Quick Summary
- E-9 and H-2 visa workers are automatically enrolled in exit insurance (출국만기보험) — it is your employer's legal obligation.
- Work at least 1 year and you can collect a lump-sum payout (equivalent to severance pay) when you leave.
- Claim deadline: 3 years from the date your job ends. Miss it and the money is lost forever.
- Apply: Samsung Fire Foreign Workers Hotline 02-2261-8400 / dedicated app / FAX
- Payment: Korean account, overseas home-country account, or airport cash pick-up at Incheon / Gimhae
If you worked in Korea on an E-9 or H-2 visa, there is money with your name on it. It is called the exit insurance payout (출국만기보험금) — Korea's mandatory severance savings scheme for non-professional foreign workers. Your employer has been depositing 8.3% of your monthly ordinary wage into a Samsung Fire insurance policy every single month. When you leave, that money is paid to you in one lump sum. As of late June 2025, 4,454 uncollected claims worth roughly KRW 21.6 billion are sitting idle — and KRW 19.6 billion has already been permanently forfeited because workers missed the 3-year window.
Many workers leave Korea without knowing the insurance exists, or assume the process is too complicated. This guide covers everything: what exit insurance is, how much you will receive, how to apply from Korea or abroad, the strict 3-year deadline, and what HR managers must do to stay compliant. If you have already returned home, check your deadline today.
1. What Is Exit Insurance — And How Does It Differ from Regular Severance?
Exit insurance is a government-mandated insurance scheme under Article 13 of the Act on Foreign Workers' Employment, designed exclusively for non-professional foreign workers (E-9 and H-2 visa holders). Rather than paying severance directly at employment end, employers deposit 8.3% of the worker's ordinary monthly wage into a Samsung Fire policy each month. This removes the risk of non-payment: the money is held by Samsung Fire, not the employer, so workers receive it directly from the insurer even if the company closes.
Important caveat: exit insurance is calculated only on the fixed ordinary wage in your contract, not overtime or variable bonuses. If your statutory severance turns out to be higher, your employer must pay the difference. Always compare the two figures before you leave.
⚠ Exit Insurance vs. Statutory Severance — Check for a Gap
Statutory severance (average wage × 30 days × years of service) may exceed your exit insurance payout. If so, the employer must pay the shortfall — withholding this difference is a wage violation reportable to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
2. Who Is Eligible?
Exit insurance covers all foreign workers employed under E-9 (Non-Professional Employment) or H-2 (Working Visit) visa status. Enrollment is mandatory for employers. Confirm your employer enrolled you by calling Samsung Fire (02-2261-8400) or using the app.
The fundamental condition is continuous service at the same workplace for at least 1 year. If you leave before one year, the funds revert to your employer. Once you pass one year, you are entitled to the payout for the full period from your first day. Worked at multiple places? Each workplace carries a separate policy — file independently for each one where you completed at least one year.
Eligibility Checklist
- E-9 or H-2 visa holder?
- 1 year or more at the same workplace?
- Planning to leave Korea, or already returned home?
- Less than 3 years since your employment ended?
All four? Apply immediately!
3. How Much Will You Get?
Formula: ordinary monthly wage × 8.3% × months worked. At Korea's 2026 minimum wage (approx. KRW 2,096,270/month), the monthly premium is about KRW 174,000. Working the full E-9 maximum of 4 years 10 months (58 months) at minimum wage yields roughly KRW 10.09 million.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary monthly wage (example) | — | KRW 2,200,000 |
| Monthly premium (8.3%) | 2,200,000 × 8.3% | KRW 182,600 |
| Length of service (E-9 maximum) | 58 months | — |
| Estimated payout | 182,600 × 58 | Approx. KRW 10,590,800 |
For an accurate figure, call Samsung Fire (02-2261-8400) or use the app. If your statutory severance is higher, claim the difference from your employer.
4. How to Apply: Step-by-Step
You can apply before or after leaving Korea. Pre-departure is recommended, but if you are already home, you can still apply by FAX or app within the 3-year window.
Pre-Departure — 4 Steps
Get a Departure Confirmation Certificate from an Employment Center (Work24 / 고용24) — available 1 month before departure
Request the "Planned Departure Confirmation Certificate" (출국예정사실 확인서). Mandatory for your claim.
Prepare Documents
Passport or Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증), Departure Certificate, claim form, bank book copy. Add SWIFT code for overseas payment.
Submit to Samsung Fire (at least 7 days before departure)
Hotline 02-2261-8400 / dedicated app / domestic FAX 0505-161-1421.
Choose Payment Method
Korean bank account / overseas home-country account (SWIFT required) / cash at Incheon or Gimhae Airport. Payment within 14 days of Ministry of Justice departure confirmation.
Already home? Use international FAX (82-505-161-1421) or the Samsung Fire app. Home-country account in your own name only — no third-country transfers.
Samsung Fire Foreign Worker Insurance — Contacts
- Domestic hotline: 02-2261-8400 (Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and more)
- Domestic FAX: 0505-161-1421
- International FAX: 82-505-161-1421
- App: Samsung Fire Foreign Worker Insurance (Android & iOS)
5. The 3-Year Deadline — The Most Important Number
Claim rights expire exactly 3 years from your last day of employment (resignation, contract end, or departure — whichever comes first). Once expired, the right is permanently gone. Expired funds go to HRD Korea (한국산업인력공단) — practically impossible to recover. As of late June 2025, 11,244 expired policies totalling KRW 19.6 billion have been forfeited. Check your deadline now.
Deadline Examples
- Left Korea 15 June 2022 → deadline: 14 June 2025 (at risk of expiry)
- Contract ended 1 March 2023 → deadline: 28 February 2026
- Resigned 31 August 2024 → deadline: 30 August 2027
Clock starts from earliest of: resignation date, contract end date, departure date.
Unsure of your deadline? Call Samsung Fire (02-2261-8400). Also check enrollment history at www.eps.go.kr.
6. For HR Managers: Obligations and Penalties
Employers of E-9 or H-2 workers must enroll them with Samsung Fire within 15 days of the employment contract taking effect. Applies to all businesses regardless of size. Premium: 8.3% of ordinary monthly wage, fully employer-paid. Non-enrollment: criminal fine up to KRW 5 million. Return-trip cost insurance (굼국비용보험) non-enrollment fines: KRW 800,000 (1st), KRW 1.6 million (2nd), KRW 3.2 million (3rd+).
HR Checklist
- New hire: enroll within 15 days
- Monthly: verify 8.3% premium remittance
- At departure: compare statutory severance with payout, settle shortfall
- Inform worker: claim process and 3-year deadline
- Workplace changes: advise prior-employer insurance is separately claimable
FAQ
Closing: Your Money, Your Right — Claim It
Exit insurance is not a benefit — it is a right. Every month of hard work in Korea has been building this fund. Apply before you leave, or apply today if you are already home. One call to 02-2261-8400 starts the process. Do not let the 3-year clock run out on money you have earned.
HR managers: enroll on time, settle any severance shortfall, and guide every departing worker through the claim process.
Key Contacts
- Samsung Fire Hotline: 02-2261-8400 (multilingual)
- Ministry of Employment and Labor: 1350
- HRD Korea EPS: www.eps.go.kr
- Work24: www.work24.go.kr
- Severance Calculator: labor.moel.go.kr
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