Before you come to Korea

This guide is for people preparing to work in Korea and people who have just arrived. It is written for E-9 (Employment Permit System).

The official process, in order

1. Pass the Korean language test (EPS-TOPIK).
2. Register on the job-seeker roster through your country’s official sending agency.
3. Sign a labor contract with a Korean company, using the standard labor contract.
4. Receive your visa and enter Korea.
5. Complete the employment training after arrival, then start work.

Details differ by country. Always check with your country’s official sending agency and the official EPS site (eps.go.kr).

When money comes up, stop

• Official costs are only the items and amounts published by your country’s official sending agency. They differ by country, so check the official fee table yourself.
• If someone asks for money to “put you on the roster first”, “make you pass” or “place you in a good company”, that is not part of the official process. Do not pay, and tell your country’s official sending agency.
• Do not pay a broker. If you already paid, keep evidence such as receipts and messages, and tell your country’s official sending agency. To ask whether you can get the money back in Korea, ask the Korea Legal Aid Corporation. Call 132 in Korea, or +82-54-810-0132 from abroad.
• Even after you arrive in Korea, some people ask for money to “move you to another company”. Changing workplaces is a procedure done at the employment center. If someone asks you for money, tell 1350.

Check these lines in your contract

• The company must use the standard labor contract (Foreign Workers Employment Act, Article 9).
• Wage — the monthly base pay or hourly wage.
• Working hours and days off — hours per day and per week, and when you rest.
• Housing and meals — whether they are provided, and who pays how much.
• Ask about any line you do not understand before signing. Keep a photo of the signed contract.
• Keep your passport and residence card originals yourself. Taking or demanding them to hold a worker to a contract or to make someone pay a debt is prohibited. If someone demands them or will not give them back, ask 1345.

First-month checklist after arrival

• If you will stay more than 90 days, register as a foreigner within 90 days of arrival (Immigration Act, Article 31).
• Open a bank account in your own name. Your salary must be paid to you directly, and if you receive it by bank transfer, the rule is that it goes into an account in your own name. Deposit records become evidence later.
• Check that the company enrolled you in health insurance.
• Photograph your contract and every payslip when you receive them.
• Enter important dates in this app’s deadline calculator, then log in and schedule a reminder. To get it on your phone, also turn on push notifications.