National Pension Survivor Pension Claim: Documents and Procedure

Procedure

1. 1. Check whether the deceased meets the eligibility conditions

   Under National Pension Act Article 72, a survivor pension is paid when an old-age pension recipient, a person with 10 or more years of coverage, a person who paid contributions for at least one third of the coverage period, a person who paid contributions for at least 3 years in the 5 years before death (excluded if contributions were in arrears for 3 years or more during the coverage period), or a recipient of a disability pension of grade 2 or higher dies. Some conditions do not apply to deaths during periods of overseas emigration or loss of nationality, so confirm the contribution history with the Service first.

2. 2. Determine who qualifies and in what order

   Survivors are, in order, the spouse, children (under 25 or with a disability), parents (60 or older or with a disability, including a spouse's parents), grandchildren (under 19 or with a disability) and grandparents (60 or older or with a disability), who were supported by the deceased. The pension is paid only to the highest-ranking survivor, and if several people share the same rank the amount is divided equally. The standard for proving dependency is set by Presidential Decree, so income and asset records may be needed.

3. 3. Prepare the claim form and documents and file with the Service

   Under Article 22, paragraph 10 of the Enforcement Rule of the National Pension Act, submit the survivor pension claim form (Form No. 17) to the National Pension Service together with a copy of the claimant's ID, a detailed family relation certificate, a document proving the death such as a death certificate, and the disability occurrence and death circumstances report. If an agent files the claim, a copy of the beneficiary's ID is also required.

4. 4. Receive the decision and check the amount

   The survivor pension is 40% of the basic pension amount for coverage under 10 years, 50% for 10 to under 20 years, and 60% for 20 years or more, plus the dependent family pension amount. If the deceased was an old-age pension recipient, the amount cannot exceed the old-age pension the deceased was receiving. After receiving the decision, check that the amount and the beneficiary determination are correct, and if you object, confirm the review request deadline stated in the notice.

5. 5. Manage suspension and termination reports during receipt

   A spouse beneficiary may have the pension suspended after 3 years of payment until age 55 (not suspended if the spouse has a disability, supports a child under 25, or is not engaged in work with income above the set level). If entitlement ends through remarriage, death or other causes, a termination report must be filed with the Service within 30 days under Article 29 of the Enforcement Rule, and a change report for another survivor taking over entitlement is also due within 30 days.

Required documents

• Survivor pension claim form (National Pension Act Enforcement Rule, Form No. 17)
• Copy of the claimant's ID (may be replaced by showing the ID)
• Copy of the beneficiary's ID (when an agent files the claim)
• Detailed family relation certificate (including resident registration number)
• Document proving the death, such as a death certificate
• Disability occurrence and death circumstances report

Fees

Certificate issuance fees and postage are actual costs. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the survivor priority review and the amount of evidence to organize; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• National Pension Act, Article 72
• National Pension Act, Article 73
• National Pension Act, Article 74
• National Pension Act, Article 75
• National Pension Act, Article 76
• National Pension Act, Article 77
• National Pension Act, Article 115
• Enforcement Rule of the National Pension Act, Article 22
• Enforcement Rule of the National Pension Act, Article 29

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-19

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• The right to receive benefits expires after 5 years, so check the contribution history early after the death.
• If a reason arises for entitlement to end or pass to another survivor, a report must be filed with the Service within 30 days.

Frequently asked questions