EPIK Final Documents Downloads
EPIK Final Documents are documents required to either be eligible for a certain benefit or agree to additional terms.
Not all documents are required for all applicants!! This is just a comprehensive list of all of the POTENTIAL documents one might need. Please ask your recruiter for more information about any of the following documents if you believe you qualify.
Do NOT print double-sided. Black and White print is ok.
After your EPIK application is completely revised as EPIK requested, make sure to sign in pen in the signature box on page 6. You can sign anywhere near your typed name.
Print every page of the application, including the personal essays and lesson plan. There should be 12 pages in total. If applicable, also print out all the lesson plan materials such as handouts, worksheets, PPT, etc. For lesson plan materials: if you have a slideshow, make sure to print multiple slides per page to save paper. Do not print 1 slide per page.
The standard passport photo size is 3.5cm x 4.5cm, though the photo can be a little bigger than that. Please do not send large size photos.
Also, the photo must have a plain background. Please follow the below guidelines as closely as possible.
SMOE has an EPIK – Seoul Attachment Form that you need to fill out.
Please TYPE the information then print it out.
Download SMOE Attachment Form (A4) (Click)
Download SMOE Attachment Form (Letter) (Click)
SMOE has extra contract articles and stipulations in addition to the regular EPIK contract that you also must consent to.
Please print it out first, then fill it out and sign in INK.
If your preferred location was Incheon, you should complete this form below and submit it along with the rest of your final documents.
You should use the same handwritten signature as the one you will use to sign the EPIK application.
Download Incheon housing deposit agreement form (Updated for Fall 2024)
If the words appear to be too small, do not worry. Please still print it out as part of your EPIK application.
If the words appear to be too small, do not worry. Please still print it out as part of your EPIK application.
The information page of the passport only (Colored copy or Black and White; both are acceptable.) Both the top and bottom pages should be visible, and the passport must be signed.
Make sure your passport will still be valid for at least two years after entry into Korea.
For candidates who are married and applying with your spouse, you will need to submit a copy of your marriage certificate to secure the joint applicant benefit.
If you were born outside of Australia or the UK and obtained your citizenship later on, please submit a copy of your certification.
For AU -> Certificate of Australian Citizenship
For UK -> Certificate of Registration
For those who currently work in Korea, please submit a photocopy of your visa grant notice. Those who will be getting F-4 visas (overseas Koreans) may also be asked to submit a copy of their visa grant notice.
If you have changed your name, you must submit a copy of relevant documents such as a deed poll or certificate.
If your name was changed after turning 18, you will also need to submit an additional criminal background check or ensure your current and past names are all accounted for in the background check.
A photocopy of your Korean passport is needed if you have Korean dual citizenship.
You have to submit a “Statement of Intent for EPIK Applicants with Dependent form” if you are bringing anyone as a dependent who is not applying for EPIK.
For all CBC, it must be issued at a national level.
For US applicants, apostilles must be from the US Department of State.
For CA applicants, apostilles must be from Global Affairs Canada (as of January 11, 2024). You must send them the ORIGINAL, UN-NOTARIZED RCMP check. Please make sure to make a copy for your records before sending it off, as the process can take up to 5 months.
Please avoid having other documents apostilled together, i.e. Background Check, Degree, Birth Certificate. Each document must have a separate apostille.
Criminal Background Check is ONLY valid for 6 months. (For August intake, the record should be issued no earlier than February 1st and February intake, August 1st, respectively.)
Please do not remove or detach the apostille. The detached or damaged document is not acceptable and will be considered invalid, which will result in a delay in the process, and you will have to obtain a new one.
If you were born in either Australia or the UK, you must submit an apostilled birth certificate.
The certificate must be an original or a certified copy (not a photocopy).
Please avoid having other documents apostilled together, i.e Background Check, Degree, Birth Certificate.
Those who immigrated to UK or AU.
You are also required to submit Birth certification or certification of registration.
You may submit a photocopy, but you will still have to get it apostilled.
Korean criminal background checks are NOT required for EPIK applicants.
If you currently reside in a country you are not a citizen of for 2+ years at the time of applying to EPIK, and you will be coming to Korea from that country, you must obtain a criminal background check from the current country. This is not required if you will be returning to your home country before moving to Korea.
BA degrees should be notarized and apostilled. (South African applicants need to get a SAQA verification letter. This does not need to be notarized before sending it to DIRCO for apostille, as it must be the original letter.)
For CA applicants, your BA diploma copy must be notarized, then apostilled by your provincial government (as of January 11, 2024). Please see your specific province’s apostille instructions for specific details on what is required.
For US applicants, apostilled BA/BS degree can be issued at a state level. Some states will apostille diplomas from other states, but others will not, so please double-check before submitting your diploma for apostille.
Again, please do not remove or detach the apostille. The detached or damaged document is not acceptable and will be considered invalid.
Please avoid having other documents apostilled together, i.e. Background Check, Degree, Birth Certificate.
If you are not conferred a Bachelor’s degree yet, you are reasonably requested to submit “Original Letter of Expected Graduation” from your college’s admissions office that outlines your expected graduation date.
(No apostille needed – course completed date. degree confer date must be indicated, and ink signature or school’s official stamp are required.)
A transcript must reflect all coursework, credits, and grades earned previously that were eventually contributed towards the degree.
If you have attended/transferred more than one college/university, please make sure that your most recent academic transcript states all the coursework credits and grades including your previous academic history. If not, you will have to obtain all academic transcripts from individual colleges/universities you have previously attended.
