Money and taxes
Year-end tax, severance, pension refunds, credit, child benefits, remittance. The financial side of living in Korea.
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Start here. The 5 guides our readers open the most in this pillar.
FamilyKorean Child Benefits for Foreign Residents: What Is Officially Confirmed
A source-tight guide to Korean child benefits for foreign-resident families: Child Allowance, Parental Allowance, daycare support, Seoul and Gyeonggi foreign-child daycare programs, pregnancy voucher, delivery copay changes, and First Meeting Voucher rules.
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MoneySeverance Pay (퇴직금) in Korea for Foreign Workers
What foreign workers in Korea need to know about severance pay: who qualifies, how the 30-day formula works, DB vs DC vs IRP plans, the 14-day payment rule, common employer traps, and how to claim unpaid severance through the Ministry of Employment & Labor.
Read guideMoneyKorea Income Tax for Foreign Residents: May Filing Window (종합소득세)
Korean income tax (종합소득세) for foreign residents: who must file during the May window, the 19% flat rate option, double-taxation treaties, and what to settle before leaving Korea.
Read guideMoneyYear-End Tax Settlement (연말정산) for Foreign Residents in Korea
How Korea's year-end tax settlement works for foreign residents: the January-February timeline, the 19% flat rate vs. progressive brackets decision, deductions most foreigners miss (including overseas dependents), and what to do if you leave Korea mid-year.
Read guideMoneyKorea Pension Refund Guide: Claiming Your NPS Lump Sum When Leaving
How to claim your National Pension Service (NPS) lump-sum refund when leaving Korea. Who qualifies via visa, treaty, or reciprocity; how to apply; airport-desk option; and the 5-year claim deadline.
Read guideTools for this pillar
Personal finance, investing, and credit
Open Korean brokerage and tax-advantaged accounts, invest in Korean and overseas markets, and build credit Korean banks will lend against.
Personal finance hub for foreign residents
Master eligibility guide and walkthroughs for brokerage, ISA, IRP, overseas stocks, and credit. Tax-resident status is the gate.
BrowseMoneyPersonal Finance Accounts in Korea: What Foreign Residents Can Actually Open
A plain-English map of ISA, IRP, pension savings, Korean brokerage accounts, overseas stocks, and overseas account reporting for foreign residents in Korea.
Read guideMoneyOpening a Korean Brokerage Account as a Foreign Resident (2026)
What changed after Korea abolished the foreign-investor registration certificate, what a brokerage account lets you do, and which official tax rules foreign residents should understand before trading.
Read guideMoneyInvesting in Overseas Stocks from Korea: A Foreign Resident's Guide (2026)
The official Korean tax and reporting rules foreign residents should check before buying overseas stocks through a Korean brokerage or a foreign account.
Read guideMoneyISA in Korea: A Foreign Resident's Guide to the Individual Savings Account
How Korea's Individual Savings Account (ISA) works for foreign residents: tax-resident eligibility, the 3-year rule, current caps, tax treatment, early termination, and the pension transfer option.
Read guideMoneyKorean Retirement Accounts (IRP + 연금저축) for Foreign Residents
How Korea's IRP and pension savings (연금저축) tax-credit rules work for foreign residents: annual limits, the flat-rate trap, IRP investment limits, severance handling, and the overseas-emigration exit path.
Read guideMoneyBuilding Korean Credit as a Foreign Resident
How Korea's official credit-score system works, what foreign residents can verify from public sources, and how to avoid overreading private bank approval folklore.
Read guideTaxes and deductions
Year-end settlement, foreign-resident tax status, the 19% flat-tax election, and the deductions most people miss.
Taxes hub: year-end settlement, status, and refunds
The 183-day residency rule, the year-end settlement, the 19% flat-tax election, and the deductions most people miss.
BrowseMoneyYear-End Tax Settlement (연말정산) for Foreign Residents in Korea
How Korea's year-end tax settlement works for foreign residents: the January-February timeline, the 19% flat rate vs. progressive brackets decision, deductions most foreigners miss (including overseas dependents), and what to do if you leave Korea mid-year.
Read guideMoneyKorea Income Tax for Foreign Residents: May Filing Window (종합소득세)
Korean income tax (종합소득세) for foreign residents: who must file during the May window, the 19% flat rate option, double-taxation treaties, and what to settle before leaving Korea.
Read guideMoneyKorea's 5-Year Non-Permanent Resident Tax Exemption: A Guide for Foreigners Earning Foreign Income (2026)
Korea's Income Tax Act (소득세법) gives foreign residents a limited remittance-basis rule while their Korean domicile/residence period totals 5 years or less during the previous 10 years. This guide explains the count, remittances, source classification, and what changes after the threshold.
Read guideMoney19% Flat Tax Rate Election (외국인 단일세율) for Foreign Workers in Korea (2026)
Should you elect the 19% flat tax rate as a foreign worker in Korea? This guide explains what the flat tax election costs you in forfeited deductions, when it saves money, and exactly how and when to elect it each year.
Read guideMoneyFreelancer 3.3% Withholding Refund (3.3% 환급) in Korea for Foreign Residents
The 3.3% withheld from many Korean freelance business-income payments is a prepayment, not a final tax. Foreign residents file comprehensive income tax (종합소득세) in May to settle the actual liability and may receive a refund depending on income, business code, deductions, credits, and other income.
