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Main Contents of the Social Security Agreement Between Korea and Austria

Agreement Administrative Arrangement
History of the Agreement with Austria
  • May 2004 : The Korean draft of the Agreement sent to Austria
  • Jun 2005 : The first working-level meeting of the Agreement in Austria
  • October 2007 : The second working-level meeting of the Agreement in Korea
  • Jun 2007 : The third working-level meeting of the Agreement in Austria
  • September 2007 : The meeting for the Administrative Arrangement of the Agreement in Austria
  • July 2009 : The meeting for the implementation of the Agreement in Korea
  • January 2010 : The Agreement on Social Security and its Administrative Arrangement signed in Austria
  • October 2010 : The Social Security Agreement between Korea and Austria entered into force
Applicable Legislation

  • in relation to Korea

    • the National Pension Act and its regulations
    • with regard to Part II only, the Employment Insurance Act, the National Health Insurance Act, the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, the Act on the Collection of Premiums for Employment Insurance and for Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance and their regulations

  • in relation to Austria

    • The legislation concerning pension insurance, with the exception of the insurance for notaries
    • with regard to Part II only, the legislation concerning sickness insurance and accident insurance
Personal Scope of this Agreement

This Agreement shall apply to any person who is or has been subject to the social security legislation of either contracting country and to other persons eligibility rights derived from such a person.

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

Exemption from Dual Coverage
  • In general, an employee is subject to the legislation of a contracting country in which he/she is employed.
  • In general, a self-employed person is subject to the legislation of the country in which he/she works.

    → A person who is engaged in self-employment in both contracting countries is subject to the legislation of only the contracting country of which he/she is a resident.

  • A detached worker is exempt from being subject to the legislation of the country which he/she is sent to for less than 5 years if he/she is covered under the legislation of his/her home country.

    Based on mutual agreement between two countries, those periods can be extended.

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

[ Applicable legislation under the Agreement ]
Applicable legislation under the Agreement
Type Work Status Coverage
Employee You are working in Austria
for an employer in Austria who hired you Austria
for an employer in Korea who sent you to work in Austria for less than 5 years (Based on mutual agreement between two countries, those periods can be extended.) Korea
for an employer in Korea who sent you to work in Austria for more than 5 years without extension of detached period Austria
You are working in Korea
for an employer in Korea who hired you Korea
for an employer in Austria who sent you to work in Korea for less than 5 years (Based on mutual agreement between two countries, those periods can be extended.) Austria
for an employer in Austria who sent you to work in Korea for more than 5 years without extension of detached period Korea
Self-employed You are self-employed in Austria Austria
You are self-employed in Korea Korea
You are self-employed in both countries Ordinary residence
Benefits under this Agreement

Even though your periods of coverage in one country are not sufficient to qualify for pension benefits, you may be eligible for benefits after this Agreement has entered into force. This is possible due to totaling the coverage of both countries.

  • Korean National Pension Benefits under the Social Security Agreement

    • If you do not have enough periods of coverage (e.g., 20 years for Full Old-age pension) to qualify for pension benefits under the Korean National Pension Scheme, you may be able to qualify for Korean National Pension benefits by totaling periods of coverage under the Korean and the Austrian pension systems. However, these periods creditable under the Austrian pension system, must not coincide with those under the legislation of Korea.
    • Your benefit is calculated by dividing the Korean periods of coverage by the total periods of coverage and then multiplying by the benefits amount (Theoretical Benefit). The benefits amount (Theoretical Benefit) is calculated based on the total periods in both countries.

  • Austrian Pension Benefits under the Social Security Agreement

    • If you do not have enough periods of coverage to qualify for pension benefits under the Austrian pension systems, you may be able to qualify for Austrian pension benefits by totalizing periods of coverage under the Korean and the Austrian pension systems. However, these periods creditable under the Korean National Pension Scheme, must not coincide with those of under the legislation of Austria.
  • A person who is or has been subject to the laws of one contracting country and who resides within the territory of the other contracting country, together with his dependents, receive equal treatment with the nationals of the other contracting country in the application of the laws of the other contracting country.
  • Korean lump-sum refunds are granted to Austrian nationals based on the Agreement. However, lump-sum refunds can be paid to nationals of a third state only in accordance with the reciprocity principle under the Korean National Pension Act.
  • There is no lump-sum refund under the Austrian social security system, and as such any contribution which a Korean national paid to the Austrian social security system will be granted in monthly installments not in a lump-sum.

