How to Renew a South Korean Passport in the U.S.
Korea
makes use of a microchip within its passports, which carries every
individual's biometric data. Biometric data is made up of our physical
characteristics such as facial features, fingerprints and digital
signatures.
Because of this, passport applications and renewals have to
be done in person at the Korean embassy or one of its consulates within
the U.S. This is to verify your identity and to possibly gather further
biometric data.
What this means is that you cannot apply for your
Korean passport renewal by mail. It also means that you cannot get a
third party to apply for you.
South Korean Consulate
The first thing to do when you need to
renew your South Korean passport is to look for the
Korean consulate
that has jurisdiction over the area that you live in. This basically
means that they will be able to serve and assist you.
Most of the time,
this consulate is the one nearest to you. The Korean embassy is located
in Washington. Other than that, there are ten more Korean consulates.
These consulates can be found in:
- New York
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Chicago
- Seattle
- Hagatna
- Honolulu
- Houston
- Atlanta
You can check each consulates jurisdiction and contact details
here.
Each consulate will have its own policies and operating hours so once
you have selected the correct consulate relevant to you, visit its
website or make contact to ascertain when they are open and whether you
will have to book an interview for the renewal of your South Korean
passport.
Required Documents
Of course you will have to fill out a passport application form
which you may locate on your relative consulate's website. If not, make
contact with your consulate and request that they send you one.
If this
is not part of their policy, there will be application forms available
at the consulate itself which you can fill out at your interview. The
other supporting documents which you must take with you when visiting
the Korean embassy or consulate include:
- Your current expired South Korean passport
- A passport photograph
- Photocopy of green card, work permit, visa stamp etc that shows U.S residency
- Photocopy of family relationship certificate if so required (your consulate can tell you this)
- Passport fee
- Return express mail self-addressed envelope for the posting of your new passport
Fool-proofing your passport photo for your South Korean passport application
Many people do not give the passport photos enough
attention when it comes to passport applications and kind of leave them
to be an after-thought. This is a mistake. Your passport photo can
cause the rejection of your entire passport application if it does not
meet standards. Keep the following in mind:
- Photos must be passport size: 2 inches x 2 inches
- Applicant must face the camera directly with open eyes and a closed mouth (natural expression)
- The photo background must be white and without shadows
- Nothing may obstruct the applicant's face including headwear and glasses
Search further guidelines online.
South Korean Passport Fees
The standard passport fee for a Korean passport is $53 and must
be paid in cash at the embassy or consulate. It is recommended
that applicants return to the embassy or consulate to pick up the
passport once processed.
If return by mail is preferred, applicants
must inform the passport officer and sign a waiver at the time of
application. In addition, a self-addressed prepaid return envelope with
tracking is required.
If your nearest Korean consulate is not too difficult to get to, the
South Korean passport process is quite painless should you follow the
above guidelines.