Ambasada Republicii Coreea în România

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania invites all the eligible Romanian applicants for 2025 Global Korea Scholarship (GKS). The Embassy will recommend a total of 4 candidates and 1 pre-candidate in the first round of evaluation of the Embassy Track. Please read the following information and attached guideline thoroughly. 

If you wish to submit your application through the University Track, please refer to the relevant information in the guideline. Please be noted that the Embassy does not evaluate the applications submitted for the University Track.

1. Application Requirements & Forms

Please refer to the guideline and read carefully. We strongly recommend that you should follow possible updates on the 'Study in Korea' website and our website regularly.

! Important Information !

Candidates applying for a Master’s Degree Program need a Bachelor’s Degree and those applying for a Doctoral Degree Program must already have a Master’s Degree.

* Applicants who are expected to obtain degrees by July 31st, 2025 can also apply for the program with a certificate of expected graduation. Such applicants must submit their official graduation certificate (or diploma) and final academic transcript to GKS Center, NIIED by July 31st, 2025. Failure to do so will result in the cancellation of your acceptance

2. Application Procedure

1) Submission

All the applicants must send a total of 4 complete sets of required documents: 1 set of the original documents and 3 sets of photocopied application documents to the Embassy via postal/courier service. We will not accept visitors for in-person submissions.

* Documents to complete: Application, Personal Statement, Study Plan, Research Proposal, Letter of Recommendation, Letter of Invitation (Research Program), Applicant Agreement, Personal Medical Assessment, Consent to Collect and Use Personal Information

** Required certificates: Graduation certificate, Academic transcript, Proof of citizenship, Proof of overseas Koreans, etc.

The deadline for submission is February 28th (Friday), 2025. If your application documents do not arrive at the Embassy within the deadline, they will not be considered eligible.

* Address: Ambasada Republicii Coreea, Calea Floreasca 246C, Sky Tower Building, et. 33, Sector 1, București, Romania, Cod Postal 014476

2) Document Screening

We will evaluate the applications submitted within the deadline based on the internal regulation. We don’t disclose any information that could violate the equality of the evaluation process. 

The result of the Document Screening will be announced to both successful and unsuccessful applicants individually via emails after February 28th (Friday).

3) In-person Interview 

Applicants who pass the Document Screening will be given the opportunity to have an in-person interview at the Embassy. The interview will be organized in the middle of March (between the 10th and 14th, subject to change), and the exact date and time will be informed individually.

3. Unsuccessful Applicants’ Reapplication through the University Track

If your application through the Embassy Track has turned out to be unsuccessful and you wish to reapply for 2025 GKS through the University Track, you may do so. Only in this case, we can return the documents to the applicants under the condition that the Embassy keeps 1 copy for records. 

4. Frequently Asked Questions

1) Returning documents: All the submitted documents will NOT be returned to the successful candidates. 

2) Organization: All the documents must be organized in order as listed on the Application Checklist in the guideline.

3) Numbering and labeling: You MUST number and label each document with a pen on the top right corner of EVERY document (both the original and the photocopies) as specified in the Application Checklist. DO NOT number and label with a pencil, or slip in small notes with paper clips. If the written labels are illegible or clipped paper is lost, we don’t take responsibility.

4) Submission of the original documents: If your document is unable to be re-issued, please keep the original and obtain an apostille (or consular confirmation) on a notarized copy.

* Applicants are required to keep the original documents with them in case of additional requests until the entire evaluation procedure finishes. 

5) Size: All the documents must be submitted in A4 size. If a document is smaller than A4, it should be pasted onto a sheet of A4-sized paper. If a document is bigger than A4, it should be folded to an A4 size.

6) Name: Applicants’ names MUST match the ones on their passports.

7) University: Please make sure that you fill in the names of your desired universities and fields of study correctly. 

Please make sure that you refer to the guideline. We don’t take responsibility for disadvantages in case of wrong names.

8) Proof of Citizenship: Documents that should be submitted as proof of the applicants’ and their parents’ citizenship are:

- For applicants: Birth Certificate and Passport or ID

- For parents: Marriage Certificate (if applicable, Divorce Certificate or Death Certificate) and Passport or ID 

9) Language & Translation: All the documents must be issued in either Korean or English. Documents ONLY or PARTIALLY written in Romanian must be translated into English AND be notarized to prove validity. There is no need to translate documents, including ID, which are issued in 2 languages, Romanian and English.

