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Korea Pension Refund Calculator

Whether you can claim your National Pension back when you leave Korea, and roughly how much

Check your refund

Pick your nationality and visa, and the first answer is whether you can claim at all.

Nationality and visa
Nationality
Status of stay

E-8, E-9 and H-2 qualify whatever your nationality.

Contribution period
Years
Months
Average monthly pay

won

Gross pay, before deductions. Your employer's half counts too, and pay above the ceiling counts only up to it.

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Who gets it, and how much

Only reciprocity sets a minimum period. Agreement countries qualify from the first month.
RouteWhat it takes
Your visaWork on an E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa qualifies whatever your nationality.
Social security agreementNationals of the 24 agreement countries qualify with any length of service.
Reciprocity26 more countries qualify because they treat Korean workers the same way. Some ask for 6 or 12 months.
What comes backContributions+Interest=Refund
Interest follows the three-year deposit rate, 2.2% for 2026. The Service confirms exact figures on 1355.

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Which nationalities are paid

From the National Pension Service list dated 2026-06-15.
RouteWho qualifies
Visa, any nationalityE-8, E-9, H-2
Agreement countries (24)Germany, The U.S.A., Canada, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Australia, France, Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Austria, India, Turkiye, Switzerland, Brazil, Peru, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Uruguay, The Philippines, Argentina
Reciprocity (any length)Ghana, Sri Lanka, Bermuda, Malaysia, El Salvador, Indonesia, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Trinidad and Tobago, Sudan, Colombia, Vanuatu, Tunisia, Uganda, Cambodia, Solomon Is.
Reciprocity (12 months or more)Grenada, Jordan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Thailand, Bhutan, Laos
Reciprocity (6 months or more)Belize
An agreement alone is not enough. Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Norway and New Zealand have one with Korea. Their agreements leave the lump-sum refund out.

Are you insured in the first place

From the Service's coverage table by visa type, dated April 1, 2024.
Status of stayNational Pension
E-1 to E-10, D-5 to D-10, F-2, F-4, F-5, F-6, H-1, H-2You are covered, so contributions come out of your pay
D-2 student, D-4 trainee, C-3 short stay, F-1, F-3, G-1Not covered. Nothing was paid in, so there is nothing to claim
A-1, A-2, A-3Diplomatic and official statuses are outside the scheme

Claiming before you go, or after

You have five years from the date your entitlement arises.
When you fileWhat it takes
In Korea, before departureClaim form, passport, alien registration card, bank details, and proof that you leave within a month
At the airport, on the dayFile at a branch office beforehand, then collect foreign currency at the airport desk. Your employer must report your loss of coverage the day before. Weekends and public holidays do not count
From abroad, after leavingThe same papers, attested by a Korean consulate, with a translation for anything not in Korean. Your alien registration card goes back on departure, so a passport copy and overseas bank details replace it. An agent may file for you, or you may post them

FAQ ❓

Three routes qualify you: an E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa, the nationality of one of the 24 social security agreement countries, or the nationality of one of the 26 reciprocity countries. No other nationality is paid.
Yes. For anyone on a company payroll the refund covers the employer's contributions too, under Article 77(2) of the National Pension Act. That roughly doubles the base.
The three-year fixed deposit rate applies from the month after each contribution until the month your entitlement arises. The rate published for 2026 is 2.2%.
Five years from the date your entitlement arises. You can file after leaving, through an agent or by post, and have the money sent to an overseas account.
Korea's agreements with both countries cover double contributions only, and carry no lump-sum refund. An E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa still qualifies you regardless of nationality.
Yes. Income tax and local income tax are withheld when the money is paid, so what reaches your account is less than the total shown here. The Service settles the tax at payment.
It is an estimate. The Service works from your month-by-month record and the rate of each period, while this calculator uses one average figure. Ask the Service for the exact amount.

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