🇦🇺 Australia — Department of Home Affairs (DIBP)

Australia Partner Visa (820/801) — Korean Documents Required

Australia's Partner Visa (Subclass 820 onshore / 309 offshore) allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live and work in Australia. Korean nationals applying as the sponsored partner must submit a comprehensive set of apostilled Korean civil documents with NAATI-certified English translations.

Required Korean Documents

Basic Certificate (Birth Certificate)

기본증명서Required

Apostilled 기본증명서 with NAATI-certified English translation. Required to establish identity.

Family Relations Certificate

가족관계증명서Required

Apostilled 가족관계증명서 with NAATI-certified translation. Required to confirm family status.

Marriage Certificate

혼인관계증명서Required

Apostilled 혼인관계증명서 with NAATI-certified translation. Required for married couples; for de facto relationships, alternative evidence of the relationship is required.

Step-by-Step Process

1
Australian sponsor lodges a sponsorship application with Home Affairs
2
Sponsored Korean partner lodges the partner visa application — Subclass 820 if in Australia, or Subclass 309 if outside Australia
3
Gather apostilled Korean documents with NAATI-certified translations
4
Complete the mandatory health examination
5
Provide evidence of the genuine and ongoing relationship — photos, shared finances, joint lease, correspondence, etc.
6
Home Affairs may grant a temporary visa first (820/309), then a permanent visa after 2 years of sponsorship (801/100)

Tips & Common Mistakes

For married couples, the apostilled 혼인관계증명서 is the key document establishing the marriage — it must be the detailed version showing full marriage history
De facto (unmarried) relationship applicants cannot use a marriage certificate — provide alternative relationship evidence and discuss with a registered migration agent
All Korean documents must be translated by NAATI-certified translators — the NAATI accreditation number must appear on each translation
Police clearances from all countries where you have lived for 12 months or more since age 16 are required — not just Korea

Frequently Asked Questions

Do both partners need to submit Korean documents, or just the Korean partner?

Only the Korean partner (the visa applicant) needs to submit their own Korean civil documents. The Australian sponsor provides their own identity documents (Australian passport, birth certificate, etc.) and evidence of their status as an Australian citizen or PR.

How long does the partner visa process take?

Processing times vary significantly — the temporary stage (820/309) can take 12–24 months or longer. The permanent stage (801/100) grant comes approximately 2 years after the sponsorship was approved. Document preparation typically takes 2–4 weeks for a complete Korean document package.