Licensed professional help in Korea, in English
AnswerFor most paperwork in Korea you do not need a lawyer — Korea licenses specialist professionals for specific jobs: a 행정사 (administrative scrivener) for visa filings, a 세무사 (tax accountant) for tax returns, a 공인노무사 (labor attorney) for unpaid wages, a 법무사 (judicial scrivener) for lease and property registrations. A lawyer (변호사) is the only one who can represent you in court — and usually the most expensive option.
ImportantUnlicensed "visa consultants" actively operate in this market. Every listing here names the practitioner's license type, license number, and the official registry we checked it against — a listing without verifiable credentials does not get published.
Browse by problem
Service pages open once at least 3 providers are verified — no thin, empty categories.
Staying in Korea · 체류·비자
- Visa Extension · 체류기간 연장 — verifying
- Change of Visa Status · 체류자격 변경 — verifying
- Permanent Residency (F-5) & F-2-7 · 영주권·거주자격 — verifying
- Marriage & Family Visa (F-6 / F-1) · 결혼이민·가족동반 비자 — verifying
- Naturalization & Citizenship · 귀화·국적 취득 — verifying
- Address & Status Reporting · 체류지 변경신고·각종 신고 — verifying
Tax & Money · 세무·금전
- Year-End Tax Settlement (연말정산) · 연말정산 — verifying
- May Income Tax Return (종합소득세) · 종합소득세 신고 — verifying
- US Expat Tax Filing (FEIE / FBAR) · 미국 세금 신고 (재외국민) — verifying
- Business & Freelance Bookkeeping · 사업자 기장·세무 — verifying
Work & Employment · 노동·고용
- Unpaid Wages (임금체불) · 임금체불 — verifying
- Unfair Dismissal · 부당해고 — verifying
- Workplace Injury (산재) · 산업재해 — verifying
Housing & Property · 주거·부동산
- Getting Your Deposit Back (보증금 반환) · 보증금 반환 — verifying
- Lease Contract Review Before Signing · 임대차 계약서 검토 — verifying
- Property Purchase & Registration · 부동산 등기 — verifying
Documents · 서류·번역·공증
- Certified / Notarized Translation · 번역공증 — see guides
- Apostille & Document Legalization · 아포스티유 — see guides
- Notarization · 공증 — see guides
Starting a Business · 창업·법인
- Company Registration (법인설립) · 법인설립·사업자등록 — verifying
- D-8 Investor Visa · D-8 기업투자 비자 — verifying
Disputes & Court · 분쟁·소송
- Divorce & Family Law · 이혼·가사 — verifying
- Criminal Defense · 형사변호 — verifying
- Civil Litigation · 민사소송 — verifying
- Court Document Preparation · 법정 서류 작성 — verifying
Who does what
Korea's licensed professions, what each can and cannot legally do, and the registry where each license can be checked.
Attorney (licensed lawyer) · 변호사
Registry: 대한변호사협회 (Korean Bar Association)
The only professional who can represent you in court. Also the only one who can give legal advice on any matter. Most expensive, and not always necessary for routine filings.
Can: all listed areas (incl. court representation)
Administrative Scrivener (immigration filings) · 행정사 (출입국 전문 행정사)
Registry: 대한행정사회 / 행정안전부 행정사 등록
Handles immigration paperwork with the Immigration Office on your behalf. This is who most people actually need for a visa extension or change — not a lawyer. Cannot represent you in court or at the Labor Commission.
Can: Visa Extension, Change of Visa Status, Address & Status Reporting, Permanent Residency (F-5) & F-2-7, Marriage & Family Visa (F-6 / F-1), Naturalization & Citizenship, D-8 Investor Visa, Apostille & Document Legalization
Cannot: Unfair Dismissal, Civil Litigation, May Income Tax Return (종합소득세), Property Purchase & Registration
Judicial Scrivener (registrations & court documents) · 법무사
Registry: 대한법무사협회 (Korea Association of Judicial Scriveners)
Prepares real-estate and corporate registrations and court filings. Common and cost-effective for a jeonse/wolse registration (전세권/확정일자) or setting up a company. Cannot argue your case in court.
Can: Property Purchase & Registration, Company Registration (법인설립), Court Document Preparation, Getting Your Deposit Back (보증금 반환), Lease Contract Review Before Signing
Cannot: Civil Litigation, Visa Extension, May Income Tax Return (종합소득세)
Certified Labor Attorney · 공인노무사
Registry: 한국공인노무사회 (Korean Association of Certified Public Labor Attorneys)
Represents workers at the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Labor Relations Commission. For unpaid wages or unfair dismissal this is usually the right professional — not a lawyer, and definitely not an administrative scrivener.
Can: Unpaid Wages (임금체불), Unfair Dismissal, Workplace Injury (산재)
Cannot: Civil Litigation, Visa Extension, May Income Tax Return (종합소득세)
Certified Tax Accountant · 세무사
Registry: 한국세무사회 (Korean Association of Certified Public Tax Accountants)
Handles Korean tax filings — the May 종합소득세 return, business tax, and year-end settlement corrections. A Korean 세무사 is NOT qualified to file your US return.
Can: Year-End Tax Settlement (연말정산), May Income Tax Return (종합소득세), Business & Freelance Bookkeeping
Cannot: Visa Extension, Civil Litigation, US Expat Tax Filing (FEIE / FBAR)
Korean CPA · 공인회계사
Registry: 한국공인회계사회 (KICPA)
Audit and corporate accounting. Overlaps with 세무사 on business tax; usually engaged by companies, not individuals.
Can: Business & Freelance Bookkeeping, Company Registration (법인설립), Year-End Tax Settlement (연말정산), May Income Tax Return (종합소득세)
Cannot: Visa Extension, Civil Litigation
US Tax Preparer (CPA / EA / PTIN holder) · 미국 세무 대리인
Registry: IRS Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers (PTIN / EA / CPA)
Files your US federal return (Form 1040, FEIE/Form 2555, FBAR, Form 8938) while you live in Korea. Most are based in the US, not in Korea — location matters less than IRS credentials here.
Can: US Expat Tax Filing (FEIE / FBAR)
Cannot: May Income Tax Return (종합소득세), Visa Extension
Notary Public · 공증인 (공증사무소)
Registry: 법무부 인가 공증인 (Ministry of Justice authorized notary)
Notarizes documents and notarized translations. Note: a notary does not issue an apostille — that is done by MOFA or the Ministry of Justice.
Can: Notarization, Certified / Notarized Translation, Apostille & Document Legalization
Cannot: Visa Extension
Translation Agency (no state license) · 번역업체
Registry: — 국가자격 없음 (사업자등록만 존재)
⚠️ Translation is NOT a licensed profession in Korea. Anyone can call themselves a translation agency. What matters is whether the receiving office accepts their translation — ask for the notarization route before paying.
Can: Certified / Notarized Translation
Cannot: Notarization, Apostille & Document Legalization, Visa Extension