Married in Two Countries? Which Marriage Date to Use in Korea (Our Mistake on a Housing Application)

If you married a Korean in your home country, you may have two different marriage registration dates: one from your home country and one from Korea. The short answer: for Korean housing applications and benefits, use the date on your Korean Marriage Certificate (혼인관계증명서), not the date on your foreign certificate.

We learned this the hard way. Here is our story and what to check.

1. Why there are two dates

Many international couples register their marriage twice:

  1. First in the foreign spouse's country (for us, Vietnam)
  2. Then separately in Korea, so the marriage appears in the Korean family records

These two registrations often happen on different days, sometimes weeks or months apart. So your Vietnamese marriage certificate and your Korean Marriage Certificate can show different dates.

2. Which date does Korea use?

DocumentWhen to use it
Korean Marriage Certificate (혼인관계증명서)Use this date for Korean housing applications, newlywed benefits, and other Korean government forms
Foreign marriage certificateUsed for procedures in your home country, or as a supporting document when you register the marriage in Korea

Korean agencies check your Korean documents. If the date you write on a form does not match your Korean Marriage Certificate, it can be treated as a mistake on your application.

3. Our experience: I wrote the wrong date

We applied for a public rental apartment in Korea with an option to buy later (LH 6-year rent-to-own). On the application form, I wrote a marriage registration date that did not match our Korean Marriage Certificate.

I only noticed it later. My first thought was: "Will this disqualify us?"

So I checked the rules for our application:

  • We applied in the general supply, where winners are chosen by housing savings amount, not by marriage date.
  • The wrong date gave us no advantage. Our rank did not change.
  • We submitted the Korean Marriage Certificate, which shows the correct date.

In cases like this, the agency usually checks the official documents, and a simple mistake that does not affect selection is unlikely to be a big problem. We did not contact LH separately and are waiting for the result. (I will share an update.)

4. When the date really matters

Be careful if the marriage date is used for eligibility or points. For example:

  • Newlywed special supply housing (신혼부부 특별공급), which has a limit on how long you have been married
  • Newlywed loans or benefits that count years of marriage
  • Multicultural-family benefits that look at how long you have been married or living together

In these cases, a different date can change whether you qualify. If you are not sure, call the agency before you apply.

5. Checklist before you apply

  1. Get your Korean Marriage Certificate (혼인관계증명서). You can print it online at the Supreme Court's family relation website or at a community center.
  2. Write the date exactly as shown on the Korean certificate.
  3. Do not use the date from your foreign marriage certificate on Korean forms.
  4. If the marriage date affects eligibility, check the notice or ask the agency first.
  5. If you already made a mistake, check whether it changes your eligibility or score. If it does, contact the agency quickly.

Quick summary

  1. International couples often have two marriage registration dates.
  2. For Korean forms, use the date on the Korean Marriage Certificate.
  3. A wrong date that does not affect selection is usually not a big problem.
  4. For newlywed housing or benefits, the date matters a lot. Double-check it.

This post is based on our own experience and general information. Rules can differ by program and can change. Always check the official notice or ask the agency for your situation.

Location: 대한민국 경기도 의왕시 삼동

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