National Pension Service

Main Contents of the Social Security Agreement Between Korea and Mongolia

History of the Agreement with Mongolia

• Jun. 2004 : agreed on negotiating a Social Security Agreement between Korea and Mongolia
• Feb. 2005 : sent a Korean proposal to Mongolia
• Mar. 2005 : first round of Negotiation Meetings for the Agreement in Mongolia
• Oct. 2005 : agreed on the final agreement between both countries
• Mar. 2006 : Negotiation Meetings for the Administrative Arrangement of the Agreement
• May. 2006 : signed the Agreement on Social Security and the Administrative Arrangement
• Jun. 2006 : received written notification from Mongolia that Mongolia has complied with all requirements for entry into force of this Agreement
• Nov. 2006 : gave written notification to Mongolia that Korea has complied with all requirements for entry into force of this Agreement
• Jan. 2007 : held a meeting for the Implementation of the Agreement between Agencies of both countries
• Mar. 2007 : Social Security Agreement between Korea and Mongolia entered into force

Applicable Legislation

• as regards Korea,

  • the National Pension Act
  • the Employment Insurance Act
  • the Act on the Collection, etc. of Premiums for Employment Insurance and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance
  • regulations related to the above Acts

• as regards Mongolia,

  • the Law on Social Insurance
  • the Law on Pensions and Benefits Provided by the Fund of Social Insurance
  • the Law on Individual Pension Insurance Contribution Accounts
  • the Law on Unemployment Benefit provided by the Fund of Social Insurance

Personal Scope of this Agreement

This Agreement shall apply to Korean nationals or Mongolian nationals who are or who have been subject to the legislation of either Korea or Mongolia.

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

Exemption from Dual Coverage

• According to the territorial principle, an employee is subject to the legislation of a contracting country in which he/she is employed and a self-employed person is subject to the legislation of the contracting country in which the person works.
• A national of one contracting country is exempt from coverage under the other contracting country's legislation for less than 5 years, if he/she is covered under the legislation of his/her home country.
• Especially, Mongolian workers working in Korea under the Korean Industrial Training System or the Employment Permit System are exempt from coverage under the Korean legislation for 60 months with the Certificate of Coverage of Mongolian legislation.

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

Benefits under this Agreement

• Since Agreement on Social Security Between Korea and Mongolia is a 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.
• A Korean Lump-sum refund is not paid to Mongolian nationals.

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

Agencies of this Convention

• As regards Korea,

  • National Pension Service (NPS)

• As regards the Mongolia,

  • State Social Insurance General Office

Guide for Exemption Application

How to be Exempt from Mongolia Pension Contributions

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

     • A Korean employee who works in Mongolia within a certain period (for less than 5 years)
     • A Korean self-employed who works in Mongolia within a certain period (for less than 5 years)

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

     The employer in Korea or self-employed person must request a Korean Certificate of Coverage by
     1) visiting the National Pension Service of Korea with the required documents or by
     2) 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 Mongolian Agency

   To apply for exemption of coverage, your employer must submit a Korean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement to the State Social Insurance General Office of Mongolia.

   Korean workers who work in Mongolia are exempt from coverage under the Mongolian pension system for 6 months. However, because they are mandatorily covered under the Mongolian pension system after those 6 months and contributions once paid cannot be refunded, it is recommended that you request exemption within a suitable amount of time.

How to be Exempt from Pension Contributions

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

In addition, Mongolian nationals working in Korea under the Korean Industrial Training System or the Employment Permit System are exempt from coverage under both the National Pension Scheme and the Employment Insurance Scheme only when they request exemption by submitting a Mongolian Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement to the National Pension Service of Korea.

1. A request for a Mongolian Certificate of Coverage

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

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

   • Who requires a Mongolian Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement?

     • A Mongolian employee who works in Korea within a certain period (for less than 5 years)
     • A Mongolian self-employed who works in Korea within a certain period (for less than 5 years)

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

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

   • Issuing Agency of Mongolia Certificate of Coverage

     • State Social Insurance General Office

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 "Mongolian 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 submitted, a facsimile or a copy of the Mongolian Certificate will not be accepted)

   If you submit a Mongolian Certificate of Coverage, you are exempt from the Korean National Pension contributions and the Employment Insurance 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 a refund of a over-collected amount is valid only up to 5 years from the day following the processing of a qualification change, therefore, we recommend that you request 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.