National Pension Service

Main Contents of the Social Security Agreement Between Korea and Italy

History of the Agreement with Italy

• Jun. 1999 : Held the first round of Negotiation Meetings for the Agreement in Italy
• Mar. 2000 : Signed the Agreement on Social Security between Korea and Italy
• Dec. 2000 : Provided a written notification to Italy that Korea has complied with all requirements for entry into force of this Agreement
• Jan. 2005 : Received written notification from Italy that Italy has complied with all requirements for entry into force of this Agreement
• Apr. 2005 : Social Security Agreement between Korea and Italy entered into force
• Jan. 2006 : Signed the Administrative Arrangement of the Agreement
• Mar. 2006 : Signed the Agreement on Social Security between Korea and Italy
• Jul. 2004 : Held meetings for the Implementation of the Agreement between Agencies of both countries

Applicable Legislation

• With respect to Korea,

  • the National Pension Act, and the regulations applicable thereto

• With respect to Italy,

  • the legislation on the general compulsory insurance for invalidity, old-age and survivors of employees
  • the relevant special management for self-employed workers
  • the insurance forms replacing the above-mentioned compulsory insurance

Personal Scope of this Agreement

This Agreement shall apply to any person who is or who has been subject to the legislation of either Korea or Italy, irrespective of their nationality. Therefore, any person such as a national of the contracting country, a stateless person, a refugee or a national of a third country who is or has been subject to the legislation of either contracting country shall be covered by this agreement.

※ For more information, you may refer to the section Text of Agreement

Exemption from Dual Coverage

• In general, an employee is subject to the legislation of a contracting country in which he/she is employed.
• A self-employed person is subject to the legislation of a contracting country in which the person ordinarily resides.
• Where a person is employed in the territory of one contracting country and is self-employed in the territory of the other country for the same period, he/she is subject to the legislation of a contracting country in which he/she ordinarily resides.
• A detached worker is exempt from coverage under the pension system of the contracting country which he/she is sent to for less than 3 years if he/she is covered under the pension scheme of his/her home country.(a 3-year extension is available by the consent between both countries' agencies)

※ For more information, you may refer to the section Agreement or Guide for Exemption Application

[ Countries that employees and the self-employed pay their contributions to ]

Benefits under this Agreement

• Since the Agreement on Social Security Between Korea and Italy is Contributions-only Agreement, there is no provision of Totalization of Periods of Coverage for the entitlement to benefit.
• Therefore, there is no pension benefits under the Agreement, whether the payment is granted depends on the each country's legislation respectively.
• And, a Korean Lump-sum refund is not paid to the nationals of Italy.

※ For more information, you may refer to the section Agreement

Agencies of this Convention

• As regards Korea,

  • National Pension Service (NPS)

• As regards the Italy,

  • National Institute for Social Security (INPS) : www.inps.it

Guide for Exemption Application

How to be Exempt from Italian Pension Contributions

If you are mandatorily covered by the Korean National Pension Scheme, and you would like to be exempt from paying contributions to pension system of Italy, you must get "a Certificate of Coverage under Social Security Agreement" from the National Pension Service of Korea and submit it to the Italian Agency.

1. A request for a Korean Certificate of Coverage

   If you are an employee, your employer must request a Korean Certificate of Coverage.

   If you are self-employed, you yourself must request a Korean Certificate of Coverage.

   • Who requires a Korean Certificate of Coverage?

     • An employee who is sent to work in Italy within a certain period (3 years) by an employer
     • An employee who is sent to work in Italy within a certain period by an employer and the detached period is extended for a certain period (3 years)
     • An employee who ordinarily resides in Korea and works in Korea and Italy.
     • A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Korea and works in Italy as well as in Korea
     • Some workers or members who can be exempt from pension contributions of Italy under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Italy.

   • How to request a Korean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement?

     The employer or self-employed person must request a Korean Certificate of Coverage by visiting the National Pension Service of Korea with the required documents or sending the required documents to the National Pension Service of Korea by mail or fax.

     • National Pension Service, Center for International Affairs, 6th Floor, Kukmin-Yeonkum Building, 180, Giji-ro, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk-do, 54870, Korea
     • Fax (063)900-3404

   • Required Documents

     • "Application for Certificate of Coverage under Social Security Agreement"
     • Documents to confirm the employee's detachment such as a Detachment Order.

     ※ "Application for Certificate of Coverage under Social Security Agreement" is available on our website → Social Security Agreement → Forms or you can get them by visiting NPS's regional office and by copying the form in the manual brochure at the NPS.

2. Submission of the Certificate of Coverage to the Italian Agency

   In Italy, since an employer or a self-employed person is normally responsible for reporting and paying pension insurance contributions, you don't have to pay contributions for the period of coverage specified on the Korean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement. However, when the Italian agency requests the evidence for the exemption, you have to show that Certificate of Coverage.

   If a contributor has already paid contributions for the previous exemption period, within a certain period, he/she is able to request a refund according to the interior procedure. However, in some cases, there could be limitations on the period regarding retroactive exemptions or refunds, so we recommend that you request the exemption allowing a suitable amount of time.

How to be Exempt from Pension Contributions

If you are mandatorily covered by the Italian pension system, and you would like to be exempt from coverage under the Korean National Pension, you must get a Certificate of Coverage under the Agreement from the authorized Agency in Italy and submit it to the National Pension Service.

1. A request for a Certificate of Coverage from Italy

   If you are an employee, your employer must request a Certificate of Coverage from an Italian Agency If you are self-employed, you must request a Certificate of Coverage by yourself.

   • Who requires an Italian Certificate of Coverage?

     • An employee who is sent to work in Korea within a certain period (3 years) by an employer
     • An employee who is sent to work in Korea within a certain period by the employer and the detached period is extended for a certain period (3 years)
     • A person who ordinarily resides in Italy and works as a worker in Korea as well as in Italy
     • A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Italy and works in Korea as well as in Italy
     • Some workers or members who can be exempt from Korean National Pension Contributions under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Italy

   • How to request an Italian Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement?

     After contacting the Italian Agency by phone or fax, you must request a certificate with the required documents according to the agency's procedures.

   • Issuing Agency of the Italian Certificate of Coverage

     • Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale-INPS (Tel. +39 803 164)
     • www.inps.it

2. Submission of the Certificate of Coverage to the National Pension Service of Korea

   If you are a worker, an employer in Korea (if self-employed, you yourself) must submit an "application of exemption" as well as an original copy of the "Italian Certificate of Coverage", and a copy of your identification to the International Center or the regional office by visiting or by sending a registered letter. (Because an original copy must be subimtted, a facsimile or a copy of the Certificate will not be accepted)

   If you submit an Italian Certificate of Coverage of the pension scheme, you are exempt from Korean contributions for the period shown on the same Certificate. If you have already paid contributions before you submit your certificate, the amount of the contributions already paid can be transferred to your due contributions or refunded. However, in accordance with the regulations of the National Pension Scheme, the right to request for a refund of a over-collected amount becomes valid only up to 5 years from the day following the processing of a qualification change, therefore, we recommend that you request the exemption within the required period.

※ Information here on our website is a general guide. You can get more information at the International Center of the NPS or any regional office of NPS.