.
Who is asking for your Korean id card translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS
USCIS asks for a complete English translation and a signed certification from the translator. No notarization is needed.
State DMVs and Social Security offices
An ID card offered as proof of identity or date of birth is accepted with a certified translation. A few offices want it notarized as well, so check with your office before you order.
IRCC
IRCC accepts a certified translation with the translator's affidavit. Order the certified translation and add notarization if your application guide asks for it.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a Korean id card.
Scan both sides
The issuing office, the expiry date and the address are usually on the back. Upload the front and the back in one order so the translation covers the whole card.
Give us the spelling you use in English
The translation shows the name as the card prints it and notes the spelling on your passport or green card. Say which at checkout so the two documents match.
A phone photo works if every character is readable
Lay the card on a plain surface, avoid glare on the hologram and take one picture per side with the whole card in frame.
Details and pricing
What is included in a Korean id card translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the id card is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
Korean ID Card FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Does USCIS accept a 주민등록증 as ID?
- USCIS does not require the card, but an officer who sees a Korean ID in the file wants a translation of it. It helps when the passport has expired and the card is the only photo ID with the 주민등록번호 that ties the 기본증명서 and 가족관계증명서 to the person. We translate the front and back on one page for $25.
- Why is the 주민등록번호 masked on my printed certificate?
- Since 2017 many printed certificates hide the last six digits with asterisks unless you ask for the full number, and some offices do the same on copies. The translation copies what is printed, asterisks included. If a US recipient needs the full number, order the certificate with it shown rather than asking us to fill it in from the card.
- Can my 주민등록증 prove where I lived in Korea?
- Only in part. The back shows the current address and the changes written on it since the card was issued. A recipient that wants a dated address history, such as a background screener, needs the 주민등록초본 with past addresses included, which we translate as a separate document.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other Korean documents we translate
ID card translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's id card records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements before you order.