Business Registration
Korean Business & Corporate Documents — Certified Translation
Korean businesses expanding internationally or entering into cross-border contracts regularly need certified English translations of their 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate) and 법인등기부등본 (corporate registry extract). Foreign banks, regulatory bodies, partner companies, and government agencies require these documents to verify a company's legal existence, registered address, representative, and business scope. Seoul Apostille provides certified translations accepted by foreign authorities, with apostille coordination available for Hague Convention submissions.
When This Guide Is Relevant
- Opening a corporate bank account with a foreign bank that requires verified Korean company documentation
- Entering a cross-border contract where the foreign counterparty's compliance team requires Korean company verification
- Registering a Korean company as a foreign entity or branch in another country
- Regulatory filings with foreign government agencies that require proof of company legal status
- Due diligence processes where investors or partners need readable Korean corporate records
What to Prepare
- 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate) — current copy; for sole proprietors and companies alike
- 법인등기부등본 (certified copy of the corporate registry extract) — for incorporated companies (주식회사, 유한회사, etc.); current within the last 3 months
- Company seal certificate (법인인감증명서) if required by the receiving authority
- Receiving country and authority — determines whether an apostille or consular legalization is also required
Process Notes
- The 사업자등록증 is issued by the National Tax Service (국세청) and proves tax registration; the 법인등기부등본 is issued by the court registry (등기소) and proves legal incorporation — foreign banks and regulators often require both
- The 법인등기부등본 is a public registry document directly apostillable by MOFA; the 사업자등록증 may require notarization before apostille depending on the receiving country
- The certified translation must render all legal entity names, registration numbers, and representative names in a form consistent with the company's foreign registration or passport details
- For AML/KYC compliance purposes, foreign banks typically require the corporate documents to have been issued within the last 1–3 months — plan accordingly
- If the company has recently changed its representative, address, or business scope, obtain a fresh 등기부등본 that reflects the current details before translation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 사업자등록증 and 법인등기부등본?
The 사업자등록증 (business registration certificate) is a tax-registration document issued by the NTS showing the company's business number, type, and registered address. The 법인등기부등본 is a court-registry extract showing the company's legal incorporation details, share structure, and registered directors. Foreign banks and regulators usually require both.
Does a Korean business registration need an apostille for foreign use?
It depends on the receiving authority and country. For Hague Convention countries, an apostille is usually required to certify the documents are genuine. For non-Hague countries, consular legalization is used instead. Some private counterparties accept certified translation without apostille — we advise on the correct route.
Can individual director or shareholder information in the registry be included?
Yes. The full 법인등기부등본 records all directors, liquidators, and any share transfer history. Our certified translation covers all fields in the document. If the receiving authority requires only specific sections, we can highlight those while translating the full document.
How current does the corporate registry extract need to be?
Most foreign banks and regulatory bodies require a 법인등기부등본 issued within the last 1–3 months. This is easy to obtain from the court registry online (대법원 인터넷등기소) or in person. We can coordinate re-issuance before translation if your existing copy is outdated.
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