Online questionnaire

To apply for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry (Certificat de Coutume), you must complete an online questionnaire (MP1) through the DFA website about yourself and your upcoming marriage or civil partnership.

Statutory Declaration

Based on this questionnaire, you’ll be presented with one or more Statutory Declarations to complete and a checklist of supporting documentation you'll need to submit with your application.

You need to:

1. Print and sign your questionnaire
2. Print out a copy of each Statutory Declaration
3. Print out your checklist
4. Complete the Declarations and have them witnessed in the presence of a diplomatic officer at the Irish Embassy in Seoul if currently residing in South Korea. Additional fee is payable for this service directly to the Embassy. Currently this service fee is KRW84,000.

The Embassy will then:

1. Issue you a Certificat de Coutume and post you the Certificate within 1 – 2 working days.

Remember...

Print off or save each form right after your online questionnaire, as you won't be able to retrieve them later.

Because of certain specific conditions in Korea the Embassy of Ireland, Seoul can witness the Statutory Declarations for those who are currently resident in the RoK (South Korea) provided they have completed the online application and submit all document required in person to the Embassy. Please make an appointment with the Embassy though our Contact Us form. Please bring the completed questionnaire MP1, printed Statutory Declaration and all supporting documents with you to the appointment. The completed Certificate of Freedom to Marry will then be posted to the applicant.

If you wish to have your Declarations witnessed by a notary public or a Commissioner for Oaths or someone authorised to administer declarations in Korea, your witness needs to present documentary evidence to demonstrate they have the necessary credentials to act as a witness. You may wish to contact the Embassy in advance to clarify what type of documents are required for a witness to demonstrate their credentials.

When to apply

Submit your application a minimum of four months before the date of your marriage or civil partnership.

Your witnessed statutory declaration(s) cannot be dated more than six months before the date we receive your application.

Remember...

Your application is not complete until we get hard copies of your questionnaire, statutory declaration(s), and all supporting documentation.

Your checklist will tell you exactly what supporting documentation you'll need for your application, which may include:

• Your original long-form birth certificate
• A court order, if you are under 18 years
• Death certificate of your previous spouse, if widowed
• Petition and final decree of your divorce, if divorced
• Your original current Irish passport, if your declaration was witnessed at the Embassy - Additional fee is payable for this service directly to the Embassy. Currently this service fee is KRW84,000
• A photocopy of your current Irish passport, if your declaration was witnessed outside the Embassy
• Your original naturalisation certification, if naturalised

Translating your documents

You'll need to submit certified translations of any of these documents, if the originals are in a language other than English or Irish.

Getting replacement documents

We need original documents to process your application.

If you don't have the original certificates, you must get replacements from the General Register Office which issued your certificate.

General Register Office (GRO) Ireland

Getting your documents back

We will return all your original documents to you after we inspect them.

Remember...

If you haven't included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Your statutory declaration must be witnessed in order to complete your application.

Who can be a witness in Rok (South Korea)?

• Diplomatic and Consular Officers at the Irish Embassy in Seoul can witness these declarations or
• A notary public
• A Commissioner for Oaths or someone authorised to administer oaths or declarations (a practising solicitor may be authorised to do so) can do so.

Your witness must:

• Be able to verify your identity through your official documents (e.g. a valid Irish passport)
• Know you personally
• Know a third party personally who can identify you
• Provide business contact number, address, and stamp

Your witness needs to:

• Witness you completing and signing your Statutory Declaration(s)
• Complete and sign the relevant part of your Statutory Declaration(s)
• Present documentary evidence to show their credentials/eligibility, if the declaration is witnessed outside the Embassy

Remember...

It's against the law to make a Statutory Declaration that you know is false or misleading in any way.

Certificate of Freedom to Marry (Certificate de Coutume/Nulla Osta)

Per Irish applicant: €60

Non- refundable postage /handling fee: €6

Total per Irish applicant: €66

Late fee

If you submit your application 28 days or less before the date of your intended marriage you’ll have to pay an additional fee of €60 per Irish applicant.

Payment methods

Payment is made online as part of the application process.

• If you would like your declaration to be witnessed at the Embassy, Once you have completed your questionnaire and have gathered all the supporting documents, contact the Embassy in order to make an appointment to get your declaration witnessed at the Embassy:- Email Us / (02) 721 7200
• If you would like your declaration to be witnessed outside the Embassy, post your application accompanied by the printed questionnaire, an original of witnessed declaration form, supporting documents and the appropriate fee to the following address: For the issuance of a Certificat de Coutume:- Embassy of Ireland Seoul, Leema Bldg. 13F., 42, Jongro 1-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea 110-755

Begin your online Certificate of Freedom to Marry application