10) Korean proficiency: Applicants who can demonstrate their Korean proficiency with certified TOPIK scores of 3 or above will receive an additional 10% of the total points. TOPIK certificates from the 87th to the 99^th or TOPIK IBT from the 1^st to the 6^th exams will be recognized as valid.

11) English proficiency: Applicants who can prove their English proficiency with certified scores of TOEIC or TOFEL or IELTS (The expiration date of the certificate must be February 28, 2025 or later) can submit the relevant documents. Other tests such as CAE (Cambridge English: Advanced) or CPE (Cambridge English: Proficiency) will not be accepted.

12) Grades: In order to prove the validity of the original grades and converted grades, applicants are required to submit the following documents for transcripts: 

① The official documents/statements that indicates the grading system of the graduated universities. We advise all the applicants that the description of the grading system should be checked with the universities directly.

② Converted grades

- If applicants hold transcripts that do not include information on CGPA or are unable to convert the grades into any one of the acknowledged GPA scales (4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 5.0, or 100 point scale), then additional documents must be submitted which are officially issued by university describing its grading system.

- If applicants convert their grades using a converting tool such as scholar.com, wes.org, etc., the converted grades must be officially acknowledged by the university in which they are enrolled.

13) Age: Applicants must submit an academic transcript with CGPA or ranking information.

If a transcript does not provide CGPA in any one of the accepted GPA scales (4.0,4.3, 4.5, 5.0 or 100 point scale), then the applicant must submit a transcript converted into one of the above GPA scales as a supplementary document.

- Must be under 40 years of age (born after September 1, 1985)

- Academic professors in one of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients who are under 45 years of age (born after September 1, 1980) are eligible to apply.

14) Restriction

A) A person who has previously received scholarship for a degree program from the Korean government is NOT eligible to apply

- A person who had previously enrolled at a degree program through a Korean government sponsored scholarship program other than the NIIED administered scholarship program cannot apply.

- A previous GKS scholar whose scholarship was cancelled after their enrollment cannot Apply 

- (Exception) Previous GKS scholars who meet all the additional criteria below are eligible to apply CGPA or a score percentile must be 90% or above on a 100-point scale or be ranked in the top 10% of one’s class Must hold TOPIK level 5 or 6.

※ Previous GKS scholars can participate in the GKS program once more only in a higher degree program.

B) Final successful candidates of the GKS degree program from the past three years who have withdrawn from the program or was disqualified from the program prior to enrollment cannot apply

C) Duplicate Submission

- Embassy track candidates (including reserve candidates) who passed the first round of selection cannot apply again through a university track.

- Embassy track applicants must apply to only one program among General, Overseas Korean, International Reconstruction Talent program.

5. Information about Apostille (Consular Confirmation) & Translation & Notarization

Since the Republic of Korea and Romania apply the provisions of the Hague Convention on the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, we ONLY accept the APOSTILLED documents. We don't accept requests for consular confirmation.

1) List of Documents to be Apostilled  

A) Proof of citizenship (for both applicant’s and their parents’)

- official certificate issued by the government such as birth certificate and/or family register

B) Certificate of graduation (Bachelor, Master, Doctoral degree)

- official graduation certificate (or diploma) issued by a university or a government

- official certificate of expected graduation (*for applicants who are expected to graduate)

C) Academic transcript (Bachelor, Master, Doctoral degree)

- official transcript issued by university

D) Proof of Age

- additional document issued by a government if none of the submitted documents indicate the applicant’s date of birth

E) Proof of Overseas Korean, proof of Korean citizenship renunciation document, proof of Korean War veteran’s descendant, proof of Korean adoptee document

- only applicable for relevant applicants

F) certificate of employment

- only applicable for Korean language teaching professionals

2) Frequently Asked Questions 

A) Can I receive a consular confirmation / authentication by the Korean Consulate in Romania for the relevant documents issued by Romanian authorities?

- No. The Korean Consulate in Romania does not offer this service. You will have to Apostille any relevant documents that require Apostillation as described in the article No. 1 of this notice.

B) Can I submit a copy of the document that has been apostilled?

Copies are generally not acceptable. However, the following procedures are available for submission:

  1. Documents in Romanian Only (e.g., Diploma)

• ○Obtain an apostille for the original document.

• ○Have the document translated and notarized.

• ○Obtain a second apostille for the notarized translation.

 2. Documents with Both English and Romanian Text

• ○Obtain an apostille for the original document.

• ○Make notarized copies of the document.

• ○Obtain a second apostille for the notarized copies.

C) [IMPORTANT] We do not recommend or inform each applicant of which institutions applicants must go in order to have the documents apostilled or consular confirmed in any case. We strongly recommend that each applicant should read the regulation carefully and contact each relevant authority of the country of issuance for necessary procedures.

