Vaccination Records in Korea: English Certificates
If a school, employer or overseas institution asks for a vaccination record from Korea, first confirm which document it wants. A general English immunization certificate, a school-record check and an international yellow-fever certificate are different requests.
For a foreign resident, the practical problem may be a missing entry or a name that does not match the online identity check—not the absence of an English button. I checked the public KDCA and Government24 guidance on 19 October 2026. Check the requested form against the existing record before applying for another copy.
1. Confirm the document before opening an application
| The request | Where to start | What still needs checking |
|---|---|---|
| A Korean or English record of registered vaccinations | KDCA's 예방접종도우미 certificate service; Government24's 예방접종증명 guidance. | The person, required language, vaccine entries and receiving institution's format. |
| A child's vaccination record for a Korean school | The school and KDCA's school-entry record-check guidance. | Whether the relevant record is already electronically confirmed and whether the school needs a separate document. |
| An international yellow-fever or cholera certificate | KDCA's separate international-certificate service. | The designated issuer and that service's own application and collection conditions. |
“English” describes the language, not a promise that one certificate meets every institution's requirements. Ask for the exact form, required entries, name spelling and submission method. Keep that request beside the issued document when checking it.
2. Find the English certificate menu
Open KDCA's 예방접종 증명서 page. Under CERTIFICATE REQUEST, 국문 means Korean and 영문 means English. CERTIFICATE LIST is the application history; VERIFICATION checks a document's authenticity. They are not interchangeable buttons.
The page offers member and non-member applications, but its notice says some non-member services still require identity authentication or an electronic certificate. It also warns that the applicant's details and authentication-certificate holder must match. Its examples include differences in Korean/English names, spaces and capitalization.
The official usage guide covers selecting the person and certificate, applying, then viewing or printing the application result. I checked the public instructions, not a foreign resident's signed-in application. An English option does not establish that your particular identity method will work.
3. If online identity checks fail, identify the issuer to contact
Government24's current 예방접종증명 service description lists internet and in-person routes. It specifically describes visiting a public health centre or designated vaccination provider with identification, including a foreign registration card. It lists no fee for this administrative service; a different clinic document or translation is a separate request.
Contact the relevant centre or provider before visiting. Ask whether it can issue the record you need, which identification and parent/guardian documents apply, and how the English name is handled. Government24 says actual processing availability should be checked with the receiving institution. Government24 does not allow ordinary proxy applications online. It separately explains how a parent or guardian may print a minor's record, subject to the applicable identity checks.
Repeatedly choosing another portal will not correct an unregistered vaccination or a mismatched identity record. Note the exact error and contact the relevant portal or issuing office about identity verification. For a missing vaccination entry, follow the vaccination provider or public health centre procedures in Section 4. Do not post identity numbers or health records publicly.
4. A missing entry is not proof of a missed vaccination
KDCA says the certificate shows vaccinations electronically registered by the vaccination provider. For a Korean vaccination that is missing, ask the provider to check registration. Do not edit dates or vaccine names yourself, and do not infer that another dose is needed from a blank online result.
For vaccinations received overseas, KDCA's overseas-vaccination FAQ, last revised 25 September 2025, directs people to obtain an English vaccination certificate and request record registration at a Korean public health centre. This is a route for requesting record registration, not a guarantee that a particular overseas document will be accepted or that every foreign resident can complete the process.
For children entering a Korean elementary or middle school
KDCA's school-entry guidance, reviewed 5 January 2026, explains parent/child registration and school-linked electronic checks. For the vaccinations covered by that programme, it says a separate certificate is unnecessary when the relevant entries are confirmed in the system. Do not extend that statement to every school, international school or requested form.
For overseas records in that school-entry process, the guidance describes an English certificate or a document with the vaccination institution's official stamp or doctor's signature, followed by a registration request to a nearby public health centre. It says notarization or notarized translation may be requested where authenticity is unclear or translation is needed. Ask the centre what it needs before paying for a translation.
The useful distinction is between having the original evidence, having it registered and meeting the school's request. Completing one does not establish the other two. Keep the original overseas record even after a registration request.
5. Do not use the yellow-fever reissue rules for an ordinary certificate
KDCA's yellow-fever and cholera certificate guide describes a separate international certificate. Its Government24 online reissue route is explicitly marked unavailable to foreign nationals and minors; it also describes in-person collection routes through designated institutions or national quarantine stations. That restriction is not a statement that foreign residents cannot obtain ordinary vaccination records in Korea.
If an institution asks for an international certificate, confirm the precise document and issuer. Do not substitute a general English printout because both documents mention vaccination. This guide does not determine vaccination needs, medical suitability, entry requirements or exemptions.
6. Check the result, not just the application message
- Match the recipient's requested form and language with the document you actually received.
- Check the name, date of birth, relevant vaccine entries and dates against the original records and the recipient's instructions.
- If something is missing or wrong, ask the issuing or vaccination institution how to correct it rather than altering the file.
- Keep an application acknowledgment separate from an issued certificate and from the receiving institution's acceptance.
KDCA's English verification service checks an already-issued KDCA document using its number and name. It directs Government24-issued documents to Government24 for verification. A successful authenticity check is not confirmation that a school or overseas institution accepts that document.
Related reading
The Korean-language vaccination-certificate guide covers the original document-check sequence. Other practical notes are grouped under Life in Korea.
Checked 19 October 2026: KDCA public certificate and usage pages (review date shown: 10 January 2024), Government24 service detail (30 March 2026), KDCA school-entry and overseas-record guidance, international-certificate guide and English verification page. No personal health record was accessed, certificate issued or vaccination decision made during this check.