When a baby is born in a Korean hospital, the doctor or midwife who delivered the baby issues a birth certificate (출생증명서). What you do next depends on the parents. If a parent is Korean, you file a birth report within one month and attach the certificate. If both parents are foreign, the baby needs a status of stay from the immigration office within 90 days of birth.
The certificate carries a printed note about filing a birth report within one month. That note follows the Korean family register, which covers Korean nationals only. This guide explains the certificate, its cost and both routes.
What the birth certificate shows
The form is Form 7 (별지 제7호서식) of the Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act. Under Article 17 of the Medical Service Act, only the doctor, Korean medicine doctor or midwife who delivered the baby can issue it. They cannot refuse a request without a valid reason.
| Korean box | What it records |
|---|---|
| 출생아의 부모 — 부 · 모 (성명 · 연령 · 직업) | Each parent’s name, age and occupation |
| 산모의 주소 | The mother’s address |
| 출생 장소 | Where the baby was born: home, hospital, clinic, maternal and child health center, midwifery clinic or other |
| 출생일시 | The date and time of birth, in 24-hour time |
| 출생아 — 성별 · 임신기간 · 성명 | The baby’s sex, the length of pregnancy in weeks, and the baby’s name |
| 다태 · 출산 순위 | For twins or more, the number of babies and this baby’s birth order |
| 산모의 산아 수 | How many children the mother has given birth to |
| 출생아의 신체 상황 — 몸무게 · 신장 | The baby’s weight and length |
| 출생아의 건강 상황 | The baby’s health |
| 의료기관 · 면허번호 · 성명 | The hospital, and the license number, name and signature of the person who delivered the baby |
Check every name, date and time on the certificate before you leave the hospital. The next step, whichever route you take, starts from this paper.
How much it costs
Fee cap verified October 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2021-34
The Ministry of Health and Welfare caps the fee for a birth certificate. A hospital chooses its own fee between zero and the cap.
| Paper | Korean name | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | 출생증명서 | 3,000 KRW |
| Extra copy of the same certificate | 제증명서 사본 | 1,000 KRW |
| English birth certificate | 영문 출생증명서 | Not on the list. Each hospital sets its own fee |
Seoul National University Hospital, for example, lists its English birth certificate at 20,000 KRW. The caps do not include a consultation fee.
What to do if a parent is Korean
Rules verified October 2026 · Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships, Articles 44 and 122
Article 44 of the Act on the Registration, etc. of Family Relationships sets the birth report (출생신고). File it within one month of the birth, and attach the birth certificate written by the doctor or midwife. The report has room for a foreign parent’s name, date of birth, nationality and alien registration number.
For a child born within a marriage, either the father or the mother files the report. The note on the certificate says to file at the district office, city hall, or town or neighborhood office of your address. Missing the deadline without a valid reason can bring a fine of up to 50,000 KRW under Article 122.
This guide does not cover questions about the child’s nationality.
What to do if both parents are foreign
Rules verified October 2026 · Immigration Act, Articles 23, 31 and 33 · Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Article 72
Article 1 of the same act limits the family register to Korean nationals. A baby whose parents are both foreign follows the Immigration Act instead.
The documents depend on the status the baby will hold, which follows the family’s situation. Check the list on Hi Korea or call 1345 before you go. For the baby’s records in your own country, contact that country’s embassy.
The 90 days count from the day of birth, not from the day you leave the hospital.
What the Constitutional Court decided in 2026
On 27 August 2026, the Constitutional Court decided case 2022Hun-Ma255. It ruled that the lack of a law on birth registration for foreign children born in Korea is unconstitutional. The steps above follow the laws in force as of October 2026.
What to say at the counter
A hospital runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud at the ward or the certificate desk.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.