How the Four Major Insurances Work for Foreign Workers in…

Starting a job in Korea means a new payslip full of unfamiliar deductions. Four of them belong to Korea’s social insurance system, and every foreign worker should understand what they pay for. This guide explains the four major insurances, who must enroll, how much you contribute, and what protection you get. All figures are drawn from Korean government portals, so you can verify them yourself.

What are Korea’s four major social insurances?

Korea’s four major social insurances (sa-dae boheom) are national pension, national health insurance, employment insurance, and industrial accident compensation insurance. Together they cover retirement, medical care, unemployment, and workplace injury. Most foreign employees at a registered workplace must join all four. Your employer handles enrollment and deducts your share from your monthly salary automatically.

The four programs at a glance

• National Pension (gukmin yeon-geum): run by the National Pension Service, it funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.
• National Health Insurance: run by the National Health Insurance Service, it covers hospital visits, prescriptions, and checkups.
• Employment Insurance (goyong boheom): overseen by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, it pays unemployment benefits and funds job training.
• Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (sanjae boheom): run by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (COMWEL), it pays medical and wage costs after a work injury.

These four programs are legally separate but administered together through one shared registration system. That is why a single enrollment step covers all of them.

NHIS national health insurance foreigner

Who is eligible, and do foreigners have to enroll?

Yes. Most foreign workers with an employment contract at a registered Korean company must enroll, and enrollment is usually mandatory rather than optional. Eligibility depends on your visa and workplace, not your nationality. National health insurance and industrial accident insurance cover nearly all workers, while employment insurance and national pension have some visa-based and reciprocity-based exceptions.

Four major insurances eligibility for foreigners by visa

The rules on four major insurances eligibility for foreigners vary by residence status:

• F-2, F-5, and F-6 holders are generally treated the same as Korean nationals across all four insurances.
• E-series workers (such as E-7 professionals and E-9 non-professional workers) enroll in health, pension, and accident insurance; employment insurance can be mandatory or optional depending on visa and reciprocity.
• F-4 overseas Koreans working under an employment contract enroll like other employees.
• D-2 students who take part-time work may fall under limited rules, so confirm with your employer and the Korea Immigration Service.

National pension follows reciprocity: if your home country exempts Korean workers, you may be exempt too. Some nationalities are covered by a bilateral social security agreement instead. You can confirm your visa status and stay details through HiKorea.

F-2 visa Korea residence

Under the National Health Insurance Act, foreign nationals and overseas Koreans who reside in Korea are, in principle, brought into the national health insurance system on the same footing as Korean citizens.

English summaries of these statutes are published by the Korea Ministry of Government Legislation.

How do you enroll, and who registers you?

Your employer registers you, not you personally. When a company hires a foreign worker, it reports the new employee to the joint social insurance system, normally within 14 days. Registration for all four insurances happens through one shared portal. You do not visit four offices. Once processed, deductions begin from your next payroll cycle.

Employer social insurance registration for foreigners

Employer social insurance registration for foreigners runs through the Four Major Social Insurance Information Portal (4대사회보험 정보연계센터). The employer submits an “acquisition of eligibility” report using your Alien Registration Card (ARC) number and passport details. This one filing enrolls you in pension, health, employment, and accident insurance at the same time.

If you are self-employed or a resident without an employer, you may need to register directly with the National Health Insurance Service as a locally enrolled member. General civil filings can also be started through the Government24 portal.

Employment insurance enrollment procedure for foreigners

The employment insurance enrollment procedure for foreigners is handled inside the same employer report. There is no separate application for most workers. If your visa makes employment insurance optional, you and your employer file a written consent to join. The Ministry of Employment and Labor manages benefit claims later if you lose your job through no fault of your own.

How much do you pay? Contribution rates explained

You and your employer usually split the cost. As a rough guide, national pension is 9% of your monthly salary, health insurance is around 7%, and employment insurance is around 1.8%. Pension, health, and employment premiums are shared roughly half and half. Rates change yearly, so always confirm the current figures on official portals.

Social insurance contribution rate for foreigners in detail

The social insurance contribution rate for foreigners is the same as for Korean employees. Based on recent official figures, your share breaks down roughly like this:

• National Pension: about 9% total, split evenly, so around 4.5% comes from your pay. Confirm with the National Pension Service.
• National Health Insurance: about 7% total, split evenly, plus a long-term care insurance surcharge added on top of the health premium.
• Employment Insurance: the unemployment-benefit portion is small and shared, with the employer paying an extra share for job-stability programs.
• Industrial Accident Insurance: paid entirely by the employer, so nothing is deducted from your salary.

Because these percentages are updated every year, treat the numbers above as a guide only. For the exact current rate, check the National Health Insurance Service and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Your annual tax settlement, filed with the National Tax Service, will also reflect these deductions.

What protection do you get after a workplace accident?

Industrial accident insurance covers every worker in Korea, including foreign and short-term staff, and even those on an irregular status. Your employer pays the full premium. If you are hurt at work or on a work-related commute, the program pays your medical costs and part of your lost wages. You do not need to prove your employer was at fault.

Workplace accident insurance for foreigners in Korea

Workplace accident insurance for foreigners in Korea is the widest safety net of the four programs. It applies from the very first day of employment, regardless of visa type. Covered benefits include medical treatment, temporary disability payments during recovery, permanent disability compensation, and survivor benefits for a worker’s family. Claims are handled by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (COMWEL).

If your employer failed to register you, you can still claim. Coverage is tied to the fact of employment, not to whether the paperwork was filed. Report the injury and gather evidence such as contracts, messages, and witness details. Labor rights information for foreign workers is available through the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

What happens to your contributions when you leave Korea?

Your national pension money is not always lost. Depending on your nationality and any social security agreement, you may receive a lump-sum refund of pension contributions when you leave Korea for good. Health and employment insurance are not refundable, since they are used-up coverage. Apply for the pension refund before or shortly after departure.

Claiming a national pension refund

The lump-sum refund returns your and your employer’s pension contributions, plus interest, in one payment. Eligibility again follows reciprocity: some nationalities qualify, others are covered by a totalization agreement that lets years count toward a pension back home instead. Confirm your case with the National Pension Service before you cancel your ARC or fly out.

leaving Korea checklist foreigners

Keep copies of your final payslips, your bank account details, and your immigration records. These documents make the refund process far smoother once you are back home.

A quick checklist before your first payday

• Confirm your employer filed your enrollment within 14 days.
• Check that all four insurances appear on your payslip.
• Ask which visa-based exemptions, if any, apply to you.
• Save your ARC number and enrollment confirmation.
• Note that workers’ compensation should cost you nothing.

With these steps done, you will know exactly what each deduction pays for, and you will be protected from your first day on the job.