The Ultimate Checklist for Canadian Working Holiday Makers Before Flying Home
Keeping the crimson maple leaf of Canada close to your heart, is your journey now coming to an end? If so, let my own experiences guide you on how to beautifully lock away your memories of life in Korea, ensuring a flawless return.
To be completely honest with you, I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I spent about a year and a half in Canada, treated it almost like a golf study abroad trip, and then just flew back to South Korea without tying up any loose ends.
A few years later, because I realized how much I truly loved Canada, I decided to go back. But when I arrived, I was shocked to find that my financial credit score in Canada had completely hit rock bottom.
It was the harsh price I paid for leaving without a second thought—everything from unpaid speeding tickets to unclosed bank accounts had piled up against me. I don’t want any of you to make the same painful mistake I did.
The time you spent beneath the towering neon lights of Seoul and the historic alleys of beautiful coastal cities is now folding into a gorgeous page of your memories.
However, if you get too caught up in nostalgia, buy your plane ticket, and simply board the flight, you might face a harsh reality. Leaving South Korea without tying up loose ends could mean being hit with unexpected Korean Won (KRW) bills, collections, and tax surprises the moment you land back home in Canada.
To ensure your departure is as seamless and perfect as your journey, here is the ultimate, practical checklist you must complete before flying home.
Quick Summary (TL;DR)
Taxes & Health Insurance: File your final taxes with the NTS (Korean CRA) and cancel your NHI policy to avoid ghost bills.
Banking & Digital: Close your accounts, use fintech apps for cheap remittance, and complete all identity-verified tasks before handing over your ARC at Incheon Airport.
Cash & SIMs: Spend your Korean coins locally and settle your final prorated phone bills.
1. National Tax Service Clearances & Tax Refunds (The Korean CRA)
Tying up your financial loose ends with the National Tax Service (NTS)—the Korean equivalent of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)—is the single most critical step before you head back to Canada.
Requesting Your Year-End Tax Settlement (Yeonmal Jeongsan)
If you worked a legal job in South Korea (such as teaching English or working in hospitality), you have been paying local income tax. This process is the Korean equivalent of getting your T4 slip. Depending on your departure date, coordinate with your employer’s HR department to get your final tax clearance. Provide them with your permanent Canadian home address and active email so they can forward any tax refunds or documents to you later.
Settle Local Resident Taxes
Ensure that all municipal and local resident taxes are fully paid off before you clear out. Being verified as tax-compliant by the NTS ensures that you won’t face any unexpected administrative red flags or issues if you choose to return to South Korea in the future for a tourist trip or another career opportunity.
2. National Health Insurance (NHI) Cancellation
Leaving your health insurance active is one of the most common pitfalls that can quietly drain your wallet after you leave Korea.
Avoiding Accrued Premium Penalties
If you were registered under South Korea’s National Health Insurance (NHI), the premiums are automatically billed every month. If you simply leave the country without reporting your departure, the bills will continue to accumulate in your name. This can lead to heavy late fees and serious legal or financial complications if you ever try to re-enter South Korea or apply for a visa down the line.
How to Properly Cancel Your Coverage
Visit a local NHI branch office or call their dedicated English helpline (033-811-2000) at least a week before your flight. You will need to present your flight ticket and your physical Alien Registration Card (ARC) to officially suspend or cancel your insurance policy starting from your exact departure date.
3. Closing Korean Bank Accounts and Smart Remittance
Leaving your local Korean bank accounts active without proper maintenance can lead to a massive headache once you are back across the Pacific.
Preventing Frozen Accounts
Major Korean banks like KEB Hana, Shinhan, or KB Kookmin do not usually charge steep monthly account maintenance fees like Canadian banks. However, accounts left completely inactive for extended periods can be frozen or flagged for security reasons. It is highly recommended to visit a branch in person to officially close any accounts you no longer need and withdraw your funds.
Optimizing Your Currency Exchange (KRW to CAD)
If you must leave an account open temporarily to receive your final paycheck or apartment housing deposit (Jeonse/Wolse), make sure to set up online banking and international transfer permissions while you are still in the country. When transferring your hard-earned Korean Won back into Canadian Dollars, skip the high-fee traditional bank wires and use digital fintech apps like Wise or Sentbe for the absolute best exchange rates.
4. Disposing of Local Korean Cash and Coins
Dealing with leftover physical currency is always a hassle, so you need a smart game plan before arriving at Incheon International Airport.
What to Do with Korean Coins
Canadian banks (like RBC, TD, or Scotiabank) and international airport exchange booths will absolutely not accept foreign coins for exchange. If they do, they will take them at a massive loss to you. Start spending your 100 and 500 Won coins at local convenience stores or traditional markets two weeks before you leave. Alternatively, you can donate your leftover coins at designated charity boxes located throughout the Incheon airport terminal.
Keeping Emergency Cash
Keep a small amount of physical paper bills (around 50,000 to 100,000 KRW) in your wallet for airport transit, terminal snacks, or unexpected baggage fees. Leftover Korean paper currency is incredibly easy to exchange back into CAD once you land at Vancouver (YVR) or Toronto (YYZ), or you can save them as a cool souvenir from your journey.
5. Cleaning Up Your Digital Korean Footprint (The ARC Trap)
Korean phone plans and digital apps are deeply tied to your residency identity number, making it essential to wipe your digital slate clean before departure.
Crucial: Complete Tasks Before the ARC Surrender!
CRITICAL TIP: When you clear passport control at Incheon Airport, you must hand over your physical Alien Registration Card (ARC) to the immigration officer.
The moment that card is turned in, your phone identity verification link is severed. This means you will immediately lose the ability to do mobile identity verification for Korean apps. You must complete all bank transfers, app unlinking, and final mobile bills BEFORE stepping into the airport immigration line.
Essential Digital Checklist:
Deactivating SIM Cards & Phone Plans: Visit your telecom provider (KT, SKT, LGU+, or budget MVNOs like Chingu Mobile) to officially terminate your contract. Make sure all prorated final bills are completely paid off before boarding.
Disconnecting Kakao Pay & Banking Apps: Unlink your Canadian bank cards from local convenience apps like KakaoT, Coupang, and Baedal Minjeok (Baemin) so you don’t get hit with automated subscription charges.
6. Final Thoughts: Returning Home with a Noble Mindset
I sincerely wish you a safe and peaceful journey back home to Canada. Have you taken those precious experiences and beautiful memories and transformed them into noble treasures that elevate your personal worth by several steps?
During your time abroad, you may have encountered frustrating moments or unpleasant people. Let us forgive and overcome those hardships, and choose to pay them back simply by striving never to become such narrow-minded individuals ourselves!
One last piece of advice: please always maintain and prioritize your physical health. Your body is your most valuable asset, and it is the single, ultimate boundary through which you can overcome all limitations in life.
Go home with a strong body, a proud heart, and cherish the priceless, unforgettable life experiences you earned here in South Korea!