More info for renewing your contracts in South Korea

After our previous post about South Africans renewing your contract with EPIK, we realise that no one really knows whats going on with regards to South Africans (and in fact every other nationality here in South Korea) renewing their contracts with EPIK.

Previously, we said that the following documents would be needed

Police Clearance Certificate

Apostilled degree copy

possibly transcripts

I am posting what Cliff Smith from TeachKorea has written about the above on the South Africans in South Korea facebook page:

TeachKorea has spoken with the Korean Immigration Head Office in Seoul and have the following guidelines regarding this ongoing controversy.

Immigration have to have the following on file:

1: an original Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) with apostille
2: an original or certified copy of your degree with apostille

If you have/are renewing your contract back-to-back with the same school then you need not submit fresh copies of either document PROVIDED they have them on file at Immigration.

So simply ring 1345 with your ARC card and ask them to confirm if they have these 2 documents and are they apostilled.

Some EFL teachers first arrived in Korea back when you had to submit an original degree certificate & PCC and these where NOT apostilled.

People who fall into that category do need to submit fresh documents WITH the apostille.

If you are moving to a new school/province or taking a break between contracts then you always need to submit a full set of fresh documentation including apostilled PCC & copy of your degree certificate.

If you arrived in South Korea before March 2008 then you very likely need to be getting fresh documents as it was from that time onwards that the apostille on both documents became a requirement.

As with most things here in South Korea, they are subject to change. We apologise if you have heard otherwise from any website/government official/your school. This is what we have heard so far. If we do stay with EPIK at our current schools, then these are the documents we will be checking/getting. Again, if you are renewing with your school, you may not need to submit any documents but this is all very wishy washy. If we can offer you any advice, its just to make sure you have all of those documents ready to give your school, regardless of whether they have asked or not.

Once again, Noma at Docs4Expats can help you get all of the above done in South Africa 

Here is her facebook group: Docs4Expats