SMOE Final Documents Downloads

For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Terms and Conditions.
I Accept

EPIK-SEOUL Final Documents are documents required to either be eligible for a certain benefit or agree to additional terms. 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 ink in the E-Signature box.
Print every page of the application including personal essay and lesson plan. If applicable, print out all the lesson plan materials such as handouts, worksheets, PPT, etc.

For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Terms and Conditions.
I Accept

The standard passport photo size is 3.5cm x 4.5cm, though the photo can be a little bigger than that.

Also, the photo must have a plain background.

Photo Guideline (Click)

SMOE has an EPIK-Seoul Attachment Form that you need to fill out.

Please type and print it out.

Download SMOE Attachment Form (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 and sign in ink.

Download SMOE addendum form (Click)

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 (Click)

If the words appear to be too small, do not worry. Please still print it out.

Personal Essay Guideline (Click)

If the words appear to be too small, do not worry. Please still print it out.

Lesson Plan Guideline (Click)

The information page of the passport only (Colored copy or Black and White; both are acceptable.)

Sample image (Click)

For candidates who are married and applying with your spouse, you will need to submit a photocopy 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 photocopy of your certification.

For AU -> Certificate of Australian Citizenship

For UK -> Registration of Certification

For those who currently work in Korea, please submit a photocopy of your passport visa page.

If you have changed your name, you must submit relevant documents such as deed poll or certificate.

For all CRC, it must be issued at a national level.
For US applicants, apostilles must be from the US Department of State.
For CA applicants, go to Korean consulate to get notarized.

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 as invalid, which will result in delay in the process and you will have to obtain a new one.

Criminal Background Check Guideline (Click)

Criminal Background Check Guideline for Canadian (Click)

If you were born in either Australia or the UK, you must submit apostilled birth certificate.

The certificate must be an original (not a photocopy)

Apostille Guideline (Click)


Applicants who are currently living in Korea, you will have to go to local police station(민원실) and request for “Korean Criminal Background Check”.

If you currently reside in a 3rd country for 2 years at the time of applying to EPIK, you must obtain a criminal background check from the current country.

For all BA/BS degree, it must be notarized and apostilled.

For CA applicants, call Korean consulate and check if they do public notary along with consulate notarization. You might have to go through a separate organization to get public notary before getting consulate notary from Korean consulate.
For US applicants, apostilled BA/BS degree can be issued at a state level. It doesn’t have to be issued from the same state where your school is located, however, it has to be issued from the same state where it was notarized.

Again, please do not remove or detach the apostille. The detached or damaged document is not acceptable and will be considered as invalid.

BA diploma Guideline (Click)

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 are currently a student, please initially submit your most recent official transcript and submit a finalized official transcript upon graduation.

BA transcript guideline (Click)

Please ensure your letters of recommendation include letterhead of the organization, ink signature of the reference, your full legal name, issue date, phone number, and e-mail address.

The ink signature cannot be written over the 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.

Recommendation letter sample (Click)

Recommendation letter Guideline (Click)

Submit a photocopy of the original certificate or a digital certificate.

If you have submitted photocopy of certification as you final document, you must bring the hardcopy of the certificate with you when entering Korea.

TESL certification Guideline (Click)

CELTA certification Guideline (Click)

If you are in the process of getting one of the followings:
  • TEFL/TESOL certificate
  • Teaching certificate
  • Or currently working as a full-time teacher
you must submit a Sworn Declaration form first, and email us the photocopy of the certificate or a proof of teaching experience with a completed date as soon as you obtain it. (Your application will NOT proceed if you don’t submit the following.)

Download Sworn Declaration form (Click)

Continuing with the point above, if you are in the process of obtaining your TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate, you must submit Enrollment Confirmation Letter of TEFL/TESOL/CELTA Certificate (The enrollment letter is different from the receipt.)

Letter of Enrollment Sample(Click)

If you have the in-class hour 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.

If you have an Master’s degree in any discipline, a copy of it will suffice. Apostilled Master’s degree in the aforementioned discipline is required for a higher salary consideration.

A transcript must reflect all coursework, credits, and grades earned previously that were eventually contributed towards the degree.

It must include the following:
  • Teaching subjects, grades/ages, teaching hours per week, employment period including starting date and end date (MM/DD/YYYY), your status (full time), your full legal name, your tittle, and the written date.
The letter has to be from one of the following:
  • Director, HR division, Administrative office, Principal, or Vice President.
The letter must include contact information such as emails and phone number.
The letter must be signed or stamped.

Example of proof of teaching letter (Click)

Please submit a printed copy of teacher’s license or certificate.

You have to obtain a license that is valid during the contract.

For those who are from SA or who received education in Quebec must submit original proof of schooling to verify that the medium of education was English from 7th grade. It must include the following:
  • Written date
  • Letterhead of school
  • Contact information including phone number, mailing address, and email address
  • Ink signature or school stamp
  • Attendance Period (MM/YYYY)
  • Stating that the medium of school is English and English only

If you homeschooled or attended a school outside of 7 designated countries, you must submit relevant documents.
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

International School:
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 below.

If you currently work in Korea, please provide a copy of your current employment contract.
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 tittle, and the written date.
The letter has to be from one of the following:
  • Director, HR division, Administrative office, Principal, or Vice President.
The letter must include contact information such as emails and phone number.
The letter must be signed or stamped.

If you have tattoo(s), please submit a photo of each tattoo.

If you have any medical condition that requires doctor’s visit or prescribed medication, please submit a doctor’s note.
The note should specify your medical condition to support your ability/ competency to perform and function successfully in a professional setting.
More specifically, the medical history like complications, diagnosis, prescription, and how closely the condition has to be monitored and managed should be stated.
The note must include the following:
  • letterhead, contact details of the institution (email and phone number), doctor’s ink signature, written date, your personal information such as your name and date of birth)

If you currently work in Korea, please submit a copy of your ARC card both front and back.

Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국사실증명서)

If you are in Korea teaching English, EPIK require you to submit certificate of entry & exit.

You can obtain this certificate by visiting the immigration office or local district office. 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.

Photocopies of CRC, BA Diploma and BA Transcript: If you are transferring to a new school through EPIK, you are no longer required to submit all new documents to secure your place. Still, you need to provide each replacement. To obtain the replacement, you need to do one of the following.
  • 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.)