Korea’s National Pension (국민연금) covers foreigners just like Koreans: if you work here and are 18 to 59, you and your employer each pay part of your salary into it. Whether you can take that money back when you leave depends on your nationality or your visa.
Key facts
| Who pays | Foreign residents aged 18 to 59, unless excluded by visa or nationality |
| Rate (2026) | 9.5% of pay: 4.75% from you, 4.75% from your employer |
| Pay counted | ₩410,000 to ₩6,590,000 a month (July 2026 to June 2027) |
| Refund | Lump-sum refund (반환일시금) for 50 countries’ nationals and all E-8, E-9, H-2 workers |
| Claim within | 5 years of becoming entitled |
| Help | NPS call center 1355 (foreign-language service), nps.or.kr |
Who has to join
If you work at a company covered by the scheme, you’re a workplace-insured person (사업장가입자) from your first day, and contributions come out of your salary automatically. You’re not covered if:
- your visa is one the law excludes, such as students, trainees (until they’re hired), and diplomats;
- your home country’s pension system doesn’t cover Koreans working there, so Korea doesn’t cover its nationals in return; or
- you hand in an official certificate of coverage from a country that has a social security agreement with Korea, usually because your home employer sent you here and you still pay into your home system.
NPS publishes eligibility tables by country and by visa on its English site. If you’re not employed, whether you join as an individual depends on your visa; ask 1355.
How much you pay
Pension reform raised the total rate from 9% to 9.5% in 2026, and it will rise by 0.5 percentage points a year until it reaches 13% in 2033. Contributions are based on your monthly pay, but only between a floor and a ceiling that change every July.
Monthly pay ₩3,000,000 in 2026: you pay ₩142,500 (4.75%) and your employer pays ₩142,500. If you earn ₩8,000,000, contributions stop at the ceiling: ₩6,590,000 × 4.75% = ₩313,025 each.
See your deduction with the salary calculator.
Getting it back: the lump-sum refund
When you leave Korea for good, you can claim everything paid in your name, both your half and your employer’s half, plus interest (based on the 3-year term deposit rate), if one of these applies:
- You’re a national of a country with a social security agreement that allows refunds.
- Your country pays Koreans a similar refund (reciprocity).
- You paid in while on an E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa, whatever your nationality.
Countries on the NPS list (as of 15 June 2026):
| Route | Countries |
|---|---|
| Social security agreement (24) | Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Luxembourg, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA |
| Reciprocity, any insured period (17) | Bermuda, Cambodia, Colombia, El Salvador, Ghana, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Uganda, Vanuatu |
| Reciprocity, at least 1 year insured (8) | Bhutan, Cameroon, Grenada, Jordan, Laos, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, Zimbabwe |
| Reciprocity, at least 6 months insured (1) | Belize |
For India, Türkiye and Switzerland, the refund covers periods from the date shown on the NPS list (India from 1 November 2011; Türkiye and Switzerland from 1 June 2015).
Not on the list? Then you can’t take the money out when you leave. Common examples are the UK, Japan, China, Ireland and New Zealand. Your contributions stay in your Korean record. If you reach 10 years in total, you can get a monthly Korean pension from pension age (63 to 65, depending on your birth year), even living abroad. Some agreements also let your Korean years count toward your home country’s pension. Check the current list before you plan; it changes.
Use the pension refund calculator to estimate your amount.
How to claim
- Before leaving: apply at any NPS branch within 1 month of your departure date with your passport, ARC, flight ticket and a bank account statement. You can be paid into a Korean or overseas account.
- At Incheon Airport: choose airport payment and collect cash in one of 16 foreign currencies on your departure day. Korean won isn’t available. Your employer must have reported your resignation to NPS by the day before you fly, and the service runs only on weekdays.
- After leaving: apply by post or through an agent, with notarized and apostilled documents. Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan and Indonesia let you apply through their own social insurance agencies.
The step-by-step story, including the airport counters, is in the blog post on getting your pension back.
Claim within 5 years of becoming entitled. After that the right lapses, though you can still apply within 10 years of turning 60.
Common questions
I’m leaving Korea but might come back. Should I claim now?
The refund ends your record: if you return later, you start again from zero. If you might reach 10 years in Korea, keeping your record can be worth more than a refund.
My employer deducted pension but I’m from a non-refund country. Can I stop paying?
Not while you work here, unless you’re excluded by visa or a certificate of coverage. The contributions still count toward a future Korean pension or a totalization agreement.
Can I get a refund if I switch from E-9 to E-7?
Your E-9 years can be refunded whatever your nationality. Your E-7 years can be refunded only if your nationality is on the list.
Official sources
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.