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E-2 visa documents: what you need before you apply

Ten things are yours to gather. Four are the school's. The record check is the one that changes by country.

UPDATED 2026-09-09 · EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE, NOT LEGAL ADVICE

Which documents do you need for an E-2 visa?

The list runs in roughly the order people prepare them. Almost nobody has all of it before they have an offer, and that is normal. The record check has a shelf life — most offices want it issued within the last six months — so time it against your application rather than getting it first.

  1. Passport valid past your contract end date
    Most consulates want at least six months left on it.
  2. Original bachelor's degree or higher
    The physical diploma, not a copy or a scan.
  3. Degree apostilled
    Or legalized at a Korean embassy or consulate if your country is not in the Apostille Convention.
  4. Sealed official university transcripts
    Sent by the university and left sealed. Not every office asks for these.
  5. National criminal record check, recently issued
    It has to be national, not local or state-level, and most offices want it issued within the last six months.
  6. That record check apostilled
    Or legalized at a Korean embassy or consulate.
  7. Passport photos (3.5 × 4.5 cm)
    Colour, plain background, taken recently.
  8. TEFL or TESOL certificate
    Commonly asked for at 100 hours or more, especially if your degree is not in education, English, or linguistics.
  9. Self-health statement
    A short declaration you sign with the application. The full medical check happens after you arrive.
  10. Résumé or CV
    For the school rather than immigration, but you will need it either way.

What is the criminal record check called in your country?

The application asks for a national check, not a local or state one, and then for that check to be apostilled by the authority that issues apostilles in your country.

The national criminal record check and the apostille authority, by country of citizenship
CitizenshipRecord checkApostilled by
United States FBI Identity History Summary US Department of State
Canada RCMP certified criminal record check Global Affairs Canada
United Kingdom ACRO Police Certificate the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Ireland Police certificate from An Garda Síochána the Department of Foreign Affairs
Australia AFP National Police Check the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
New Zealand New Zealand Police criminal record check the Department of Internal Affairs
South Africa SAPS Police Clearance Certificate DIRCO

From any other country: your national police certificate, apostilled — or legalized at a Korean embassy or consulate if your country is not in the Apostille Convention.

Which documents does the school provide?

These are produced by the employer, not by you. A school that asks you to supply one of them is asking for something that is not yours to have.

  • Confirmation of visa issuance number, which the school applies for in Korea
  • The school's business registration certificate (사업자등록증)
  • The school's academy registration (학원설립운영등록증), where it applies
  • A signed employment contract

Before you send anything

A passport scan, a diploma and an apostilled record check are exactly what an identity thief collects. Send them after an interview and a concrete offer, to the employer named on the contract, and never as a condition of being considered.

Red flags in a Korean ESL job offer

This checklist is educational guidance only. It is not legal or immigration advice, it does not guarantee eligibility, and requirements vary by consulate and change over time. Confirm what you need with the Korean embassy or consulate that will handle your application.

A free teacher account keeps this list ticked, with the record check named for your citizenship: Your status