Korean to English
Korean to English translation of official documents
For visitors driving in Australia on a Korean licence, and for migrants who need a birth, marriage or family relation certificate in English. Delivered by email, with NAATI certification as an option.
What a Korean document needs
Three things a Korean document brings with it
Korean paperwork has its own script, its own name order and, on some older papers, its own calendar. A careful translation handles each one.
Hangul, with Hanja alongside
Korean documents are written in Hangul. Some names and legal terms also appear in Hanja, the Chinese-derived characters. Both scripts are read, so a name printed in Hanja is rendered rather than skipped or guessed.
Family name first, spelt as your passport spells it
In Korean the family name comes before the given name. Romanisation varies too: the same family name can be written Lee, Yi or Rhee. Our translation follows the spelling in your passport, so every document you show carries one consistent name.
Dangun dates and the newer certificates
Some older Korean documents give dates in the Dangun era. The translation states each date in the Western calendar so an Australian reader can use it at once. Family relation certificates and basic certificates replaced the old family register system, and we translate both in full.
Driving here on a Korean licence
Keep your Korean licence card and its English translation together
A standard Korean licence card is printed in Hangul, so it needs an English document beside it. New South Wales puts the rule this way: “If your licence is not written in English, you must also carry an English translation, or an International Driving Permit.” Whichever you choose, the original card stays with you; the translation travels with it and does not replace it. Korea also issues a version of the card with the details in English on the back; if yours is that version, ask the state road authority or your rental company whether they want anything more before you order.
Source: NSW Government, visiting from overseas or interstate (checked 18 September 2026)
For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI certification option. It is prepared by a NAATI-certified translator and carries their certification statement, NAATI stamp and credential number. Our page on Korean driver’s licence translation covers the card itself. See renting a car in Australia on an overseas licence for what each state and rental desk says, and driver licence translation with a NAATI-certified translator option for what the finished page looks like.
What a careful job includes
Every line, both sides, one spelling of your name
Both sides of the licence card
We translate the front and back in full: name, date of birth, licence number, categories or classes, conditions and restrictions, issue and expiry dates, issuing authority, and the wording of every stamp or code. Nothing is summarised.
One spelling of your name
Lee, Yi or Rhee: we check your passport and use that spelling on every page, in the order your passport gives it. Where a name also appears in Hanja, that form is carried across as well.
Certificates, stamps and margins
Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates, family relation and basic certificates, police certificates, passport ID pages and academic records. The wording on stamps, seals and marginal notes is translated in full, because the margin often holds the entry that matters. A seal with no words, or text that cannot be read in the photo, is marked in square brackets.
Choose NAATI certification when the authority or company receiving your document names NAATI or asks for a certified translation; if you are unsure, ask them before you order. For the whole process, see NAATI translation, ordered online. Delivery is by email, and the order page shows the delivery options. For the detail on civil documents, see our birth certificate and marriage certificate pages.
Pricing
The full price on screen before you order
Translation is $39.99 per page into English, delivered digitally. Add NAATI certification for $59.99 per page, prepared by a NAATI-certified translator and carrying their certification statement, NAATI stamp and credential number. Where the translator uses NAATI’s digital stamp, it carries a QR code you can scan to check the credential.
Weighing up a permit against a translation? Read International Driving Permit or translation. Documents in another language? See our Japanese and Chinese pages, or everything we translate.
Driving on a licence in Korean? Check your overseas licence in 1 second.