Deeprootkit

Korea pension refund: can you get it, and how much?

Yes. As a citizen of the United States, you can get your National Pension contributions back when you leave Korea. For 12 months at 2,500,000 won a month, that is about 2,837,500 won, including your employer's half, plus interest and before tax.

Leaving from Incheon Airport on November 3, 2026? You can take it in cash (foreign currency) that day if you apply at an NPS office first and your flight leaves at the right time.

About you

How did you pay?
Are you leaving Korea to live abroad?

Count the months with a National Pension deduction on your payslips. We assume they run up to the month you leave.

What do you know?

Before tax and other deductions.

1. Can you get it?

Your passport

The United States has a social security agreement with Korea that includes the refund.

Your visa

Your visa doesn't decide it. Your passport does.

Leaving Korea

The refund is paid when you leave Korea to live abroad.

Deadline

Claim within 5 years after you become entitled to it.

2. How much

Months paidDecember 2025 to November 2026
12 months
Pension base payYour pay rounded down to 1,000 won, kept between NPS's minimum and maximum for that year
2,500,000 won
You paid4.5% a month in 2025, 4.75% in 2026
about 1,418,750 won
Your employer paidThe same amount as you
about 1,418,750 won
Total paid inThis is what NPS refunds, before interest
about 2,837,500 won
InterestNPS adds it. The rate is the average 3-year bank deposit rate for each year (2.2% for 2026), from the month after each payment to the month you leave.
added by NPS
Income taxNPS takes out income tax before it pays you.
taken out by NPS
  • This is an estimate. NPS uses the pay your employer reported, which can differ from what you were actually paid.
  • For your exact record, ask NPS when you apply.

3. When and where to claim

Before you leave: at any NPS office

Go to any NPS office within 1 month before your departure date. Bring proof that you leave within 1 month, such as your flight ticket.

NPS pays only after it confirms you have left Korea.

On departure day: cash at Incheon Airport

Conditions

  • You leave from Incheon Airport within 1 month after you apply.
  • Your employer reports that you left the job by November 2, 2026, the day before you leave.
  • Your flight leaves on a weekday between 10:30 and 24:00 (Terminal 1) or 11:00 and 24:00 (Terminal 2). Not on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays or the last business day of December.
  • You get foreign currency (16 currencies, including USD, EUR, JPY and CNY), not Korean won.

Steps

  1. Before departure day: at an NPS office, apply and choose "Airport Payment". Give a Korean or overseas bank account too, in case airport payment isn't possible or NPS pays more later. You get a Certificate of Application Acceptance.
  2. Departure day: go to the NPS Incheon Airport Center in Terminal 1, 1st floor, between Exits 1 and 2 (booths 7–8), 09:00–18:00, even if you fly from Terminal 2. Show your passport and the certificate. You get a Direction for Payment.
  3. Before immigration: go to the Woori Bank currency exchange with your passport and the Direction for Payment. Under $10,000: 3rd floor (Terminal 1 near Counter H, Terminal 2 near Counter A), 09:00–21:00. $10,000 or more: B1 floor Woori Bank branch, 09:00–16:00. You get a Receipt of Currency Exchange.
  4. After immigration: collect the cash at the Woori Bank booth near Gate 11 (Terminal 1) or Gate 250 (Terminal 2), 09:00–21:00, with your passport and the receipt.

After you leave: from abroad

  • By mail: send your documents to NPS.
  • Through an agent: someone in Korea applies for you at an NPS office.
  • Claim within 5 years after you become entitled to it.

4. What to bring

Before you leave (NPS office)

  • Application for Lump-sum Refund (at the office, or download it)
  • Passport
  • Alien registration card
  • Copy of your bank account details (bank statement)
  • Proof you leave within 1 month (flight ticket)

Airport cash, at the NPS office

  • Passport
  • Alien registration card
  • Flight ticket (leaving within 1 month)
  • Copy of a bankbook

Airport cash, on departure day

  • Passport
  • Certificate of Application Acceptance

5. Next steps

Common questions

Can I get the refund with my passport?

It depends on your passport and visa. Citizens of the 24 countries with a social security agreement that includes the refund (such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, India and the Philippines) can get it. So can citizens of 26 other countries that give Koreans a similar refund, some only after 6 months or 1 year of contributions. Anyone who paid while on an E-9 or H-2 visa can get it for those months. Citizens of other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Japan and China, can't get it.

Do I also get my employer's half?

Yes, if you paid through your employer. By law, the refund is what you paid plus what your employer paid for you, plus interest. In 2026 that is 4.75% of your pay from you and 4.75% from your employer each month.

How much is the interest?

NPS adds interest from the month after each payment to the month you leave. The rate is the average 3-year bank deposit rate of Korea's nationwide banks on January 1 of each year. For 2026 it is 2.2% a year. This calculator doesn't add it, because the rate changes every year.

Is the refund taxed?

Yes. Korea treats it as retirement income, and NPS takes out the tax before it pays you.

When do I get the money?

If you take airport cash, on your departure day. Otherwise NPS pays to your bank account after it confirms you have left Korea. NPS doesn't publish a set number of days, so ask when you apply.

More questions
Should I take airport cash or a bank transfer?

Airport cash works only from Incheon Airport, on weekday flights at the times above, and in foreign currency, not won. If any condition doesn't fit, NPS pays to a Korean or overseas bank account. Give NPS a bank account either way.

I'm staying in Korea on an F-4 or F-6 visa. Can I get it now?

No. The refund is paid when you leave Korea to live abroad. Changing to another visa and staying doesn't count.

I already left Korea. Can I still claim it?

Yes, within 5 years after you became entitled. Apply by mail or through an agent in Korea. If you live in Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kyrgyzstan or Indonesia, you can also apply through your country's social insurance institution.

Can I apply online or by phone?

Not when you leave Korea. NPS says online claims are for people claiming at age 60, and phone or fax claims are not available to foreigners.

I was on E-9 and then changed to another visa. What can I get back?

The visa rule covers only your months on E-9 or H-2. If your passport is on NPS's list, you can get all your months back.

I work on a seasonal work visa (E-8). Can I get it?

Not because of the visa. NPS says the seasonal work E-8 visa, created on December 24, 2019, doesn't qualify. You can still get it if your passport is on NPS's list, for example the Philippines or Indonesia.

What if I come back to Korea later?

Once you get the refund, those months end on your NPS record. If you join the National Pension again, you can pay the refund back with interest to restore them. It's your choice.

I paid for 10 years or more. Is this still right for me?

Ask NPS. With 10 years or more, you may be able to get a monthly pension instead of a refund.

Official sources

More official sources
Korean law and notices (21 links, in Korean)

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Country lists can change. NPS decides each claim. This page is information, not legal or tax advice.

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