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The National Pension for foreigners: who must join, reciprocity and agreement countries, and claiming the lump-sum refund when you leave

Last checked: 21 October 2026 · compared against 5 official sources opened that day

Most foreigners who work in Korea are enrolled in the National Pension automatically, but whether you can take your contributions home as a lump sum when you leave depends on your nationality and visa status. We checked Article 126 of the National Pension Act, Article 111 of its Decree and the National Pension Service (NPS) pages on foreign members and their benefits on 21 October 2026.

Who must join

Article 126 makes foreigners who work at a covered workplace or live in Korea members by default. NPS explains that foreigners aged 18 to 59 at a covered workplace become workplace members and other foreign residents become regional members; employers report workplace members by the 15th of the month after joining. The law exempts nationals of countries whose own pension law does not cover Koreans (reciprocity), and Article 111 of the Decree excludes people staying without an extension permit, people who have not registered or have a deportation order, and certain visa statuses. NPS lists trainees (but not training employment), students and diplomats as examples, plus workers posted from agreement countries who submit a home-country coverage certificate.

2026 contributions

NPS says the rate, 9% from 1998 to 2025, rises by 0.5 percentage points a year from 2026 until it reaches 13% in 2033, so the 2026 rate is 9.5%, split equally between you and your employer if you are a workplace member. The monthly income base runs from 410,000 to 6,590,000 won between July 2026 and June 2027. The rules are the same as for Korean members.

What the lump-sum refund is

Under Article 77, members who cannot qualify for a pension receive their contributions plus interest when, for example, they turn 60 with under ten years of membership or emigrate. For foreigners the starting point is the reverse: Article 126(5) says the refund rules do not apply to foreign members, then lists exceptions.

Who can get the refund

NPS pays the refund to foreign members only if their home country pays Koreans an equivalent benefit (reciprocity), if a social security agreement covering refunds exists, or if they joined under E-8 (training employment), E-9 or H-2 status, regardless of nationality. The seasonal-work E-8 status created after 24 December 2019 does not qualify. The NPS country table (as of May 2026) lists agreement and reciprocity countries, some with a minimum membership period of six months or a year; its heading counts 24 agreement countries while the caption on the same page says 22, so confirm your own country with NPS.

How much you get

The refund is the contributions you paid, including your employer's share if you were a workplace member, plus interest at the three-year term deposit rate for each period; NPS gives 2.2% for 2026. Ask a branch or the 1355 line for an estimate before you claim.

Claiming when you leave

When the reason is returning home, NPS pays only once your departure is confirmed, but it accepts a claim before you leave if you can prove departure within a month, for example with a plane ticket. Any NPS branch can take the claim; after you leave, a proxy in Korea can claim for you or you can claim by post from abroad. Check that your employer has reported your departure from the workplace, then visit a branch within a month of leaving with your passport, residence card, ticket and a copy of your bank account details.

Cash at Incheon Airport

If you are flying home from Incheon within a month, you can receive the refund in foreign cash on departure day. Your employer's report must be processed by the day before; there is no airport payout on weekends, public holidays or the last business day of December; flights must leave between 10:30 and midnight on weekdays from Terminal 1 (11:00 from Terminal 2); and the money comes in one of 16 currencies, never in won.

Apply for it when you claim at a branch, and still give a bank account in case the airport payout fails or more money is due. On the day, collect the payment papers at the NPS desk, visit the Woori Bank counter before passport control and pick up the cash after it.

Time limits and other benefits

Under Article 115, the right to benefits lapses after five years; only the refund triggered by turning 60 has ten years. Even without a refund, foreigners who meet the conditions can receive old-age, survivor or disability pensions, the last only if the illness or injury was first treated while living in Korea. Nationals of agreement countries may be covered by different rules under Article 127.