Can I Go to Nepal? Can I Come Back? 8 Common Questions

Common questions

Q. What steps do I need to take to go to Nepal? A. First check your stay period and your return date, then agree on the vacation with your company. Please get the company's consent and the vacation dates by text message and keep them. The steps are in Going to Nepal for a short time.

Q. I have a bad relationship with my boss. If my boss cancels while I am in Nepal, will I be unable to come back? A. Your boss is not the person who decides your departure from Korea. Your boss also cannot decide to cancel your stay permission. But your company contract does affect your stay. If the contract ends while you are away, in principle you apply for a workplace change at the 고용센터 (Employment Center) within 1 month from the day it ended. If you miss this deadline, you may have to leave Korea. If you are absent for 5 days or more without the company's consent, the company can report this to the 고용센터, and this may cause a problem with your stay status. However, if you are in danger because of violence or a similar reason, first go to a safe place and call 112. Before you go, please get the company's consent and the vacation dates by text message and keep them, and ask 1577-0071.

Q. What if the company closes while I am in Nepal? A. If the company closes and your contract ends, the workplace change deadline keeps running even while you are in Nepal, so it is good to check with the 고용센터 right away. A business closure is a reason for a workplace change that is not the worker's fault. The 고용센터 makes the decision. In principle, you apply within 1 month from the day the contract ended, and you must get the 근무처 변경허가 (permit to change workplace) within 3 months from the application date. The permit fee is 12만 원 (120,000 won), and you start work after the permit is issued. For unpaid wages, 3 years are counted separately for each month, from that month's payday, and the oldest months expire first. For 퇴직금 (severance pay), the limit is 3 years from the day after you left the job. The 간이대지급금 (simplified substitute payment), which 근로복지공단 (Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service) pays first when the company has no money, has a shorter deadline. To be eligible, you must file a complaint within 1 year from the day after you left the job. Please see The 3-year limit for unpaid money. From Nepal, call 1345 at +82-2-1345 and ask where and how to check.

Q. Can I quit my company and go home for about 40 days while I am looking for a job? A. Immigration allowing your re-entry and the 고용센터 job search period are separate matters. The 3 months counted from the day you applied for a workplace change keep running while you are out of Korea. If you do not get the 근무처 변경허가 within these 3 months, in principle you must leave Korea. If you have not applied yet, the 1-month deadline from the day your contract ended is running, and if you go away for 40 days, this deadline will pass first. If you could not apply or could not get the permit because of a work injury, an illness, pregnancy, or childbirth, the time is counted from the day that reason ended. The 고용센터 decides whether this applies to you and how many days you have left. Before you go, please check first with the 고용센터 or 1577-0071.

Q. Can I work for 2 years, stay in Nepal for 1 year, and then come back on the same visa? A. If you still have stay period left and it is within 1 year from the day you left Korea, you do not need a re-entry permit. However, this is only about the re-entry permit. If you are absent for 5 days or more without the company's consent, the company can report this to the 고용센터, and this may cause a problem with your stay status. If your contract ends, the 1-month deadline from the day it ended starts to run, and if you miss this deadline, you may have to leave Korea. Please check first with the 고용센터 or 1577-0071.

Q. After I go home, how long must I wait to come back? A. In principle, you can work in Korea again only after 6 months have passed from the day you left. 6 months is the shortest period. Because of the exam and the wait on the job seeker list, it can take several months to more than 1 year. With the special rule for sincere workers, which the employer applies for before you leave, the shortest period is 1 month from the day you left, and it has its own requirements. Please see Sincere worker re-entry and Trying EPS again after going home.

Q. My record says "신고 없이 귀국" (returned home without reporting). Can I go to Korea again? A. A decision can only be made after looking at your own record. Please ask 1345 or the Korean Embassy in Nepal (주네팔 한국대사관). If you want to come back through EPS, please also check your eligibility with the EPS Korea Section in Nepal (epsnepal.gov.np).

Q. If my visa ended and I went home, can I come back on a tourist visa? A. It depends on the type of visa and the immigration check, so we do not give a definite answer. Please check with 1345 or the Korean Embassy in Nepal (주네팔 한국대사관).

Where to get help

• 외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center) 1345 (Nepali available Monday to Friday, 09:00~18:00; from overseas, +82-2-1345)
• 외국인력상담센터 (Foreign Workforce Counseling Center) 1577-0071 (Nepali available, 365 days a year, 09:00~18:00. On Saturdays and public holidays, only duty staff work, so there may be no Nepali counselor)
• 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) customer counseling 1350 (Korean, weekdays 09:00~18:00)
• Emergency 112/119
• 주네팔 대한민국대사관 (Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nepal) (for questions about Korean visas; on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs overseas missions website overseas.mofa.go.kr, select "Nepal")
• Nepal Embassy in Korea (passports, notarization, and similar services. It does not handle visa extensions or company changes)