A few days ago, I completed the birth registration for our third child. Even though this was my third time going through the process, it still felt new and brought up a few confusing details.
I’ve put together a step-by-step guide based on my recent experience to help anyone in Poland who needs to register their newborn’s birth with the South Korean government. Please note that this guide is written specifically for Korean-Polish multicultural families who had a child in Poland. The procedure may differ if your child was born in South Korea.
📌 Note: The information in this post is based on my personal experience registering my third child’s birth on September 10, 2026. Required documents and application procedures at the embassy can change over time, so please verify the latest guidelines on the official website of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Poland before applying.
1. Do You Need to Register Your Poland-Born Child’s Birth in Korea?
When our first child was born in Poland, we were planning a trip to Korea. I contacted the embassy and was informed that in order to issue a Korean passport for the baby, we first had to register the birth in the Korean Family Relations Register.
Since then, I have prepared the necessary documents in Poland and registered each of our children through the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Poland.
Once the registration is finalized, the birth is officially recorded in the Korean Family Relations Register, allowing you to proceed with applying for a Korean passport.
Nationality rules depend on factors like parental citizenship, marital status, and the circumstances of birth. Rather than assuming that registering the birth automatically resolves all nationality matters, it is best to verify your specific situation with official guidelines.
2. Required Documents for Korean Birth Registration in Poland
(As of September 11, 2026)
| Required Document | Prepared Before Visit? | Issuer / Source | Notes |
| Polish Birth Certificate (Original, 1 copy) | Yes | Urząd Dzielnicy or Gov.pl | Short version (Odpis skrócony) is not accepted |
| Korean Translation of Birth Certificate (1 copy) | Yes | Self-translated | No fixed template required; self-translation allowed (no notarization needed). Must include translator’s signature at the bottom |
| Korean Certificate of Marriage Relation (혼인관계증명서) (1 copy) | Yes | Supreme Court of Korea > Electronic Family Relation Registration System | Must be a Detailed Certificate (상세 증명서) |
| Copies of Parents’ Passports (1 copy each) | Yes | Self-prepared | Copy of the passport information page |
| Application for Electronic Transmission | No | Embassy form | Available to fill out on-site |
| Birth Registration Form | No | Embassy form | Available to fill out on-site |
① Polish Birth Certificate
You must request the full version (Odpis zupełny). The embassy explicitly highlights that the abbreviated version (Odpis skrócony) will not be accepted. You can apply for this online, and it usually takes anywhere from half a day to one day. The standard fee is 33 PLN, but when I requested the certificate for our third child, the fee was waived. Under Polish law, issuing fees are exempt for families with three or more children. However, fee policies may vary based on local office practices or individual circumstances, so confirm when applying.
② Korean Translation of the Birth Certificate
Notarization is not required, but the translator must sign the bottom of the page. Because there isn’t a single standardized template, setting up the layout took up most of my prep time. To save you time, I’ve shared a customizable template via Google Docs below. Click the link to view:
③ Korean Certificate of Marriage Relation (혼인관계증명서)
Issued online through the Supreme Court Electronic Family Relation Registration System. Make sure to select the Detailed Certificate (상세증명서). When prompted regarding resident registration number disclosure, I selected full disclosure.
④ Passport Copies for Both Parents
Prepare one copy of the information page for each parent’s passport. Since I have a printer at home, I took photos of our passports with my phone and printed them out. I was slightly worried about not using a scanner, but it was accepted without any issues. If you don’t have a printer at home, search for “Ksero” or “Drukarnia” on Google Maps to find a local print shop.
⑤ Birth Registration Form (출생신고서)
You can download and fill this out from the embassy website in advance or fill it out in person at the embassy. Thinking through the following details before your visit will make filling out the form much faster:
- Child’s Korean Name: Whether it will match their Polish name and how it will be spelled in Korean characters (up to 5 Korean characters).
- Child’s Surname: Which parent’s surname was selected when registering your marriage in Korea.
- Time of Birth: Local time in Poland. The birth date is on the birth certificate, but the exact time is not.
