The Employment Permit System is the largest legal route from Nepal to Korea. It is also the route with the most misinformation around it. This is the official sequence.
The Employment Permit System is a government-to-government programme between Nepal and Korea. There are no agents in the official process. Every stage is run by the EPS Korea Section under the Department of Foreign Employment in Nepal and by HRD Korea on the Korean side, and every fee is published.
If someone asks you for money to "guarantee" selection, they are not part of the system.
Stage 1 - the announcement
EPS intakes are announced by sector - manufacturing, agriculture, fishery, construction - with a fixed quota for Nepal each year. Announcements appear on the EPS Korea Section website and in national newspapers. Registration windows are short, often two weeks.
Basic eligibility:
- Age 18 to 39
- No criminal record
- No history of deportation from Korea
- Not disqualified from departing Nepal
- Physically fit, with normal colour vision for most manufacturing roles
Stage 2 - EPS-TOPIK
The Korean language test is the screening gate. It has two sections - reading and listening - and is taken on a computer (CBT) or on paper (PBT) depending on the intake.
- Reading: 25 questions, 40 minutes
- Listening: 25 questions, 30 minutes
- Total: 200 points; the pass mark is set by quota, not a fixed score
The practical consequence of that last line: passing is relative. If the quota is 10,000 and 40,000 sit the exam, the cut-off rises. Study for a score well above the previous year's line.
The official question bank is published by HRD Korea. Work through it rather than through third-party shortcuts - the exam draws directly from it.
Stage 3 - the skill test
Candidates who clear EPS-TOPIK take a competency test appropriate to the sector: physical fitness, dexterity, colour perception, and a short practical task. It is not difficult, but it does eliminate people who arrive unprepared for the physical component.
Stage 4 - the roster
Passing both tests places your name on the job seeker roster, which stays valid for two years. Being on the roster is not a job offer. Korean employers search the roster and select workers, and the wait varies from weeks to the full two years depending on sector and luck.
During this period you must:
- Complete the medical examination at an approved centre
- Keep your passport valid
- Respond immediately when contacted - selections expire
Stage 5 - job matching and the contract
When an employer selects you, you receive a Standard Labour Contract specifying the company, sector, wage and working hours. Read it. The contract is for a specific workplace, and the wage stated is the wage you will be paid - at least the Korean minimum wage, which is set nationally each year.
After you sign, HRD Korea issues a Certificate of Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI), which is what the Korean Embassy in Kathmandu uses to issue your E-9 visa.
Stage 6 - pre-departure training
Mandatory training in Nepal covers Korean workplace culture, industrial safety, basic language and your rights. Attendance is compulsory and recorded.
Stage 7 - costs
Published costs are modest. Budget approximately:
| Item | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| EPS-TOPIK application | NPR 4,000 - 5,000 |
| Medical examination | NPR 5,000 - 8,000 |
| Training and processing | NPR 15,000 - 25,000 |
| Insurance (departure guarantee, return cost) | KRW-denominated, deducted after arrival |
| Airfare | Variable |
Total legitimate cost is well under NPR 100,000. Amounts far above that indicate a broker in the chain.
Stage 8 - arrival in Korea
On arrival you complete a three-day orientation at an HRD Korea training centre, receive your workplace assignment details, and enrol in the four mandatory insurances. Within 90 days you must obtain your Alien Registration Card at the local immigration office.
Rules that matter once you are working
Workplace change. You may change workplace a limited number of times during your stay, and only through the employment centre - not by walking out. Leaving without following the process makes you undocumented, which ends the visa and the possibility of returning.
Length of stay. E-9 is granted for up to four years and ten months. Workers who complete their term without changing workplace and whose employer requests re-entry may qualify for the Committed Worker re-entry route, returning after a short period rather than starting the process again.
Returning money. Set up remittance through a licensed operator in your first month. Korean banks, Hanpass, GME, IME and Global Money Express all handle the Nepal corridor, and rates vary more than fees do.
Departure refunds. Before leaving Korea permanently, claim your national pension lump-sum refund and your departure guarantee insurance. Many workers leave without claiming both, which is a significant amount of money abandoned.
Where to verify anything
Use only the official EPS Korea portal and the EPS Korea Section in Kathmandu. Notices, exam dates, results and quotas are all published there first. Anything circulating on social media ahead of those two sources is a rumour until it appears on them.
Stay current
Get told when these rules change
One short email a month covering visa rules, fees and new guides.
