National Pension Service

Main Contents of the Social Security Agreement Between Korea and Chile

History of the Agreement with Chile

• Mar. 2008 : : Held a working-level meeting of the Agreement
• Mar. 2015 : Initialed the Agreement
• Apr. 2015 : Signed the Agreement
• Feb. 2017 : Entry into force of the Agreement

Applicable Legislation

• in relation to Korea,

  • the National Pension Act,

• in relation to Chile

  • laws and regulations concerning the old age, disability, and survivorship pension system based on individual capitalization, and the old age, disability and survivorship pension schemes administered by the Social Security Institute.

Personal Scope of this Agreement

This Agreement shall apply to any person who is or who has been subject to the legislation of either Contracting Party.

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

Exemption from Dual Coverage

• In general, an employed or self-employed person who works in the territory of one Contracting Party shall, with respect to that work, be subject only to the legislation of that Contracting Party.
• A detached person is exempt from being subject to the legislation of the party which he/she is sent to for no more than 5 years if he/she is covered under the legislation of his/her home country.

  ⇒ Based on the mutual agreement between the two countries, those periods can be extended for 2 more years.

• A person who is engaged in self-employed activities in the other contracting party or in both contracting parties is subject to the legislation of only the contracting party in which he/she ordinarily resides.

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

[ Applicable legislation under the Agreement ]

Agencies of this Agreement

• Korea

  • National Pension Service (NPS)

• Chile

  • Superintendence of Pensions(SP) : www.spensiones.cl

Guide for Exemption Application under the Agreement between Korea and Chile

How to be exempted from Chilean Social Security Contributions

If you are mandatorily covered by the Korean legislation and detached to Chile for temporary work (or self-employment), you can be exempt from Chilean social security contributions, provided that you obtain "a Certificate of Coverage under the social security agreement" from the National Pension Service of Korea.

1. A Request for a Korean Certificate of Coverage

   If you are an employee, your employer in Korea 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 Chile for a certain period of time (no more than 5 years) by an employer in Korea.
     • An employee specified in ① who is granted an extension of the detached period for 2 more years on condition of mutual agreement between the two countries.
     • A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Korea and engages in self-employed activities in Chile or both countries.

   • How to request a Korean certificate of coverage?

     The employer 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 EDI, 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

     • When you request the Certificate, you must submit an "Application for Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Chile" and documents to confirm the employee's detachment such as a detachment order.
     • An"Application for Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Chile" form is available on our web-site -> Social Security Agreement -> Forms. You can also obtain this document by contacting NPS' Center for International Affairs.

2. Exemption from Chilean pension contributions

   An employer who is responsible for paying pension contributions is exempt from paying social security contributions for the period specified on a Korean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement and should bear a Certificate of Coverage all the time in case of request from a labor authority.

   If a contributor has already paid contributions for the previous exemption period, there are limitations regarding retroactive exemptions, so we recommend that you request the exemption in time.

How to be exempted from the Korean National Pension Scheme

If you are mandatorily covered by the Chilean pension system and detached to Korea for temporary work (or self-employment), you can be exempted from the Korean National Pension Scheme, provided that you get "a Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement" from a Chilean Liaison Agency and submit it to the Korean National Pension Service.

1. A Request for a Chilean Certificate of Coverage

   If you are an employee, your employer in Chile must request a Chilean Certificate of Coverage.

   If you are self-employed, you must personally request a Chilean Certificate of Coverage.

   • Who requires a Chilean Certificate of Coverage?

     • An employee who is sent to work in Korea within a certain period of time (5 years) by an employer in Chile.
     • An employee specified in ① who is granted an extension of the detached period for 2 more years on condition of mutual agreement between two countries.
     • A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Chile and engages in self-employed activities in Korea or both countries.

   • How to request a Chilean Certificate of Coverage?

     You must request a Certificate of Coverage to the Chilean Liaison Agency with the required documents according to its internal regulations.

   • Issuing Liaison Agency of Chilean Certificate of Coverage

     • Superintendence of Pensions www.spensiones.cl

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

   • The following must be submitted by your employer if you are an employee or by you personally if you are self-employed; an "application of exemption" as well as an original copy of "Chilean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement", and a copy of your identification to the International Center or the regional office by visiting or by sending a registered letter. (Please note that an original copy must be submitted, a faxed copy will not be accepted.)
   • If you submit an "Chilean Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement", you are exempt from Coverage under the Korean legislation 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 Korean National Pension Act, the right to request a refund of mistaken payments of contributions is valid only up to 5 years from the day following the processing of a qualification change.

※ Information here on our web-site is a general guide. You can get more information about the exemption of coverage from the Center for International Affairs of the NPS or from any regional office of the NPS