- Place of Birth: If born at a hospital, the official hospital name and address.
- Registered Domicile (등록기준지): The child’s legal origin address in Korea.
Note: The Korean name can differ from the Polish name. Also, the registered domicile does not strictly have to match the parents’, so decide beforehand if you have a specific domicile in mind.
3. Essential Items for Your Embassy Visit
Apart from the application documents, you will need the following items to enter the embassy building:
- Online Appointment Confirmation Voucher
- Valid ID (Passport)
Upon arrival, show your appointment confirmation voucher and passport at the security post at the entrance before proceeding inside.
4. How to Book an Appointment & Visit Experience
An advance reservation is required to visit the embassy.
Booking Steps: Log in to the Overseas Koreans 365 Portal → Reserve Embassy Visit → Select Service (Birth Registration) → Select Country/Region → Pick Date → Pick Time.
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Poland is located in Warsaw at Szwoleżerów 6, 00-464 Warszawa.
Show your appointment voucher and passport to the guard at the entrance. (In my case, they did not separately check my husband or the baby.) The consular services department is accessed through the door at the far right of the building.
Maybe because the system operates by appointment only, there was no wait time or crowd when I visited. Once inside, inform the staff you are there for birth registration, and they will hand you the Birth Registration Form and Electronic Transmission Request Form. Sample completed forms are laid out on the central table for reference.
After completing and submitting all documents, the staff reviews them on the spot. If anything is missing or incorrect, they guide you right away. The entire process from writing the forms to submitting them took about 15 minutes. However, as this was my third time, I knew what to expect. If it’s your first time, leave yourself a bit of buffer time.
5. Processing Time and Next Steps
After submission, you will receive confirmation updates via email and SMS.
When we registered our second child, processing took about two weeks. The official timeline is within one month. If you have upcoming travel plans to Korea or need a passport quickly, make sure to apply well in advance.
- Recommended Sequence: Birth Registration → Processing Completed → Passport Application → Passport Issuance.
Plan your travel schedule with this timeline in mind.
6. Tips & Useful Reminders
- Consular Outreach: If you live in Wrocław or Kraków, check the embassy’s mobile consular service schedule under Embassy Website > Consular Services > Announcements (Search keyword: ‘순회’).
- Postal Application: You can also apply by mail. Before mailing, send scanned PDF copies of your documents in a single file to
korcon_waw@mofa.go.kr. Once consular staff review the documents and confirm that everything is in order, you can mail the physical originals by post. - Hospital Birth Details: If born in a hospital, write the hospital name and address transliterated into Korean characters (e.g., 폴란드, 브로츠와프, 카미엔스키에고 73번지, 보예부즈키 스페치알리니츠 병원).
- Birth Time: State the exact birth time in Polish local time. Since Polish birth certificates do not state the exact time of birth, make sure you note it down beforehand.
- Out-of-Wedlock Births: If the father is a Korean national and the birth is outside of marriage, procedures may differ. This guide covers married Korean-Polish couples.
- Parking: On-site parking is not available inside the embassy. However, there are usually open parking spots along Kawalerii Street near the neighboring school. Parking availability varies, so give yourself extra time.
7. Step-by-Step Overview of the Process
- Obtain Polish Birth Certificate (Odpis zupełny)
- Prepare Korean Translation of Birth Certificate
- Obtain Marriage Relation Certificate (Detailed / 상세)
- Prepare Passport Copies for Both Parents
- Book Embassy Appointment
- Visit Embassy & Fill Out Application Forms
- Submit Documents
- Confirm Registration Processing
- Apply for Child’s Korean Passport
8. Useful Links & Contact Information
- Appointment Booking: Overseas Koreans 365 Portal
- Embassy Website: Embassy of ROK in Poland > Consular Services > Family Registry > Birth Registration
- Embassy Email:
korcon_waw@mofa.go.kr
If you have specific questions, contacting the embassy directly via email is the most accurate approach. Policies and document requirements can change over time, so treat this guide as a helpful reference and always verify with official embassy announcements before your visit.
I hope this guide helps make your birth registration process smooth and stress-free!