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

Agencies of this Convention

Application for Korean Benefits under the Agreement

If you have periods of coverage in Korea and Austria but do not have enough periods of coverage under the Korean pension system to qualify for Korean old-age pension benefits (age of 60 or age of 55 for the early old-age pension), you may be able to qualify for Korean benefits by totaling Korean and Austrian periods of coverage.

Please refer to the following details about requirements for entitlement classified by types, eligible persons, the method of filling out the forms and required documents.

A claimant must submit an "Application for Korean Benefits under Social Security Agreement" to the NPS in Korea or to the relevant Agency in Austria.

At the time of applying for benefits by mail, we recommend that you are fully aware of the requirements for the Benefit Application by contacting the NPS by phone. In this way, you will ensure the proper preparation of the documents and avoid any unnecessary delays in payments.

You can download the form of "Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement"from our web-site or get it at the NPS regional office, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea Abroad, or the relevant Austria agency.

Old-age Pension

  1. Eligible Persons

    If you meet the following conditions for the benefits by totaling Korean National Pension periods of coverage and Austrian periods of coverage, you may be able to apply for the Korean old-age pension under the Social Security Agreement.

    Old-age Pension
    Type Totalized period of Coverage Age of the first benefit payment Other Cases
    Full Old-age Pension 20 years or more age of 60 (55) less than 65, not engaged in income-earning activities
    Reduced Old-age Pension from 10 years to less than 20 years age of 60 (55) less than 65, not engaged in income-earning activities
    Active Old-age Pension 10 years or more age from 60 to 65 (55-60) engaged in income-earning activities
    Early Old-age Pension 10 years age of 55 less than 65, not engaged in income-earning activities
    Special Old-age Pension from 5 years to less than 10 years age of 60 (55) more than certain years of age

  2. Filling out the Application Form and Required Documents

    If you want to apply for an old-age pension, you must fill out Part A (General information), Part B (Application for an Old-age Pension), Part H (To be signed by the applicant) on the "Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement"and submit it with the following required documents.

    Required documents
    • Your ID such as Alien Registration Card, together with your passport or just your Resident Registration Card

    • A copy of your Korean bank account information

      ※ If you want overseas remittance, you must fill out the Overseas Remittance section "7. Method of Payment of Benefit" on Part A and submit a copy of your foreign bank account information.

    • In the case of Early Old-age Pension

      • If you are an employee: an Employment Contract (Verification of Employer) or a Receipt for Earned Income Tax Withholding (Record of your salary or bank account where your salary is deposited into, etc.) is also required.
      • If you are an employer: a Certificate of Suspension or Cessation of Business, or documentation to confirm suspension or cessation is also required.

    • If you have any dependents supported by you,

      • Documents to confirm your family relations: a Family Relations Certificate (a copy of Household Resident Register), a copy of the Registration of Korean National Residing Abroad, verification of residence, verification of de facto marriage status, etc.
      • Documents to confirm your dependence status: a Certificate of Studentship, a Certificate of Holding Office, a Certificate of Medical Care, a copy of the Certificate of Business Registration, a copy of the Building Registration Certificate, documents to confirm special reasons for living separately, a remittance statement of the financial institution (communications and portal services), etc.
      • Documents to confirm your disability: a medical report of disability under the Agreement (an Austrian medical report is acceptable)

    ※ If you have a certificate of disability registration falling under the 1st or 2nd degree based on the Korean Welfare of Disabled Persons Act prior to the date on which reasons of payment occur (e.g., the date when an old-age pensioner reaches pensionable age, when a disability pensioner has finished his/her medical treatment or a year and a half have passed since the first medical examination, or in the case of survivor pension, when the person who is/was a contributor dies), it is considered a document of verification of disability.

Divided Pension

  1. Eligible Persons

    If you had lived with your ex-spouse for 5 years or more while your spouse was paying contributions, and your spouse is a beneficiary of old-age pension under the social security agreement, you may apply for a divided pension if you meet the following conditions for the benefits.

    You are entitled to the payment of benefits
    • When you become 60 years of age after having divorced an old-age pensioner.
    • When you divorce an old-age pensioner after turning 60 years of age.
    • When your ex-spouse acquires old-age pension entitlement after you become 60 years of age.
    • When you become 60 years of age after your ex-spouse has acquired old-age pension entitlement.

