When and how do I get the E-9 departure guarantee insurance?

The departure guarantee insurance money is usually paid within 14 days from the day you leave Korea. It is money like severance pay that your employer pays in every month. You can receive it if you worked continuously for 1 year or more.

When you can receive it

• When you leave Korea (temporary departures are not included)
• When the insured person dies
• When your visa status changes

If you worked less than 1 year, this money goes back to your employer.

How to apply

1. Before you leave, check with the insurance company (Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, 02-2261-8400) how to receive the money and which documents you need.
2. After you leave, make a claim to the insurance company. You usually need a copy of a bank account in your own name and a copy of your ID (passport or alien registration card).
3. The money is paid within 14 days from the day you left, not the day you claimed. If you apply after you leave, or apply because of a visa status change or death, it is 14 days from the application date.

⚠️ Things to watch out for

• You must claim within 3 years. If 3 years pass from the day the reason for payment arose, your right to claim ends, and the money goes to the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (한국산업인력공단).
• If the insurance money is less than the severance pay set by law, your employer must pay the difference. You can ask the insurance company to confirm the lump-sum amount in writing.
• If you leave a job to change workplaces and need 4 weeks or more of treatment, or you change workplaces for a reason that is not your fault, such as the employer's fault, you can take out a secured loan of up to 50% of the amount accumulated.
• Your employer must enroll you within 15 days from the day the work contract takes effect, and pays in 8.3% of your monthly ordinary wage every month.

Before you leave, be sure to ask your employer whether you are enrolled and for the insurance company's contact details. Check the exact procedure again with the Ministry of Employment and Labor Employment Permit System (고용노동부 고용허가제, eps.go.kr) or the Foreigner Support Center (외국인종합안내센터, 1345).