D) Can I submit the Apostilled original document and 3 photocopies of the Apostilled original document?

- Yes. Starting from 2022 application, we will accept 1 set of original documents (or legalized/notarized copy of the original documents) and 3 photocopies of the original documents.

- Therefore, the applicants will have to prepare for 1 set of apostilled, translated and legalized/notarized copy of the original documents (in case you cannot submit the original documents) first, and make 3 photocopies (so that the 3 copies can prove that the first set of documents are apostilled, translated and legalized/notarized), and then submit the 4 sets of documents. Therefore, it is NOT necessary to make all 4 sets legalized/notarized.

E) I have completed my studies abroad and the relevant study documents I need to submit are issued by a country other than Romania. What should I do in this case?

- Even for the documents that are issued by other countries, if you are not able to travel directly to the issuing country to receive the Apostille, you will have to have them either apostilled or consular confirmed. In this case, as it is described in the article No. 1 of this notice, please contact the relevant authority such as Embassy or Consulate to Romania of the issuing country for information on how to proceed with the Apostillation.

6. Reference

1) Information about the Issuance of the Apostille in Romania

A) Prefect's Institutions

The procedure for issuing the Apostille for official administrative acts issued by central or local public administration authorities, as well as by other bodies of administrative authority in Romania, which organize an activity of public interest, within the framework of strict competences established by law, is carried out through the Apostille office set up within the Prefect's Institutions. The issuing of the Apostille for original documents is free of charge and is performed by the Prefect’s Institution in the county in which: the holder of the document/one’s spouse or a 2 degree relative lives OR the issuer of the document is located.

In order for the Apostille to be issued, the applicant must submit to the relevant institution (the Prefect’s Institution) the following:

- an application, regardless of the number of documents belonging to the same holder for which the release of the Apostille is requested;

- identity card;

- the marriage certificate or the divorce certificate or the document proving the change of name and / or surname or the intervention of some changes regarding the date of birth or a declaration of authentic notoriety, if applicable;

- the document for which the release of the Apostille is requested, in original*;

* Copies or translated documents are not considered original in this case.

For more detailed information on how to receive the Apostille for your documents, directly contact the relevant Prefect’s Institution for the county you reside in.

B) The Chamber of Public Notaries 

In the case of legalized copies and legalized translations, as well as other notarial documents, the Apostille can be issued by the relevant Chamber of Public Notaries. 

C) The Court

Please note that the Court only issues the Apostille for the following documents: court decisions, original documents emanating from a bailiff, and original documents issued by the Register of Commerce

※ SOURCES 

For relevant official information on the Apostille process, you can also refer to:

- Instructions no. 82/29.03.2010 on organizing and carrying out the activity of issuing an Apostille for official administrative acts: 

http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/117661?fbclid=IwAR0e4Y03vQBJ3bMT9p3FYGlg7rP54ThwGDxdOhDrfKEuS5dwSXCQwzS7O7k

- Information on the issuing of the Apostille for documents issued in Romania: https://mae.ro/node/1455 

- Information on the issuing of the Apostille for study documents issued in Romania: https://cnred.edu.ro/en/apostille 

- Prefect's Institution of Bucharest: https://b.prefectura.mai.gov.ro/apostila/acte-apostilate/ 

- The full list of documents that can be issued by each of the three above-mentioned institutions can be checked in detail here at the National Union of Public Notaries in Romania: http://www.uniuneanotarilor.ro/?p=4.3

2) Translation 

Documents issued in Romania, written in languages other than Korean or English, must be translated to either Korean or English by a certified translator. 

3) Notarization

When applicants cannot submit the original documents and would like to submit the copies of the original documents, the applicants must notarize the documents as proof that the copies have the same legal value as the original documents. 

4) Reference to the order of document preparation

A) For study documents 

Authenticate your original study documents issued by higher education institutions at CNRED -> Apostille the original documents at the Prefect’s Institution -> Translate the Apostilled original documents -> Notarize the Apostilled and translated documents 

B) For other documents

Apostille the original documents at the Prefect’s Institution -> Translate the Apostilled original documents -> Notarize the Apostilled and translated documents 

7. Inquiry 

If you have any inquiries, you can contact: embrokromania@gmail.com or +40-21-230-7198

8. University Track

Applicants who wish to apply for 2025 Global Korea Scholarship Program through the University Track can refer to the relevant information in the guideline. Should you have any inquiries, please contact kgspniied@korea.kr. or universities.