When a relative dies in Texas and leaves a bank account in South Korea, or when you need to operate or close a Korean account from the United States, the bank will ask for US documents that carry an apostille. A Texas death certificate, heirship proof, or a power of attorney has no legal effect in South Korea until it is authenticated. This page explains how the apostille works and what a Korean bank generally expects.
What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document — a notary's signature, a court seal, a registrar's certification — so it will be accepted by authorities in another country. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is the finish line. For countries outside it, the same Texas certificate is the first step in a short legalization chain.
Does an apostille work in South Korea?
Yes. South Korea is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a Texas document that carries an apostille from the Texas Secretary of State is accepted by Korean banks, government offices, and courts without consular legalization. Keep in mind that the apostille authenticates the document but does not translate it — your documents will still need a certified Korean translation before most institutions will process them.
How the Texas Secretary of State apostille works
Texas apostilles come from a single office: the Secretary of State's Authentications Unit in Austin. There is no county-clerk step — a document notarized by any Texas notary, in any of the 254 counties, goes straight to the state. Since October 2023 Texas issues one Universal Apostille (Form 2102) that works for every destination, whether or not the country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
The state fee is $15 per document. Mailed requests can take up to 25 business days; in-person and appointment service in Austin is same-day for up to 10 documents, and a bulk drop-box handles larger batches in 24–48 hours. There is no online submission — every request is handled by mail or in person. Certified copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) must be less than five years old.
Federal documents — FBI background checks, USCIS naturalization certificates, IRS letters — cannot be apostilled by Texas; they go to the U.S. Department of State. We confirm the correct authority before anything is filed, so your documents are never rejected on a technicality.