  2. Filling out the Application Form and Required Documents

    If you want to apply for a divided pension, you must fill out Part A (General information), Part C (Application for a Divided Pension), Part H (To be signed by the applicant) on the "Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement" and submit it with the following.

    Required documents
    • Your ID such as Alien Registration Card, together with your passport or just your Resident Registration Card
    • A copy of your Korean bank account information

      ※ If you want overseas remittance, you must fill out the Overseas Remittance section "7. Method of Payment of Benefit" on Part A and submit a copy of your foreign bank account information.

    • If you are a Korean national: documents to confirm your divorce such as a Family Relations Certificate (Certificate of Marital Relations), etc.
    • If you are a foreign national or a Korean national living overseas: documents to confirm the periods of marriage and occurrence of divorce such as a certificate of marriage, a certificate of residence report of overseas Korean nationals, or a confirmation of residence.
Disability Pension

  1. Eligible Persons

    If you have periods of coverage in Korea and come to be disabled while you are covered under the Austrian pension system, you may apply for the Korean disability pension under the Social Security Agreement.

  2. Filling out the Application Form and Required Documents

    If you want to apply for a disability pension, you must fill out Part A (General information), Part D (Application for a Disability Pension), Part H (To be signed by the applicant) on the "Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement"and submit it with the following required documents.

    Required documents
    • Your ID such as Alien Registration Card, together with your passport or just your Resident Registration Card

    • A copy of your Korean bank account information

      ※ If you want overseas remittance, you must fill out the Overseas Remittance section "7. Method of Payment of Benefit" on Part A and submit a copy of your foreign bank account information.

    • Documents to verify your history of disability

      • Documents sent by the Austrian agency in relation to your disability (Medical report of disability, X-ray, CT or MRI film, etc.)
      • A Medical report that verifies disability. (This form was established under the social security agreement between Korea and Austria. It is to be used if the documents from Poland are not sufficient.)

    • If the accident occurred while you were working

      • Documents to confirm whether you are eligible for compensation under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, the Labor Standard Act or the Seamen Law

    • If you receive compensation from a person who caused you harm, you need the related documents

      • The decision of the court or a copy of the settlement reached with the person who caused your disability

    • If you have any dependents supported by you,

      • Documents to verify your family relations: a Family Relations Certificate (a copy of Household resident register), a copy of the Registration of Korean National Residing Abroad, Verification of Residence, Verification of de facto marriage status, etc.
      • Documents to confirm your dependence status: a Certificate of Studentship, a Certificate of Holding Office, a Certificate of Medical Care, a copy of Certificate of Business Registration, a copy of the Building Registration Certificate, documents to confirm special reasons for living separately, a remittance statement of the financial institution (communications and portal services), etc.
      • Documents to confirm your disability: a medical report of disability under the Agreement (An Austrian medical report is acceptable)
Survivor Pension

  1. Eligible Persons

    A surviving dependent of the person who meets the following conditions can apply for a survivor pension.

    Surviving dependents are entitled to the payment of benefits
    • When a person with insured periods under the Korean National Pension Scheme dies while he/she was covered under the Austrian pension system.
    • When a person with total insured periods of 10 years or more under the Korean and the Austrian pension systems dies after losing insured status.
    • When a person with total insured periods of less than 10 years under the Korean and the Austrian pension systems dies due to disease or injury that occurred during the insured period within 2 years after the first medical examination which is made during the insured period or within 1 year after that person's insured status was discontinued.
    • When a person who is a beneficiary of the old-age pension or the disability pension with the 1st or 2nd degree of disability under the Agreement dies.

  2. Filling out the Application Form and Required Documents

    If a person wants to apply for a Survivor Pension, he/she must fill out Part A (General information), Part E (Application for a Survivor Pension), Part H (To be signed by the applicant) on the "Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement" and submit it with the following required documents.

    Required documents
    • Your ID such as Alien Registration Card, together with your passport or just your Resident Registration Card
    • A copy of your Korean bank account information

      ※ If you want overseas remittance, you must fill out Overseas Remittance section "7. Method of Payment of Benefit" on Part A and submit a copy of your foreign bank account information.

