Leaving Korea for good is mostly about collecting what you are owed and closing your records cleanly. The money items (severance, pension refund, deposit, final salary) take the longest, so start them at least a month before your flight. At the airport you hand back your residence card (외국인등록증), which ends your registration.
Key facts
| Residence card | Return it to the immigration officer when you leave for good (Immigration Act art. 37); fine up to ₩1 million if you don’t |
| Final pay and severance | Due within 14 days of your last day of work |
| Pension refund | Lump-sum refund (반환일시금) if your nationality or visa qualifies; NPS 1355 |
| Tax | Employer settles your year’s tax with your final pay |
| Deposit | Due back when the lease ends; protect it before you move out |
| Help | 1345 (immigration), 1350 (labor), 1355 (pension) |
6 to 4 weeks before
- Give notice at work as your contract requires. Ask in writing for the date your final salary and severance will be paid.
- Tell your landlord the date you will leave. Agree in writing when and how the deposit (보증금) will be returned, and which account it goes to. If the landlord may not pay on time, read Your Rights as a Tenant and how to protect your deposit before you hand over the keys. Moving out without protecting your claim can weaken it.
- Check your pension refund eligibility with the National Pension Service (국민연금공단). Refunds are paid to E-8, E-9 and H-2 workers, and to nationals of countries with a qualifying agreement or reciprocity. See our pension refund guide and pension refund calculator.
- Cancel or plan to cancel contracts: phone, internet, gym, utilities. Early cancellation fees may apply. See Utilities and Maintenance Fees.
Last 2 weeks
- Final salary and severance. Severance (퇴직금) is owed after one year of work and is due within 14 days of your last day, like the rest of your final pay. Check the amount with the severance calculator and our severance guide. If it is not paid, see Unpaid Wages. You can file a complaint even after you leave Korea, but it is much easier while you are still here.
- E-9 workers: claim your departure guarantee insurance (출국만기보험) and return airfare insurance (귀국비용보험) through the EPS system. These are separate from the pension refund.
- Tax. If you are an employee, your employer runs a year-end settlement for the months you worked (중도 퇴사자 연말정산) with your final pay, and you should get a withholding receipt. If you have other income, such as freelance work or a business, you may have to file your income tax return before you leave. See Income Tax and Year-End Tax Settlement and ask the tax office (126).
- Health insurance. Pay any outstanding premiums to the National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단, 1577-1000). Coverage ends when you leave. Unpaid premiums can cause problems if you ever apply for a Korean visa again.
- Pension claim. Apply at an NPS branch in your last weeks or at the NPS counter at the airport. Bring your passport, residence card, flight ticket and bank details.
Money and accounts
- Keep a Korean account open for a few weeks after you leave if your deposit or refunds will be paid in won. Banks may restrict accounts when your stay ends, so ask your bank how long it will stay usable.
- Send savings home through your bank or a licensed remittance service. See Sending Money Abroad.
- Close credit cards and automatic payments linked to your phone or account.
At the airport
- Hand your residence card to the immigration officer at departure and say you are leaving permanently.
- Make sure you leave before your permitted stay ends. Overstaying even by days brings fines. See Overstays, Fines and Deportation.
Not sure you are leaving for good? Registered foreigners can leave and return within 1 year without a re-entry permit (2 years for F-5), as long as their stay is still valid. If you keep your card, though, your registration and duties, such as insurance and address reports, continue.
Common questions
Do I lose my severance if I leave Korea before it is paid?
No. The debt remains. You can still claim it, and a labor complaint can be filed with help from a representative, but it is far easier to settle before you go.
Can I get my pension refund from abroad?
Yes, you can claim after departure through NPS, but applying before you leave is simpler.
What if my landlord has not returned my deposit when I fly?
Do not just leave. Get legal advice first, because there are steps to keep your claim protected after you move out. See Free Legal Help for Foreigners.
Do I have to return my card if I might come back on a new visa?
If you are leaving with no plan to return within your current stay, yes. A new visa later will come with new registration.
Official sources
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.