Can You Apply for the Youth Future Savings Account If You're Currently Unemployed? You May Qualify for Screening If You Had Income in 2025
Even if you have left your job or are currently looking for work, you may undergo eligibility screening for the 2 application round of the 2026 Youth Future Savings Account if you have income confirmed by the National Tax Service for 2025 and meet the age, household income, and other eligibility requirements. Conversely, being currently employed does not automatically guarantee eligibility. The reference year for income screening in this 2 application round is 2025.
Ahead of the 2 application round beginning on October 7, two particularly confusing questions are: 'Can I apply if I'm currently unemployed?' and 'Can I apply if I got my first job this year?' Rather than looking only at your current employment status, you should first check which year's income will be used for screening.
You Can Apply If You Are Currently Unemployed but Had Income in 2025
For general income applicants in the 2 recruitment round of the Youth Future Savings Account, eligibility is not determined solely by whether an applicant is currently employed.
The Financial Services Commission has explicitly stated that this screening will use income from 2025, the most recent income finalized by the National Tax Service. Therefore, someone who worked in 2025, has employment income or other income verifiable by the National Tax Service, and left their job in 2026 is not automatically excluded simply because they are currently unemployed.
The basic criteria to check are as follows.
| Item to Check | Criteria for the 2 Round in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Age | 19–34 years old, excluding up to 6 years of military service |
| Eligible birth dates for this round | Born between 1991-11-17 and 2007-11-27 |
| Income reference year | 2025 income finalized by the National Tax Service |
| Basic individual income ceiling | Total annual salary of KRW 75,000,000 or less, among other criteria |
| Household income | Generally no more than 200% of the standard median income |
| Application period | 2026-10-07–16 |
| Screening period | October 19–November 13 |
| Account opening | November 16–27 |
Depending on the specific income bracket, applicants may qualify for the standard or preferential category with government contributions, or for a category that provides tax benefits without government contributions.
If You Got Your First Job This Year, You Should Pay Particular Attention to Your 2025 Income
The opposite situation also requires caution.
For example, if a young person had no income at all in 2025 and first became employed in March 2026, they should not assume they are eligible simply because they are currently receiving a salary.
The Financial Services Commission has stated that the 2 recruitment round in 2026 will also assess eligibility based on 2025 income finalized by the National Tax Service. The initial recruitment announcement also identified verification of the previous year's income as an important eligibility requirement.
In simple terms, the criteria can be understood as follows.
Income in 2025 → Other eligibility requirements will also be assessed, even if you have since left your job. No income in 2025 → Even if you started a new job in 2026, you should not assume that your current salary alone makes you eligible.
However, separate criteria apply to certain types of income, such as parental leave benefits and allowances or military pay. If your income differs from ordinary employment or business income, it is more accurate to check through the official eligibility assessment service or a consultation. During the initial recruitment round, the Financial Services Commission explained that applicants receiving tax-exempt parental leave benefits or allowances, or military pay, could also qualify.
What About University Students and Job Seekers Who Earned Part-Time Income in 2025?
Being a university student or job seeker does not, in itself, determine eligibility.
What matters is whether income earned through part-time work or other activities in 2025 can be verified by the National Tax Service, and whether the applicant meets the remaining requirements, including individual and household income limits.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to conclude that someone is ineligible simply because they are a university student or currently unemployed.
Conversely, money received from parents as an allowance cannot be treated as employment income when assessing eligibility if it is not recognized by the National Tax Service as the applicant's own income.
Before applying, it is advisable to check the eligible applicant categories and qualification requirements through .
Meeting the Individual Income Requirement Alone Is Not Enough
Having verifiable income in 2025 does not automatically guarantee enrollment.
The Youth Future Savings Account assesses household income requirements in addition to individual income. Under the criteria announced by the Financial Services Commission for the 2 round in 2026, the basic eligible applicants are young people with total annual salaries of KRW 75,000,000 or less, or qualifying small business owners, whose household income does not exceed 200% of the median household income.
The categories eligible for government contributions are further divided.
General income applicants who meet requirements such as a total annual salary of KRW 60,000,000 or less may qualify for the standard category and receive government contributions equivalent to 6% of their deposits.
Employees or newly hired workers at small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as small business owners who meet certain requirements, may qualify for the preferential category after screening and receive government contributions equivalent to 12% of their deposits.
Applicants in certain income brackets, including those with total annual salaries exceeding KRW 60,000,000 but not exceeding KRW 75,000,000, may qualify for enrollment but receive only tax benefits without government contributions.
Therefore, you should not determine your eligibility or expected government contributions based solely on whether your annual salary falls below the income ceiling.
Small Business Owners Must Also Meet a Separate Current Business Operation Requirement
This is where the requirements differ between general employment income earners and small business owners.
The Financial Services Commission states that small business owners must be operating a business as of the application date. If they operate multiple business establishments, their sales are combined, and a separate verification process applies to small business eligibility screening.
Therefore, someone who earned business income in 2025 but has since closed their business should not automatically be assessed under the small business owner criteria solely because they had business income that year.
Even if they do not qualify as small business owners, they should separately check whether they meet the general income applicant requirements based on comprehensive income or other qualifying income.
Before Applying on October, Check Your 2025 Income Rather Than Your Current Salary
As of 2026-10-06, there are three things to check first.
First, confirm whether your income for 2025 can be verified by the National Tax Service.
Second, check not only your individual income bracket but also the household income requirements.
Third, remember that submitting an application does not immediately complete enrollment. For the 2 recruitment round, applications will be accepted from 7 to 16 during October, followed by screening from October 19 to November 13. Successful applicants must then open their accounts separately from 16 to 27 during November.
On October 7, young people whose birth years end in an odd digit may apply, while those whose birth years end in an even digit may apply on October 8. Even if you miss these dates, applications will be accepted regardless of birth year from October 12 through 16.
Ultimately, judging Youth Future Savings Account eligibility based solely on whether someone is currently employed or unemployed can lead to incorrect conclusions. For general income applicants in the 2 recruitment round of 2026, the key figure to check first is not their current salary but their 2025 income finalized by the National Tax Service.
Detailed screening results may vary depending on the individual's income type, household composition, and other circumstances. Final eligibility can therefore be confirmed through and the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency's Youth Finance Call Center at 1397 (extension 3).