Guide for Exemption Application under the Agreement between Korea and Spain

How to be exempted from Spanish Social Security Contributions

• If you are mandatorily covered by the Korean legislation and detached to Spain, you can be exempt from Spanish social security contributions, provided that you obtain "a certificate of coverage under the social security agreement" from the National Pension Service of Korea and submit or show it to the Spanish competent institution.
• 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.

• (1) Who requires a Korean certificate of coverage?
  • ① An employee who is sent to work in Spain within a certain period of time (5 years) by an employer in Korea
  • ② An employee specified in ① who is granted an extension of the detached period on condition of mutual agreement between the two states
  • ③ A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Korea and is subject to the Korean legislation, and works in Spain within a certain period of time (5 years)
  • ④ A self-employed person specified in ③ who is granted an extension of the period on condition of mutual agreement between the two states
  • ⑤ A person who ordinarily resides in Korea and, for the same period of time, engages in gainful activities in both states
• (2) How to request a Korean certificate of coverage?
  • ① 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, 6^th Floor, Kukmin-Yeonkum Building, 180, Giji-Ro, Deokjin-Gu, Jeonju-Si, JEONBUK STATE, 54870, Korea
    - Fax (063)900-3404
• (3) (3) Required Documents
  • ① When you request the Certificate, you must submit an "Application for Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Spain" and documents to confirm the employee's detachment such as a detachment order and to prove the employee's commercial medial insurance covering overseas medical expenses.
  • ② An"Application for Certificate of Coverage under the Social Security Agreement between Korea and Spain" form is available on our website -> Social Security Agreement -> Forms. You can also obtain this document by visiting NPS' regional offices.
• 2. Presentation of the Certificate of Coverage to the Spanish Competent Institution
  • 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 by submitting the certificate to Spanish "The General Fund of Social Security."
    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, so we recommend that you request the exemption in time.

How to be exempted from Korean National Pension Scheme

• If you are mandatorily covered by the Spanish social security system and temporarily work (or are self-employed) in Korea, 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 Spanish competent institution and submit it to the Korean National Pension Service.
• 1.A Request for a Spanish Certificate of Coverage
  • - If you are an employee, your employer in Spain must request a Spanish certificate of coverage.
  • - If you are self-employed, you must personally request a Spanish certificate of coverage
• (1) Who requires a Spanish Certificate of Coverage?
  • ① An employee who is sent to work in Korea within a certain period of time (5 years) by an employer in Spain
  • ② An employee specified in ① who is granted an extension of the detached period on condition of mutual agreement between the two states
  • ③ A self-employed person who ordinarily resides in Spain and is subject to the Korean legislation, and works in Korea within a certain period of time (5 years)
  • ④ A self-employed person specified in ③ who is granted an extension of the period on condition of mutual agreement between the two states
  • ⑤ A person who ordinarily resides in Spain and, for the same period of time, engages in gainful activities in both states
• (2) How to request a Spanish Certificate of Coverage?
  • - You must request a certificate of coverage over the phone or by fax to the Spanish competent institution with the required documents according to its internal regulations.
• (3) Issuing competent institution of Spanish Certificate of Coverage
  • The General Fund of Social Security http://www.seg-social.es

• 2. Submission of the Certificate of Coverage to the Korean National Pension Service
  • ① 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 "Spanish 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 (Because an original copy must be submitted, a facsimile will not be accepted).
  • ② If you submit an "Spanish 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 International Center of the NPS or from any regional office of the NPS.