Korea Jobs Sri Lanka 2026: EPS Salary and EPS-TOPIK Guide

What EPS workers earn in won and rupees, what comes out of the pay, and the only legal way in

Updated • 9 FAQs

How much do Sri Lankans earn on Korea EPS jobs?

Korea's 2026 minimum wage is KRW 10,320 an hour, or KRW 2,156,880 a month, about LKR 524,000 at LKR 0.243 per won (5 October 2026). With overtime, most Sri Lankan EPS workers earn KRW 2.3-3.0 million a month. You get there only through EPS-TOPIK and SLBFE, on a contract of up to 4 years 10 months.

How we checked this

  • We read SLBFE's EPS-TOPIK notices for September 2025 and April 2026, and its fee page.
  • We took the 2026 minimum wage and the E-9 quota from Korean government and labour-law sources.
  • We checked all of this in October 2026 and converted won at the 5 October 2026 mid-rate.
  • Pay ranges by sector are our estimates from Korean job data, not official figures.

What is the Employment Permit System (EPS)?

EPS is Korea's scheme for bringing in workers for small and medium firms that cannot find enough local staff. It is run government to government. On the Sri Lankan side, SLBFE handles the test registration and sends workers; on the Korean side, the labour ministry and its agency handle employers and the job-seeker roster. That is why we keep stressing that there is no private-agency shortcut.

Workers come on the E-9 (non-professional employment) visa. For 2026 Korea set the E-9 quota at 80,000 people across all sending countries: 50,000 in manufacturing, 10,000 in agriculture and livestock, 7,000 in fisheries, 2,000 in construction, 1,000 in services, and a 10,000 flexible reserve. SLBFE's point-based round in late 2025 recruited for manufacturing (2,000 places) and fishery (500 places).

Korea EPS Salary by Sector for Sri Lankan Workers

Every EPS contract must pay at least the Korean minimum wage. What pushes pay higher is overtime, night shifts and holiday work, which Korean law pays at 50% extra in most workplaces. Ranges below are SalaryLK editorial estimates of gross monthly pay including typical overtime, converted at about LKR 0.243 per won.

SectorMonthly (KRW)Approx. LKR
Manufacturing (day shift)Largest quota; overtime common2,300,000 - 2,900,000559,000 - 705,000
Manufacturing (night or two-shift)Night allowance at 50% extra2,600,000 - 3,300,000632,000 - 802,000
Shipbuilding and metal workWelding and fitting pay more2,500,000 - 3,300,000608,000 - 802,000
ConstructionSmall quota; daily work depends on weather2,400,000 - 3,200,000583,000 - 778,000
Fishery and aquacultureCoastal boats and fish farms2,200,000 - 2,800,000535,000 - 680,000
Agriculture and livestockLong seasonal hours; housing on farm2,156,880 - 2,500,000524,000 - 608,000
Service (restaurants, hotels)Newer sector; few places2,156,880 - 2,500,000524,000 - 608,000

Put those numbers next to pay at home. A welder in Sri Lanka or a construction worker in Sri Lanka earns a small fraction of a Korean factory wage, and even the legal minimum salary in Sri Lanka of LKR 30,000 is under a tenth of the Korean floor. Fishery applicants can compare with our fishing season pay guide.

What is deducted from a Korean salary, and what does life cost?

Your payslip shows income tax, health insurance and employment insurance. Many employers provide a dormitory or shared housing and may deduct part of the cost with your agreement, so ask what is deducted before you sign. These are our monthly estimates for a single worker outside Seoul.

Monthly itemKRW
Income tax, health and employment insurance150,000 - 300,000
Housing (if deducted by employer)0 - 300,000
Food250,000 - 400,000
Phone and data30,000 - 60,000
Transport and personal items50,000 - 120,000

A careful worker on KRW 2.6 million can often save KRW 1.3-1.8 million a month, roughly LKR 316,000-437,000. There is also money waiting at the end: your employer must pay into departure guarantee insurance, a severance fund worth about one month of pay per year of service, which you claim when you leave Korea.

How does the EPS-TOPIK exam work in Sri Lanka?

SLBFE runs EPS-TOPIK rounds when Korea gives Sri Lanka a quota. The rules change slightly every round, so always read the latest notice. This is what the two most recent notices said.

ItemWhat SLBFE published
Exam feeUS$28 (Rs. 8,428.48 in Sept 2025; Rs. 8,716.40 in April 2026)
Age18 to 39
Test format40 multiple-choice questions (20 reading, 20 listening), 50 minutes
Second roundPhysical fitness, basic skills test, interview, job capacity assessment
BarredImprisonment record, deportation from Korea, colour blindness, 5+ years already in Korea
SLBFE registration before departureRs. 22,027 (Rs. 18,200 + VAT + SSCL)

Passing the test does not guarantee a job. You join a roster, and an employer has to pick you. A higher score and relevant training improve your chances. If you want structured study first, our list of language courses in Sri Lanka is a starting point.

How to Get a Korea EPS Job from Sri Lanka

  1. 1. Watch for the SLBFE EPS-TOPIK notice

    SLBFE announces each EPS-TOPIK round on slbfe.lk with the sector, dates and eligibility. The April 2026 special round accepted applicants aged 18 to 39 with no record of imprisonment or deportation from Korea.

  2. 2. Pay the exam fee at the bank and register

    Pay the US$28 exam fee (Rs. 8,716.40 in the April 2026 round) at the bank named in the notice, then register at SLBFE with your passport and receipt. Online and ATM payments were not accepted.

