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KIIP Naturalization Evaluation: Repealed 3-Attempt Limit

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Naturalization comprehensive evaluation and interview: different retake rules. The 3-attempt limit was repealed in 2023, but the 1-year deadline remains.

When you search while preparing for naturalization, you often run into the explanation that "you can take the naturalization comprehensive evaluation (종합평가) only up to 3 times, and if you fail all 3, your naturalization is denied." This rule was repealed as of January 1, 2023.

The rule on the number of attempts is not in the Nationality Act or its Enforcement Decree, but in a Ministry of Justice administrative rule (예규), the Nationality Affairs Handling Guidelines (국적업무처리지침). This article organizes the attempt and deadline rules for the comprehensive evaluation and the naturalization interview (면접심사) based on the current provisions.

One note before we start: the naturalization comprehensive evaluation discussed here is the test commonly called the "naturalization written test" (귀화 필기시험). The old written test was replaced by the comprehensive evaluation for applications from March 1, 2018.

What changed

Comparing the provisions before and after the amendment looks like this.

Category Provision Content
Before amendment Established Rule No. 1287, Article 9(1) (until Dec 31, 2022) Grants 2 additional attempts → 3 total including the first
After amendment Established Rule No. 1311 (effective Jan 1, 2023) Grants additional attempts without limit within 1 year, but no more than once per day

The number "3 total" comes from the "plus 2 attempts" in the pre-amendment provision. The current Nationality Affairs Handling Guidelines (Ministry of Justice Established Rule No. 1378) still keep the provision granting additional attempts without limit.

The comprehensive evaluation and the interview follow different rules

This is the part most people confuse. The two procedures have different attempt rules, yet many explanations mix them up.

Procedure Additional attempts
Comprehensive evaluation May be granted without limit within 1 year (no more than once per day)
Interview Upon failing, may be granted only one additional time

In other words, the "one-attempt limit" is a rule that now remains only for the interview. Applying it to the comprehensive evaluation makes for an incorrect explanation.

One thing to add: the provisions above all say attempts "may be granted" — they are discretionary. They are not framed as a right the applicant is automatically given, so actual practice may vary case by case.

The attempt limit is gone, but the 1-year deadline remains

The current guidelines provide that a denial is issued for a person who does not take the comprehensive evaluation within 1 year from the date of the naturalization application. That said, a person exempted from the comprehensive evaluation under the Enforcement Rule does not fall under this.

What this provision directly governs is the case of not taking the test even once within 1 year. How a case is handled when the person did take the test within 1 year but did not pass cannot be determined from this provision alone, so check with your local immigration office or the Immigration Contact Center (1345).

Scope of exemption for KIIP completers

Article 4 of the Enforcement Rule of the Nationality Act (국적법 시행규칙) provides for exemption from the comprehensive evaluation and exemption from the interview in different paragraphs. That means the scope is not the same.

Exemption Basis KIIP-related eligible persons
Comprehensive evaluation exemption Article 4(1)5 Those who completed the Korea Immigration and Integration Program (KIIP, 사회통합프로그램)
Interview exemption Article 4(3)3 Among those under (1)5, those who scored 60 or more on the comprehensive evaluation

There is one point to note here. Completing KIIP can exempt you from the comprehensive evaluation, but to also be exempt from the interview, you must take the comprehensive evaluation and score 60 or more.

Conversely, if you did not complete KIIP and only passed the naturalization comprehensive evaluation, the evaluation pass is recognized, but the interview is not exempted. This distinction is also covered in the KIIP completion benefits guide.

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KIIP completers are not the only ones exempt

Article 4(1) of the Enforcement Rule lists six grounds for exemption from the comprehensive evaluation. Completing KIIP is only one of them.

Ground for comprehensive evaluation exemption Provision
Minor Article 4(1)2
Aged 60 or over (1)3
Special merit / outstanding talent (Nationality Act Article 7(1)2, 3) (1)4
Completed the Social Integration Program (1)5
Scored 60 or more on the comprehensive evaluation within the 3 years before the application date (1)5-2
Other special grounds recognized by the Minister of Justice (1)6

The interview exemption list (paragraph 3) is different. A minor is exempt from the comprehensive evaluation, but is exempt from the interview only if under 15 at the time of application; a person aged 60 or over is exempt from the interview only as the spouse of someone who reinstated their nationality. Age alone does not exempt you from both.

Simplified and special naturalization do not waive the test

You often see the explanation that "if you apply through marriage-based simplified naturalization, there is no test." There is no basis for this in the provisions.

What the comprehensive evaluation and the interview check is the basic-qualities requirement in Article 5(5) of the Nationality Act. Simplified naturalization (Article 6) waives only Article 5 subparagraph 1 (five years of residence) and subparagraph 1-2 (permanent residency status, what people usually call the permanent residency permit); special naturalization (Article 7) waives subparagraphs 1, 1-2, 2 (majority age) and 4 (ability to maintain a livelihood). Neither waives subparagraph 5.

Naturalization type Comprehensive evaluation Interview
General (Article 5) Sits it Sits it
Simplified (Article 6) Sits it Sits it
Special, Article 7(1)1 (parent is a national) Sits it Sits it
Special, Article 7(1)2 and 3 (special merit, outstanding talent) Exempt Sits it

Exemption is decided by the grounds in the section above, not by naturalization type. The basis for the replacement and its relationship to the old written test are covered in detail in Naturalization Written Test in Korea: What Replaced It.

Key summary

Item Content
Comprehensive evaluation additional attempts Grantable without limit within 1 year (once per day)
Interview additional attempts One, upon failing
Deadline 1 year from the naturalization application date (denial if the test is not taken within 1 year)
Passing score 60 or more out of 100
Comprehensive evaluation exemption KIIP completers and others (Enforcement Rule Article 4(1))
Interview exemption KIIP completers who scored 60 or more on the comprehensive evaluation (Article 4(3)3)
Simplified / special naturalization The basic-qualities requirement is not waived (only special-merit and outstanding-talent applicants are exempt from the comprehensive evaluation)
Repealed rule The 3-attempt limit total (repealed Jan 1, 2023)

The eligibility conditions and test structure of the comprehensive evaluation are covered in the Comprehensive Evaluation (Permanent Residency / Naturalization) Guide, and the full path up through Level 5 is covered in the Level Placement Criteria and Program Structure.

If you would like to learn the Korean-society and culture vocabulary that appears on the comprehensive evaluation in advance, try using the KIIP Study app.

Sources checked

This article is a guide meant to aid understanding and is not official information. It does not determine whether any individual application is possible or what its outcome will be, and KIIP Study is a learning and test-prep app, not a visa or naturalization application agency. Regulations may change and their application may differ depending on your personal circumstances, so to find out how they apply to you, check with the Immigration Contact Center (1345) or your local immigration office. (Written July 2026, updated September 2026)