Settling tax and insurance before departure

Pension lump-sum refund, tax refund, insurance settlement — check all three before you go.

The three to check

1. National Pension lump-sum refund — payable depending on your country and the criteria. Check with 1355 and complete the procedure before departure.
2. Income tax settlement — if you haven't done year-end settlement, a pre-departure settlement may be needed. Ask 126 (National Tax Service). See tax-refund-departure.
3. Health insurance contributions — settle any arrears; you may be due a refund. 1577-1000. See nhis-refund-departure.

Also settle

• Severance pay and unpaid wages — claim and receive them before leaving. See unpaid-wages.
• Employment insurance — check if applicable.
• Telecom and utility bills — cancel direct debits and make final payments.
• Your deposit — settle with the landlord. See move-out-deposit.
• Bank accounts — decide whether to keep or close, thinking about how you'll transfer money.

The process

1. Start as soon as your departure date is set — documents take time.
2. Ask 1355, 126 and 1577-1000 separately whether you qualify.
3. Prepare the documents: passport, residence card, bankbook, proof of planned departure.
4. Decide whether to receive money into a home-country or Korean account.
5. Record the outcome and the contact details of whoever handled it.

Where to go

• 1355 National Pension Service (lump-sum refund)
• 126 National Tax Service
• 1577-1000 National Health Insurance Service
• 1350 Ministry of Employment and Labour (wages, severance)
• 1345 interpretation support

Questions people ask

Can I get my pension back? It depends on bilateral agreements and the criteria. Ask 1355, mentioning your nationality.

Can I apply after leaving? Sometimes, but it is far more complicated. Better to do it before departure.

I may leave without my severance pay. File a complaint with 1350 before you leave. The process is much harder from abroad. See unpaid-wages.

Am I due a tax refund? There may be one from year-end settlement or a mid-year leaving settlement. Ask 126.

Take care

After departure, identity verification is difficult and most procedures stall. Start at least a month before you leave. Closing your bank account too early can leave no way to receive a refund.

Related

long-term-departure · arc-return-on-departure · nhis-refund-departure · tax-refund-departure · unpaid-wages

Source

National Tax Service www.nts.go.kr / As of 2026-08