Muslim Marriage in South Korea
We help Muslims in South Korea find a husband or wife — whether from South Korea or from anywhere in the world. WeLearnArabic offers a simple Muslim marriage matching service for people who are seriously looking for marriage. You can submit your information, tell us what you are looking for, and we will review your application. If we find someone who may be a suitable match, we will contact you — applying does not guarantee that a match will be found.
Private and respectful — no public profiles, no dating. Free.
Demographics
Muslims in South Korea
~150,000
estimated Muslim population (Korean Muslim Federation, cited in a 2024 U.S. State Department report)
~120,000
estimated migrant workers in the KMF breakdown, mainly from Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan
~30,000
estimated expatriate students and businesspeople in the same KMF breakdown
South Korea has a relatively small Muslim population compared with many Muslim-majority countries. There is no current official census count of Muslims in the country, so the figures in circulation are estimates with different dates and methods.
The Korean Muslim Federation (KMF) estimated the Muslim population at approximately 150,000 in information cited by the U.S. Department of State's 2023 International Religious Freedom Report, published in 2024. That estimate included roughly 120,000 migrant workers and roughly 30,000 expatriate students and businesspeople.
Using the State Department's figure of approximately 51.9 million people in mid-2023, 150,000 Muslims would represent roughly 0.29% of the population. This is a calculation based on an estimate and a different reference date, not an official census percentage.
Statistics Korea's 2015 Population and Housing Census collected information on religious affiliation and reported that 43.9% of the population had a religion. Muslims are a small part of the broader "other religions" category, so that census should not be read as a current count of Muslims in 2026.
Nationality and religion are not interchangeable. A person from Indonesia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan or another Muslim-majority country is not necessarily Muslim, and Korean Muslims may be converts or members of Muslim families. The community also includes second-generation Muslims raised in South Korea.
Reading the numbers
How Large Is South Korea's Muslim Community?
The most widely quoted figure is a community estimate rather than a government count. These three reference points are useful, provided each is read with its date and method in mind.
~150,000
estimated Muslims nationwide (Korean Muslim Federation estimate cited by the U.S. State Department, 2024)
~0.29%
calculated share of the population, using the State Department's ~51.9M mid-2023 figure
2015
last national census that collected religious affiliation (Statistics Korea)
The 150,000 figure is best described as a dated estimate, not an exact 2026 population count. The sources reviewed did not establish a current, comparable official census figure for the country's Muslim population.
The same caution applies to geography. Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi region are important areas for international residents and Muslim communities, and cities such as Busan and Daegu also have Muslim residents, but a reliable current city-by-city breakdown was not available in the sources reviewed.
A closer look
A Diverse Muslim Community
South Korea's Muslim community includes people from different countries, cultures, languages and family backgrounds. It brings together labour migrants, students, professionals, Korean converts and families who have lived in the country for years.
The available sources do not support reliable current percentages for each group. What is clear is that two Muslims may share a religion while holding different expectations about language, family involvement, religious practice, finances, children or where they want to live.
This matters for marriage compatibility. Cross-cultural couples may also need to discuss how they will communicate with each other's families. A serious matching process should let applicants explain their preferences rather than assume that all Muslims have the same cultural expectations.
City context
Islam in Seoul
Seoul is South Korea's capital and a major destination for international students, workers, professionals and visitors. It is also an important centre for the country's Muslim community, though no reliable recent figure for the Muslim population of Seoul and its metropolitan area was verified in the sources reviewed.
Itaewon in Yongsan District is a well-known centre for international residents and Muslim community life. The Seoul Central Mosque is located in the area. The presence of a mosque and international businesses does not, however, make the neighbourhood Muslim-majority.
Seoul brings together Korean Muslims and international Muslims from a wide range of backgrounds. Someone looking for a spouse may need to decide whether they want a partner who speaks Korean, English, Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian, Uzbek or another language.
Muslim communities also exist outside the capital, including in Busan, Daegu and parts of Gyeonggi Province. The sources reviewed did not establish reliable current Muslim population totals for those cities.
Seoul · Itaewon
~150K
estimated Muslims across South Korea — a national figure, not a Seoul-specific count.
Law & practice
Muslim Marriage Law and Customs in South Korea
South Korean marriage law is governed by national legislation, including the Civil Act and the Act on Registration of Family Relations. Under Article 812 of the Civil Act, a marriage takes legal effect through a marriage report made in accordance with that Act.
South Korea does not require a Western-style civil wedding ceremony in the same way that some countries do. The legally significant step is the acceptance of the marriage registration by the competent authority, generally a Si, Gu, Eup or Myeon office depending on the applicable rules.
A Nikah performed by an imam does not, by itself, create a legally recognised South Korean marriage. A couple may arrange a separate Nikah as a religious ceremony, but the religious ceremony does not replace the required civil registration.
The general requirements include free consent by both parties, a minimum legal marriage age of 18, compliance with restrictions on prohibited degrees of relationship, no existing marriage still in force, and completion of the required registration procedure. Additional consent requirements may apply to people under 19, who are still minors under South Korean law.
