Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.
Employment Permit System (EPS), Ministry of Employment and Labor
The EPS portal walks a foreign worker through the employment procedure (language test, job application, labour contract, training, entry to Korea) and publishes their legal rights and obligations.
Ministry of Employment and Labor customer centre 1350 (paid call, weekdays 09:00 to 18:00, shown on the EPS site, read 8 October 2026)
Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.
What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.
Private for-profit sending companies cannot take part in managing foreign workers under the Employment Permit System. The EPS site says the older industrial trainee system let such companies take money from workers as "post-management fees", and that the Employment Permit System replaced it.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026For general foreign workers (E-9 visa) the employer pays the fee for the job training given on arrival, so it is not a cost to the worker. Workers of Korean descent on a different visa pay their own.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026The employer's working conditions are written into a standard labour contract. It is sent through the Human Resources Development Service of Korea to the sending organisation in your country, which contacts you to confirm you agree before the contract is finalised. The contract takes effect from the day you enter Korea.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026To be allowed to hire, an employer must be enrolled in employment insurance and industrial accident insurance, and must not have left wages unpaid in the five months before applying up to the day the permit is issued.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026During the arrival training the employer enrols in departure-guarantee insurance (which replaces severance pay) and wage-arrears guarantee insurance. The worker enrols in return-cost insurance and accident insurance.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026On arrival you receive at least 16 hours of job training, covering Korean language, Korean culture, relevant laws, occupational safety and health, and basic skills. The employer must make sure you receive it within 15 days of arrival, and the training time counts as working time under the Labor Standards Act. A health check is carried out during it.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026Foreign workers can seek a remedy for violations of the Labor Standards Act through the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the labour commissions and the courts, in the same way as Korean workers.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): employment and job procedure, in Korean, read 8 October 2026The EPS history page records that the Korea Foreign Workers' Support Center opened in December 2004 to give grievance counselling in workers' own languages. Check that it is still running before relying on it.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): history of the Employment Permit System, in Korean, read 8 October 2026The EPS site has country pages for Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Mongolia, Cambodia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Kyrgyzstan and Laos, as well as China. Of our source countries, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines are on that list. India, Bhutan and Brazil are not, so check with your own government before expecting a route to Korea through this system.
Korea EPS site (Ministry of Employment and Labor): history of the Employment Permit System, in Korean, read 8 October 2026Checked against the linked pages on 2026-10-08. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.
Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.
Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.
Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family
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