- Tajikistan sends first workers to South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), marking a new milestone in bilateral labor cooperation.
- The move follows the opening of Tajikistan’s EPS Center in Dushanbe and successful completion of Korean language and skills tests, with 58 workers qualified and 3 already deployed.
- The program, launched less than a year after the 2024 MoU, highlights rapid progress in labor mobility and international workforce collaboration between the two nations.
Tajikistan has officially started to send its nationals to work in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), a government-to-government scheme, with the cooperation of South Korea's Human Resources Development Service (HRDK). The first three Tajik laborers have already left for South Korea, representing the first historic move in two countries' bilateral labor cooperation. This comes after the recent opening of the EPS Center under Tajikistan's Agency for Overseas Employment in Dushanbe, which oversees and coordinates the program.
The rollout of the program was preceded by two rounds of the EPS-TOPIK test, conducted on May 27 and August 2-3, 2025. The test, aimed at assessing candidates' Korean language competence and abilities, focused on recruitment of job seekers in welding and manufacturing. Of 263 test-takers, 58 passed the tests, rendering them qualified for jobs in South Korea.
This achievement came out of a Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Tajikistan and South Korea on October 31, 2024. Within less than one year, the nations already have achieved concrete progress, a speed considerably faster than other nations included in the EPS program, which would take two to three years to deploy the first batch of workers. The success is a result of concerted efforts by the two governments, the South Korean Embassy in Dushanbe, and the Agency for Overseas Employment.
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Under the EPS scheme, candidates go through a two-stage examination process. Stage one is the EPS-TOPIK exam, which checks for Korean language proficiency. The second stage, the Skill Test, measures technical skills applicable to particular industry sectors. Candidates who clear both stages are placed in South Korea's SPAS database, from which employers can choose employees. Successful candidates receive E-9 work visas, which are valid for a period of up to five years, after which employment contracts are signed.
Now, 58 Tajik citizens are registered in the SPAS system, and the first three of them have already been sent to South Korea. The program's launch creates new channels for Tajik workers, providing the chance to work abroad and improve the labor relationships between Tajikistan and South Korea. The program also demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of Tajik government action in implementing international labor agreements in a short period of time and serves as an example of future cooperation in the field of workforce development and mobility.
This historical deployment not only serves the workers who are directly engaged but also reaffirms Tajikistan's increasing integration into global labor markets and its desire to make global opportunities available for its citizens.
