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Pension question, South Korea

Can foreigners get a Korean pension refund?

Departing foreigners are instead paid a lump sum refund of contributions plus interest, set by the three year fixed deposit rate, but only if their nationality qualifies. NPS pays a lump sum refund only where your country grants Korean nationals an equivalent benefit, or an agreement covering lump sum refunds exists, or you held an E-8, E-9 or H-2 visa.

  • Source: nps.or.kr, moel.go.kr, law.go.kr, read 4 October 2026
  • Source: nps.or.kr, read 4 October 2026

What to do next

  1. Check your nationality and the visa you held while working in Korea.
  2. Find your date of departure and any NPS letters you kept.
  3. Run our free check to see which other countries may hold a pension in your name.

Check your own working life for free

Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.

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Questions people also ask

Which nationalities does NPS name as excluded?

NPS states plainly that a Korean lump sum refund is not paid to nationals of the United Kingdom, and not payable to Chinese nationals, and it permits none for Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Finland or New Zealand.

  • Source: nps.or.kr, read 4 October 2026

Do you give advice on what to do?

No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.