Korean health insurance for foreigners, from enrollment to arrears

Who is enrolled, and when

Every foreigner staying in Korea is enrolled in National Health Insurance (NHI) either as an employee subscriber or a self-employed (regional) subscriber (National Health Insurance Act Art. 109).

Employee subscribers

If you work for a company you become an employee subscriber from your first day, regardless of nationality. Your employer files the enrollment and pays half of the premium; your half is deducted from your salary.

Regional subscribers — the 6-month rule

Foreigners who are not employed are automatically enrolled as regional subscribers once they have stayed in Korea for 6 months or more after alien registration (mandatory since 16 July 2019; Enforcement Rules Art. 61-2). The following statuses are enrolled immediately, without waiting 6 months:

• Permanent resident (F-5)
• Non-professional employment (E-9)
• Marriage migrant (F-6)
• Student (D-2), K-12 student (D-4-3) and other study/training statuses designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare — students are enrolled from their entry date

Statuses covered as regional subscribers (Annex 9)

D-1 to D-10, E-1 to E-10, F-1 to F-6, G-1 (humanitarian stay permit holders and others designated by NHIS), H-1 and H-2. Short-term statuses (B, C) are not covered.

Do I have to register? NHIS normally enrolls you automatically using the Ministry of Justice's alien registration data and mails a notice to your registered address. If nothing arrives, visit an NHIS branch with your ARC and passport, or call 1577-1000.

How much is the premium (2026)

Regional premiums are calculated the same way as for Koreans, from income and assets, but if the calculated amount is lower than the average premium (as of the previous November) you pay the average. Most foreigners without Korean income or assets pay the average premium.

If your family is with you

A foreign regional subscriber is normally a one-person household, but your spouse and children under 19 can be added to your household on request so you pay one premium. Submit proof of family relationship (Apostille or consular legalization) at an NHIS branch.

Employee subscribers pay 7.19% of monthly salary (2026 health premium rate) split half-and-half with the employer, plus long-term care insurance. The "health insurance" line on your payslip is your share.

How and when to pay

• Deadline: the 25th of each month. Bills are mailed to your registered address; you can switch to mobile or e-mail billing.
• Methods: automatic bank transfer (safest), virtual account transfer, bank counter or ATM, convenience stores, card payment on the NHIS website or the "The건강보험" app.
• Set up auto-transfer: at an NHIS branch, by calling 1577-1000, or online. Auto-transfer earns a small discount.
• Moving or leaving Korea: report your address change to Immigration and NHIS is updated too. If you leave Korea for a month or more, premiums for that period are waived (benefits suspended) and resume when you return.

What you pay at the hospital

Show your ARC (or passport) and the hospital checks your coverage. For covered services your co-payment is (Enforcement Decree, Annex 2):

• Medical certificates, cosmetic procedures and some tests and treatments are non-covered and paid in full. Ask before the service.
• Regional household heads and household members aged 20+ get a free national health check-up every 2 years (employees every 1–2 years).
• Choosing a hospital in Seoul and getting interpretation or cost support is covered in the Seoul hospital guide for foreigners.

What happens if you fall behind

Unpaid premiums hit foreign regional subscribers in two places: medical bills and your visa.

• Benefits suspended: while premiums are unpaid your benefits are restricted, so you pay hospital bills in full (Act Art. 109(10)). Coverage resumes once you pay up.
• Visa extension restricted: since 1 August 2019 the Ministry of Justice restricts stay permits for foreigners with unpaid premiums. As reported at launch, 3 or fewer missed payments cap the extension at 6 months, and 4 or more lead to refusal. Pay the arrears or sign an installment agreement before you apply.
• Late fees: late charges accrue after the deadline, and long-term arrears can lead to seizure of bank accounts or wages.

Already behind? Apply for an installment plan at 1577-1000 or a branch. Once approved, the plan is reflected in the immigration review. For extension documents see the visa extension documents guide.

When you can apply for exemption

If you already have medical coverage through one of the following, you can apply for exemption (Act Art. 109(5)(2); Enforcement Rules Art. 61-4).

Regional subscribers file the Regional Subscriber Loss of Eligibility Report (Form 7) themselves; for employee subscribers the employer files Form 8. The exemption lasts for a period set by ministerial notice and can be renewed if you still qualify.

Registering as a dependent

The spouse, parents and children of an employee subscriber can become premium-free dependents if they meet income and asset limits. Since 3 April 2024 foreign dependents must have been in Korea for 6 months after entry — except spouses and children under 19, who can be registered right away.

• Apply through the employee's company (or at an NHIS branch)
• Documents: proof of family relationship (Apostille or consular legalization plus Korean translation if issued abroad), copy of ARC

Who to call

• NHIS Customer Center 1577-1000 — foreign-language support (English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Uzbek and more), weekdays 09:00–18:00
• Danuri Call Center 1577-1366 — 13 languages, 24 hours, daily life and emergency counseling
• Immigration Contact Center 1345 — stay and visa questions in 20 languages
• WeBring — we check your enrollment, file installment requests and read your bills with you, with interpretation. If you need private cover (medical expense or accident insurance), see insurance for foreigners.