Read guideMoneyCredit Card and Cash Receipt Deduction (신용카드 소득공제) for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
Foreign residents with employment income in Korea can deduct a portion of their card and cash-receipt spending from taxable income at year-end. Here is how the 25% threshold works, what rates apply, and how to claim it.
Read guideMoneyRent Tax Credit (월세 세액공제) for Foreign Residents in Korea (2026)
Foreign residents renting on a monthly basis in Korea can claim up to ₩1.7M per year back in income tax through the rent tax credit (월세 세액공제). This guide covers who qualifies, how the credit is calculated, how to claim it through year-end settlement or Hometax, and the common mistakes that get claims rejected.
Read guideMoneyHousing Subscription Savings Deduction (주택청약저축 소득공제) for Foreign Residents in Korea (2025)
A 2025 reform extended Korea's housing subscription savings income deduction to include spouses of heads of household. If you are a foreign resident whose spouse is registered as head of household, you can deduct 40% of eligible contributions, with contributions counted up to ₩3M per year. Here is what you need to know before claiming it.
Read guidePension, severance, and leaving Korea
What you've paid in, what you're owed on the way out, and how to claim it.
MoneyKorea Pension Refund Guide: Claiming Your NPS Lump Sum When Leaving
How to claim your National Pension Service (NPS) lump-sum refund when leaving Korea. Who qualifies via visa, treaty, or reciprocity; how to apply; airport-desk option; and the 5-year claim deadline.
Read guideMoneySeverance Pay (퇴직금) in Korea for Foreign Workers
What foreign workers in Korea need to know about severance pay: who qualifies, how the 30-day formula works, DB vs DC vs IRP plans, the 14-day payment rule, common employer traps, and how to claim unpaid severance through the Ministry of Employment & Labor.
Read guideMoneyEPS Departure Insurance (출국만기보험) for Migrant Workers Leaving Korea
Every E-9 worker in Korea is entitled to a lump-sum Departure Insurance (출국만기보험) payout funded by their employer. Learn who qualifies, how much you get, and the exact steps to claim it before and after you leave.
Read guideMoneyEPS Return Home Insurance (귀국비용보험) for Migrant Workers in Korea
E-9 and H-2 workers in Korea must join return home insurance within 3 months of the labor contract effective date. This guide explains what it covers, how it differs from departure insurance, how much you pay, and what to check before leaving Korea.
Read guideMoneyLeaving Korea: The Complete Departure Checklist for Foreign Residents
A month-by-month timeline for leaving Korea: pension refund, severance, final taxes, bank accounts, lease termination, shipping, ARC cancellation, pets, and the order things must happen in to avoid costly mistakes.
Read guideGovernment benefits and stipends
Cash benefits and subsidies foreign residents qualify for: housing benefit, first-encounter voucher, youth savings, and more.
Benefits hub: cash support foreign residents can claim
Child Allowance, parental leave, housing benefit, the first-encounter voucher, youth savings, and unemployment benefit.
BrowseMoneyHousing Benefit (주거급여) for Foreign Residents in Korea: Eligibility and How to Apply
Korea's Housing Benefit is available only to a narrow set of foreign residents under the National Basic Livelihood Security rules. This guide explains the official foreigner carve-out, the 2026 income limits, rent caps, documents, and application route.
Read guideMoneyFirst Encounter Voucher (첫만남이용권) in Korea for Foreign Residents (2026)
The First Encounter Voucher is a one-time Korean birth voucher paid through the National Happiness Card. This guide explains the official child-registration rule, current amounts, spending deadline, and where foreign-resident families should apply.
Read guideMoneyYouth Tomorrow Savings Fund: Closed to New Applicants Since 2024
The Youth Tomorrow Savings Fund (청년내일채움공제) is closed to new applicants. Work24 says new support stopped from 2024, while existing applicants can still request government support.
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Recently added guides not yet assigned to a section.
MoneyCost of Living in Korea for Foreign Residents (2026)
A practical Korea budget guide for foreign residents: which costs are fixed by official sources, which costs are estimates, and how to model rent, NHIS, transit, language, and everyday spending.
Read guideMoneySending Money Home from Korea: Banks, Apps, and the Fees That Eat Your Transfer
How to send money abroad from Korea as a foreign resident: annual limits, the two channels (banks vs. licensed apps), how to compare real costs, and which corridor apps to check first.
Read guideBrowse another pillar
Visas and work rights
E-9, F-2, F-4, F-6, EPS, work rights, Korean resumes, job platforms, sponsorship. Which visa fits, what it lets you do, and how to find a job under it.
BrowseHousing in Korea
Jeonse, wolse, deposits, lease docs, scams. The Korean rental system explained before you sign.
BrowseHealthcare and family
NHIS enrollment, English-speaking doctors, ER, pharmacies, mental health, childcare, child benefits, parental leave, pets. Health and family life in Korea.
BrowseSettling in
ARC, bank account, SIM card, transportation, delivery apps, community. The first weeks and the everyday rhythm of life in Korea.
BrowseTravel
Resident-framed travel, food, festivals, seasons, and neighborhoods. Where to go, what to eat, and what to plan around when Korea is home base.
BrowseKorea, decoded
K-pop generations, chaebol families, nunchi, jeong, weddings, funerals. The threads behind everyday Korean life.
BrowseKorean language
TOPIK, KIIP, speech levels, and Konglish. The Korean-language credentials that unlock F-2 points, F-4 residence, and F-5 permanent residency, plus the everyday Korean you'll actually use.
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