For a marriage between a Korean citizen and a foreign national, the authorities generally require a marriage registration form, identity documents and evidence that the foreign spouse meets the marriage requirements of their own national law. Depending on nationality, this may include a certificate of legal capacity to marry, Korean translations, apostille or legalisation, and other documents requested by the registration office.
A marriage legally performed abroad may need to be reported or registered with the relevant Korean authority so that the Korean spouse's family-relations records can be updated. Mahr is a religious marriage gift or financial entitlement, but a Nikah contract is not a substitute for civil registration. Couples who want enforceable financial arrangements should obtain advice from a qualified Korean lawyer.
Preferences matter
What Makes Muslim Marriage in South Korea Different?
Muslim marriage in South Korea is shaped by a largely migrant and international Muslim community, a civil registration system that does not treat a Nikah as a legal marriage, and a visa process that examines the reality of the relationship. Muslims looking for a spouse may have very different preferences depending on their background, religious practice, language and future plans. Some may prefer:
- A spouse who was born in South Korea
- Someone from a similar cultural or ethnic background
- Someone who speaks Korean
- Someone who also speaks English, Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian, Uzbek, Turkish or another community language
- Someone who is practising and shares their approach to religious life
- Someone who is open to marrying a convert
- Someone already living in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Busan, Daegu or another part of South Korea
- Someone willing to relocate within South Korea
- Someone willing to relocate internationally
- Someone who understands the needs of an international or cross-cultural marriage
These are possible preferences, not assumptions about what South Korean Muslims want. A serious matching process therefore needs to consider compatibility rather than matching people simply because they are both Muslim.
Immigration
Bringing a Spouse to South Korea
The correct immigration route depends on the sponsor's nationality and immigration status. The main marriage-immigration route for a foreign spouse of a South Korean citizen is the F-6 marriage migrant visa, particularly the F-6-1 category for a spouse of a Korean national.
Marriage alone does not automatically give a foreign spouse the right to live in South Korea. The Ministry of Justice administers the requirements, and the application can involve checks of the genuine relationship, the sponsor's income, communication between the couple and suitable accommodation.
Common documents include evidence that the marriage is legally valid, a valid passport and visa application forms, a marriage invitation and a statement explaining the relationship and marriage background, the Korean sponsor's family-relations and identity documents, evidence of income and accommodation, evidence of the required level of communication unless an exemption applies, and health or criminal-record documents where required.
The Ministry of Justice updated the income criteria through Notice No. 2025-534, effective 2 January 2026. For an ordinary F-6 application, the Korean sponsor's qualifying annual income is assessed against the household-size threshold. If the sponsor has no qualifying co-resident family members, the household is generally counted as two people: the sponsor and the foreign spouse. Siblings are excluded from the count, while certain parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren recorded in the sponsor's resident-registration household may affect it.
A foreign national who marries another foreign national legally residing in South Korea does not automatically qualify for F-6, which is principally associated with marriage to a Korean citizen. A different dependent or family-related residence route may apply depending on the sponsor's status.
Income threshold
2026₩25,195,752
minimum annual income for a two-person household — the sponsor and the foreign spouse — for an ordinary F-6 application.
Figures apply from 2 January 2026 and are not universal minimum salaries. Always verify against the latest Ministry of Justice notice and the Korean embassy or consulate handling the application.
How it works
How Our Muslim Marriage Matching Works
A simple, human process — no swiping, no algorithms, no public profiles.
- 1
Apply
Submit your information through our Muslim marriage application form.
- 2
Tell Us What You're Looking For
Provide basic information about the type of spouse you are hoping to marry.
- 3
We Review Your Application
We look through applications to determine whether there may be a potentially suitable match.
- 4
We Contact You
If we find someone who may be suitable, we contact you. There is no guarantee that we will find a match.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions people ask before applying.
How can I find a Muslim husband in South Korea?
How can I find a Muslim wife in South Korea?
How does the matching service work?
Is this a dating site?
Can I apply if I live outside South Korea?
Is my information private?
Is a match guaranteed?
Can converts apply?
Apply for Muslim Marriage Matching
If you are seriously looking for a Muslim husband or wife — whether from South Korea or from anywhere else — you can submit your information. We will review your application and contact you if we find a potentially suitable match.
No match is guaranteed, and your information will not be displayed publicly.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State — 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: South Korea (2024)
- Statistics Korea — 2015 Population and Housing Census: Religion
- Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) — Population by Religion and Administrative District
- Republic of Korea — Civil Act, Article 812
- Republic of Korea — Act on Registration of Family Relations
- Korean Government (Easy to Find, Practical Law) — Requirements for International Marriage
- Government24 — Marriage Registration Service
- Ministry of Justice — Notice No. 2025-534 on marriage and cohabitation visa requirements
- Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Yokohama — 2026 F-6 Income Requirements
- Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago — Marriage Migrant (F-6-1) Visa
- Dongdaemun-gu Office, Seoul — International Marriage