  3. 3. Sit the EPS-TOPIK test

    The test has 40 multiple-choice questions, 20 reading and 20 listening, in 50 minutes. A colour vision check is done at registration.

  4. 4. Pass the skills test and interview

    Under the point-based system, shortlisted candidates take a physical fitness test, a basic skills test, an interview and a document-based job capacity assessment. Final selection goes by combined score.

  5. 5. Wait on the job-seeker roster for an employer

    Selected candidates go on the EPS job-seeker roster. A Korean employer picks you and signs a standard labour contract that shows the wage, hours and housing.

  6. 6. Get the E-9 visa and register with SLBFE

    After the employer secures your visa confirmation, apply for the E-9 visa at the Korean Embassy in Colombo, complete pre-departure training and pay the SLBFE registration fee of Rs. 22,027.

  7. 7. Fly to Korea and complete employment training

    New workers attend a short employment training course in Korea before starting at the workplace. Your first contract is up to three years, extendable to 4 years 10 months.

How to avoid fake agents for Korea jobs

Korea is the destination where we see the clearest rule: EPS places do not pass through private agents at all. Use these checks before you hand over money or documents.

  • - EPS rounds are announced only by SLBFE. If it is not on slbfe.lk, it is not EPS.
  • - The exam fee is paid at a bank against an official slip, never in cash to a person.
  • - For other countries, deal only with agencies on SLBFE's list of licensed foreign employment agencies.
  • - A Korean tourist (C-3) visa does not allow work; overstaying gets you deported and barred.
  • - Call the SLBFE hotline 1989 to check any offer.

If you are weighing other G2G-style routes, compare our Japan SSW jobs and salary guide and Israel jobs for Sri Lankans. For Gulf jobs, see Dubai salary for Sri Lankans, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, or closer to home, Maldives jobs.

Our take: is a Korea EPS job worth it?

On pay alone, Korea is one of the best options open to a Sri Lankan without a degree. The minimum wage floor is high, overtime is paid by law, and the cost of getting there is low because the route is official. Compared with Gulf jobs at AED or QAR 1,000-2,000, a Korean factory job pays two to three times more in rupees.

The catch is competition and patience. Rounds are irregular, places are limited, and passing the test still leaves you waiting for an employer. Factory work is physical, shifts are long, and changing employer is restricted.

What we would do first: start learning Korean now, before the next notice, so you are ready when registration opens for three days. Keep your passport valid, keep your record clean, and ignore anyone who says they can skip the queue.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get Korea jobs from Sri Lanka in 2026?

The legal route for factory, farm, fishing and construction work is the Employment Permit System (EPS), run between SLBFE and the Korean government. You pass the EPS-TOPIK Korean test and a skills test, go on the job-seeker roster, and a Korean employer selects you. Private agencies cannot sell you an EPS place, so watch slbfe.lk for each new round.

Where can I find Korea job vacancies in Sri Lanka?

Korea job vacancies under EPS are announced only by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment on slbfe.lk and in its newspaper notices. Each notice gives the sector, quota, age limits and registration dates. Facebook pages and agents offering "Korea visas" outside an SLBFE round are not part of EPS and are usually scams.

What is the EPS-TOPIK exam fee in Sri Lanka?

The fee is US$28, paid in rupees at the bank named in the SLBFE notice. In the April 2026 special round that was Rs. 8,716.40, and in the September 2025 round it was Rs. 8,428.48, because it moves with the exchange rate. SLBFE did not accept online or ATM payment, and the bank slip must carry the details the notice asks for.

What is the age limit for EPS-TOPIK?

Applicants must be 18 to 39 years old on the dates set in the notice. For the April 2026 special round that meant being born between 28 April 1986 and 27 April 2008. You must also have no record of imprisonment, no deportation from Korea, no colour blindness, and less than five years of previous work in Korea.

How much is a Korean salary in Sri Lankan rupees?

The 2026 Korean minimum wage is KRW 10,320 an hour, or KRW 2,156,880 a month for a standard 209-hour month. At about LKR 0.243 per won in October 2026 that is roughly LKR 524,000. Most EPS workers earn KRW 2.3 to 3.0 million with overtime, around LKR 559,000 to 729,000 before deductions.

How long is a Korea EPS contract?

The first contract is up to three years. If your employer asks to re-hire you before it ends, you can extend by one year and ten months, for a total of 4 years 10 months. Workers who finish the full period with one employer without problems can qualify for the faster sincere worker re-entry route.

Which sectors are open to Sri Lankans under EPS?

EPS covers manufacturing, construction, agriculture and livestock, fishery and some service work. Korea set a 2026 E-9 quota of 80,000 workers: 50,000 in manufacturing, 10,000 in agriculture, 7,000 in fisheries, 2,000 in construction, 1,000 in services and a 10,000 flexible reserve. SLBFE rounds usually focus on manufacturing and fishery.

Can I change my employer in Korea?

Only for set reasons such as business closure, unpaid wages, abuse or unsafe work. EPS allows up to three changes in the first three years and two more during the extension. After leaving a job you must apply to the local employment centre within one month and find a new employer within three months.

Do I need to pay an agent for a Korea job?

No. The only official payments are the US$28 EPS-TOPIK fee, your passport, medical and visa costs, and the SLBFE registration fee of Rs. 22,027 before departure. Anyone asking for lakhs of rupees to guarantee a Korea job is not part of EPS. Check with SLBFE on its 1989 hotline before paying anyone.

Sources

Updated Reviewed by SalaryLK Editorial TeamHow we research salaries

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