    • Documents to confirm the beneficiary's death

      • A Family Census Register, a medical report of death, a confirmation of the corpse, a certificate of death
    • Documents to verify your family relations: a Family Relations Certificate, a Certificate of Marital Relations, a copy of the Registration of Korean National Residing Abroad, Verification of Residence, Verification of de facto marriage status, etc.
    • Documents to confirm your surviving dependence status: a Certificate of Studentship, a Certificate of Holding Office, a Certificate of Medical Care, a copy of the Certificate of Business Registration, a copy of the Building Registration Certificate, documents to confirm special reasons for living separately, a remittance statement from the financial institution (communications and portal services), etc.
    • Documents to confirm disability: a medical report of disability under the Agreement (an Austrian medical report is acceptable)

    • Documents to show the result of the first medical examination

      • a medical report of death, a confirmation of the corpse, a certificate of death and other documents to confirm the first medical examination. (If a Korean national dies in Korea, a report for health insurance medical examination and treatment, etc. is required)

    • If the accident occurred while working

      • documents which verify whether you are eligible for compensation under the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, the Labor Standard Act or the Seamen Law

    • If you receive compensation from a person who caused you harm, you need the related documents.

      • the decision of the court or a copy of the settlement reached with the person who caused your disability.
Lump-sum refund

  1. Eligible Persons

    If you are an Austrian national and meet the following conditions, you may apply for a lump-sum refund under the agreement. However, once you have received a lump-sum refund, the insured periods concerned can be totalized for the Korean or Austrian pension systems.

    The following persons are entitled to the payment of benefits
    • An Austrian national with less than 10 years of totalized insured periods under the Austrian and Korean pension systems who reaches 60 years of age, provided that he/she is not eligible for the old-age pension.
    • An Austrian national who loses his/her insured status under the Korean National Pension Scheme and returns or plans to return to Austria, provided that he/she is not eligible for the old-age pension.
    • A surviving dependent of an Austrian national who died with totalized insured periods less than 10 years under the Austrian and Korean pension systems (only when this surviving dependent is not entitled to the survivor pension).
    • A surviving dependent of an Austrian national who died with more than 10 years of insured periods under the Austrian and Korean pension systems, but only when this person is not eligible for the survivor pension due to the non-payment of contributions.

  2. Filling out the Application Form and Required Documents

    If you want to apply for a lump-sum refund, you must fill out Part A (General information), Part F (Application for a Lump-sum refund or Death grant), Part H(To be signed by the applicant) on the Application for Korean Benefits under the Korea-Austria Social Security Agreement and submit it with the following required documents.

    Required Documents
    • Your ID such as Alien Registration Card, together with your passport or just your Resident Registration Card

    • A copy of your Korean bank account information

      ※ If you want to receive overseas remittance, you must fill out Overseas Remittance section "7. Method of Payment of Benefit" on Part A and submit a certificate of your foreign bank account information.

    • For an application made because of leaving Korea

      • before leaving Korea: a copy of an airline ticket
      • after leaving Korea: a copy of your passport (including proof of the immigration exit stamp dated after you discontinued your Korean insured status) or Certificate of The Facts Concerning the Entry & Exit

    • For an application made because of death

      • Documents to verify your family relations: a Family Relations Certificate, a copy of the Registration of Korean National Residing Abroad, Verification of Residence, Verification of de facto marriage status, etc.
      • Documents to confirm your dependence status: a Certificate of Studentship, a Certificate of Holding Office, a Certificate of Medical Care, a copy of Certificate of the Business Registration, a copy of the Building Registration Certificate, documents to confirm special reasons for living separately, a remittance statement of the financial institution (communications and portal services), etc.
      • Documents to confirm disability: a medical report of disability under the Agreement (an Austrian medical report is acceptable)

※ Other information regarding the lump-sum refund is available on our website -> National Pension -> National Pension Scheme -> Foreigners and Lump-sum Refund

Application for Austrian Benefits under the Agreement

  1. Eligible Persons

    If you are eligible for the Austrian pension by totaling the periods of coverage under the Korean and the Austrian pension systems, you are able to apply for Austrian benefits.(However, conditions of benefits vary depending on the type of benefits.)

  2. Filling out the and Submitting the Application Form

    A claimant can apply for Austrian pension benefits by contacting the Korean National Pension Service or through the following social security agency of Austria.

※ Information here on our website is a general guide. You can get more information from the relevant agency in Austria.