Korea Monthly Rent Tax Credit for Foreign Residents: Eligibility, Rate and Limit
Published 2026-10-20
If you work in Korea and rent your home, the monthly rent tax credit can return part of your rent as a tax credit. This page summarizes the National Tax Service (NTS) guidance as we verified it on 2026-10-20 (NTS page date: 31 December 2024). We could not confirm any rule that depends on nationality, so foreign residents should read the last section before relying on it.
Who can claim it
| Item | Condition (NTS) |
|---|---|
| Income | Employees with total salary up to KRW 80 million (or comprehensive income up to KRW 70 million). A spouse's income is not added |
| Household | The head of a household that owns no home on 31 December. If the head does not claim housing-related deductions, another household member can claim |
| Home | Up to 85 m² (the national housing size) or an official assessed value of KRW 400 million or less. Residential officetels and goshiwon count; school dormitories do not |
| Address | The address on the lease must match the address on your resident registration, so the move-in report is required. A fixed-date stamp on the lease is not needed |
How much you get back
| Total salary | Credit rate |
|---|---|
| KRW 55 million or less (comprehensive income KRW 45 million or less) | 17% |
| Over KRW 55 million up to KRW 80 million | 15% |
Rent counted is capped at KRW 10 million a year, so the credit is at most KRW 1.7 million (10 million × 17%). If you receive a cash receipt for the rent, it does not stack with the credit-card income deduction on the same rent, and you choose the more favorable one.
Documents
NTS lists a resident registration certificate, a copy of the lease, and a bank-transfer receipt or deposit slip for the rent.
Where year-end tax settlement fits
Employees normally claim this credit through the annual year-end tax settlement (yeonmal-jeongsan) with their employer. Check your employer's deadline and ask which documents they need.
If you are a foreign resident
The NTS pages we read set conditions by income, housing and registration and do not mention nationality, but we could not confirm how they apply to foreign nationals. Some foreign employees are taxed under special rules, and the document that replaces a resident registration certificate may differ for you. Please ask your employer's payroll team or the NTS call center (126, Korean) which rules and documents apply to you before filing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a rent limit?
- The credit counts rent up to KRW 10 million per year, which gives a maximum credit of KRW 1.7 million.
- Does the home have to be under 85 m²?
- No. A home above 85 m² also qualifies if its official assessed value is KRW 400 million or less.
- Do I need a registered move-in?
- Yes. The lease address and your resident registration address must match.
- Can I get it together with Korea's youth monthly rent support program?
- We could not find an official statement that says yes or no, so we do not state either. Ask NTS (126) or the program office.
Sources
- National Tax Service: monthly rent tax credit (Korean) — checked 2026-10-20
- National Tax Service Q&A (Korean) — checked 2026-10-20
Related (Korean): Korean version (월세 세액공제 가이드)
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