The Paperwork Tree: What You Actually Need Once You Know Which Visa You're On
Your document list depends entirely on which visa category you're using to teach — E-2 needs an apostille, a criminal check, and degree verification; most F-series visas (F-2-7, F-4, F-5, F-6) need none of that to start work.
Park English2026-09-213 min read
Every forum thread about Korean teaching paperwork assumes you're getting an E-2. Half the people asking aren't. They're on an F-4 because a grandparent was Korean, or an F-6 because they married someone here, or an F-2-7 through the points system, and they're apostilling documents they never needed to touch.
The document list isn't universal. It's a function of the visa. Sort that out first.
Step one: confirm your category before you order anything.
| Visa | Who it's usually for | Apostille needed | Criminal record check | Degree verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-2 | Native-speaker teachers hired by a Korean school directly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| F-2-7 | Points-based long-term visa holders | No | No | No |
| F-4 | Overseas Koreans (by descent) | No | No | No |
| F-5 | Permanent residents | No | No | No |
| F-6 | Married to a Korean national | No | No | No |
The reasoning is simple once you see it. E-2 ties your right to work to one specific job, so immigration wants proof of who you are and what you're qualified for before they'll let a school sponsor you. F-visas grant work authorization independent of any single employer, so a hagwon hiring you on an F-visa is closer to hiring a Korean citizen on paper — no sponsor documents, no consulate visit, no apostille chase.
That's the part people miss, and it costs them six to eight weeks. We've had teachers on F-4 visas who'd already booked an FBI background check appointment, because someone in a Facebook group told them E-2 rules apply to everyone. They don't.
If you're on E-2, the order still matters. Get the criminal record check moving first — it's the slowest piece, three to six weeks depending on your country and which level you request (state-level in the US is faster than an FBI check, but Korean immigration offices increasingly want the FBI one; confirm which your specific office accepts). While that's in transit, request your sealed academic transcript from your university's registrar. Apostille both once you have them in hand — most countries require the apostille be applied in the country that issued the document, not in Korea, so this has to happen before you fly out, not after.
If you're on an F-series visa, the sequence is shorter but not zero-effort. You still need:
- Proof of your visa status (the visa itself, or your F-4/F-5/F-6 card if you already have one).
- A signed contract from the hagwon.
- Your Alien Registration Card, if it's your first time or you're switching addresses.
No degree apostille, no criminal check, no notarized transcript. The hagwon still has to register you correctly at the local immigration office once you start, and this is where it varies most — some field offices ask for a copy of your degree anyway as an internal hiring record, even though the law doesn't require it for the visa itself. That's not written down anywhere consistent. Ask your specific office, or ask the school what they've done for F-visa hires before.
So the real first move isn't ordering a background check or booking an apostille appointment. It's knowing which of these five columns you're actually in.