Foreign residents staying six months or longer must join Korea’s National Health Insurance. Here is how enrolment works, what it costs monthly, and what it actually covers.
Korea's National Health Insurance Service covers foreign residents on the same terms as citizens, and enrolment is not optional. Foreign nationals who have stayed six months or more are automatically enrolled as local subscribers unless they are already covered as employees or dependants.
Two ways you are covered
Employee subscriber. If you work for a company, your employer enrols you from your first month. The premium is split - roughly half from you, half from the employer - and is calculated as a percentage of your salary. It is deducted automatically.
Local subscriber. Students, self-employed people and anyone not employed are enrolled individually after six months of residence. Local subscribers pay a flat minimum premium rather than an income-assessed one, which is set each year and sits above KRW 140,000 per month for most foreign residents.
Students in a recognised programme receive a reduction - typically paying half the standard rate.
What it covers
The scheme pays a large share of the cost of:
- Clinic and hospital consultations
- Inpatient treatment and surgery
- Prescription medicines
- Dental treatment (basic)
- Childbirth and maternity care
- Chronic disease management
Typical out-of-pocket share after insurance is 20 to 30 per cent at a clinic and 20 per cent for inpatient care. The practical result is that a clinic visit costing KRW 25,000 uninsured costs KRW 6,000 to 8,000 insured.
Not covered: cosmetic procedures, most non-essential dental work, private room upgrades, some advanced imaging and many new drugs. Private supplementary insurance exists for this gap and is worth considering if you have a family.
Dependants
Employee subscribers can register a spouse and children as dependants at no additional premium. Local subscribers cannot - each adult pays separately. This is one of the strongest practical arguments for employment-based coverage.
Enrolment mechanics
You do not usually apply. NHIS identifies you through immigration records and posts a notice to your registered address, which is why an unreported address change causes real problems.
If you need to act:
- Visit your local NHIS branch with your ARC and passport
- Confirm your subscriber category
- Register a bank account for automatic payment, or collect payment slips
- Ask for the student reduction if you qualify, with your enrolment certificate
If you do not pay
Unpaid premiums have consequences beyond debt. NHIS reports arrears to immigration, and outstanding health insurance premiums can block a visa extension. Arrears are also deducted before any departure refund.
If you genuinely cannot pay, go to the branch and ask about instalments rather than letting the balance grow.
Leaving Korea
Coverage ends when your residence ends. There is no refund of premiums paid - unlike the national pension, which does have a lump-sum refund for nationals of countries with the relevant agreement.
Useful numbers
- NHIS foreign language helpline: 1577-1000
- Emergency medical information, multilingual: 1339
- Medical interpretation (BBB Korea): volunteer phone interpretation in many languages including Nepali
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