If you attended your graduating/current school for less than 2 years, you will need to submit transcripts from your previous schools.
If you are currently a student, please initially submit your most recent official transcript and submit a finalized official transcript upon graduation.
Please ensure your letters of recommendation include the letterhead of the organization, ink signature, and full name of the reference, your full legal name, issue date, phone number, e-mail address, and a physical mailing address.
The ink signature cannot be written over or beside an electronic signature. The letterhead can be replaced with an official business card. (Images do not count.)
Upon receiving your documents, we will examine both letters and see any signs of a forged signature.
Submit a photocopy of the original certificate or a digital certificate.
If you have submitted a photocopy of the certificate as your final document, you should try to bring a hard copy of the certificate with you when entering Korea.
- TEFL/TESOL certificate
- Teaching certificate
- Teaching Contract
Continuing with the point above, if you are in the process of obtaining your TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate, you must also submit Enrollment Confirmation Letter of TEFL/TESOL/CELTA Certificate (The enrollment letter is different from the receipt.)
If you have in-class hours through your TEFL/TESOL/TESL course, please submit a letter of completion stating one of the following:
In-class / In-person / In-person practicum / Classroom-based / Face-to-Face / Weekend Course
Practicum or Intensive alone are not acceptable.
The in-class verification letter has to be officially issued from the relevant organization.
If you have a Master’s degree in Education, ESL, or TESOL, you must submit an apostilled copy of a Master’s degree along with your Bachelor’s degree.
Master’s degrees in other disciplines/majors will not count toward a higher salary, so they are not required.
A transcript must reflect all coursework, credits, and grades earned previously that were eventually contributed towards the degree.
- Teaching subjects, grades/ages, teaching hours per week, employment period including starting date and end date (DD/MM/YYYY), your status (must be full-time), your full legal name, your working title, and the typed issuance date.
- Contact information such as email and phone number of the writer, and the physical mailing address of the school.
- If the start and end date do not make 1 or 2 (or more) FULL CALENDAR YEARS (e.g. July 31, 2023-July 30, 2024), then the letter MUST state you taught for 1 or 2 (or more) ACADEMIC YEARS.
- Director, HR division, Administrative office, Principal, or Vice Principal.
- When in doubt, please send us a copy to [email protected].
Please submit a copy of teacher’s license or certificate with your final documents and bring the original with you to Korea.
You have to obtain a license that is valid for the duration of the contract.
- Typed date
- Letterhead of school
- Contact information, including phone number, mailing address, and email address
- Ink signature or school stamp
- Attendance Period (MM/YYYY to MM/YYYY)
- Grades attended (e.g. grade 7 to grade 12)
- Stating that the medium of school is English and English only
- Writer’s name and title
Homeschooling:
- High school diploma
- High school official transcripts
- Verification letter from either an organization you went through or your parents, if they were the ones who homeschooled you
Please refer to #14.
If you have experience of participating EPIK orientation as EPIK teacher already, you have to print and fill out the form provided by EPIK.
Current/past EPIK teachers are not eligible to work with recruiters, so this document will not be required by any Korvia teachers applying.
Proof of full-time teaching must include the following:
- Teaching subjects, grades/ages, teaching hours per week, employment period (MM/DD/YYYY), your status (full-time), your full legal name, your title, and the written date.
- Director, HR division, Administrative office, Principal, or Vice President.
The letter must be signed or stamped.
If you have tattoo(s), please submit a photo of each tattoo. Approximate measurements should also be included.
Make sure that it is clear where on your body the tattoo(s) is/are located. The photos should not be too zoomed in. If you have more than four (4) tattoos, or if any of your tattoos are in noticeable locations, we recommend also including pictures/descriptions of how you’ll be covering them in the classroom.
If your tattoo is in a sensitive location, you can take a close-up photo, but make sure to include a diagram like the one shown below so that EPIK knows where the tattoo is located.
- Letterhead, contact details of the institution (email and phone number), doctor’s signature, typed date, your personal information (such as your name and date of birth), and confirmation stating you are okay to work overseas.
If you ever have got a positive result for COVID-19 before, you have to submit a negative COVID-19 test result as a final document. Just a simple test result after recovery will be fine.
As of 2023, this is no longer required.
If you currently work in Korea, please submit a copy of your ARC/Residence Card, both front and back.
Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국사실증명서) or Information Disclosure (즉시공개서)
If you are currently in Korea teaching English, EPIK requires you to submit a certificate of entry & exit or an Information Disclosure.
You can obtain these documents by visiting an immigration office or local community center (주민센터). You can also apply online or via post. Further information is available on the link below. (Unfortunately, the website is in Korean only.)
Online certification Registration (click)
The helpline is also available at 1345.
If you stay outside of Korea for more than 90 days under the E2 visa, you have to submit a new set of work documents, including your CRC, diploma, and transcripts. If you are unsure, please check back with us.
- Obtain 원본대조필/Certified copies: You should travel to your MOE/POE. You have to retrieve the copies stamped by the MOE/POE with a verification stamp (원본대조필). The stamp should be accompanied with the date, the title of the officer & name, and the MOE/POE. (Just a 원본대조필 stamp is not fit for purpose.)
- Obtain 즉시공개서, 정보공개청구서/Immediate Information Disclosure: You need to go to the immigration office. You may retrieve the copies along with 즉시공개서, 정보공개청구서. (Without 즉시공개서, 정보공개청구서, photocopies are invalid.)