National Health Insurance for Foreign Workers in Korea: Costs and Coverage

Look at your pay slip. One of the lines that comes out every month is health insurance. It's one of the best deals you get as a worker in Korea: doctor visits, hospital stays and medicine cost a fraction of the full price. Yet many foreign workers pay for years without knowing what they're paying for. Let's fix that.

Are you covered? Two ways in

There are two kinds of members: employee subscribers and regional subscribers. Most foreign workers are the first kind.

Through your job. Under the National Health Insurance Act, a foreigner who works at a covered workplace and has registered as a foreign resident becomes an employee subscriber. A Ministry of Health and Welfare notice says coverage starts on the day you start work. Your employer reports you, and the premium comes out of your pay.

On your own. Since July 16, 2019, foreigners who stay more than 6 months must join as regional subscribers if they aren't covered through a job. Coverage starts the day after the 6 months are up. Some groups — including E-9 workers, F-5 and F-6 holders and some students — are covered from the day they arrive. Regional members pay themselves, in advance, by the 25th of the month before.

What it costs you in 2026

For employees, the premium is a percentage of your pay. You and your employer split it equally.

The health rate went up from 7.09% in 2025. Long-term care insurance pays for care services for older people and is collected with it. On your pay slip they're usually two separate lines.

Say you earn 2,500,000 won a month. The estimate is about 89,870 won for health insurance plus about 11,810 won for long-term care — roughly 101,680 won from you, and about the same from your employer. Your real pay slip can be a little different, because the base used for the premium isn't always exactly your monthly pay.

Reading it on your pay slip. Look for two lines, often written in Korean as 건강보험 (health insurance) and 장기요양 (long-term care). If you see no health insurance line at all in your first full month, ask your employer whether you've been reported. If the amount jumps suddenly, ask too — it can happen when the yearly settlement is applied, and the office can explain it. Not sure your pay itself is right? Check it against our 2026 minimum wage guide.

Regional members pay differently. Foreign regional members generally pay at least a yearly minimum amount, unless their own calculated premium is higher. Ask NHIS for the current figure before you budget.

What you pay when you see a doctor

Insurance doesn't make treatment free. You pay a share, and the share grows with the size of the hospital. NHIS lists these basic rates for covered care:

The lesson: for a cold, a small cut or a check-up, go to a local clinic. It's cheaper, and the wait is usually short. Big university hospitals are for serious cases and referrals.

Your first hospital visit

1. Bring ID. Since May 20, 2024, clinics and hospitals must check identity and insurance. Your residence card or passport works. So does the mobile health insurance card app or its QR code. Our residence card guide explains the mobile card too.
2. Check in at reception (접수). They'll look up your insurance on their system.
3. Say it if it happened at work. Work injuries go through industrial accident insurance, not health insurance. Say so at the start.
4. Keep the receipt and prescription. You may need them for other insurance later.

Children under 19, emergency patients and some referrals don't need the ID check.

Health, accident or E-9 casualty insurance?

National Health Insurance is for everyday illness and injuries: a fever, a toothache, a twisted ankle on your day off.

Industrial accident insurance is for anything your work caused: a cut from a machine, a fall on site, a back injury from lifting. The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service handles it. Don't let it be booked as a normal health insurance case.

Casualty insurance for E-9 workers is a private plan E-9 workers join under EPS. It covers injury or illness that isn't work-related, and can help with costs health insurance doesn't cover. See our EPS guide for the four E-9 insurance plans.

Choosing the right one matters. If a work injury is treated as ordinary health insurance, you can lose money you're owed, like pay for days you can't work. Not sure? Ask the hospital's office, then call 1350.

Family

An employee's family can sometimes be covered as dependents. Since April 2024, foreign employees' dependents must also meet the 6-month stay rule, except a spouse and children under 19. For regional members, a spouse and children under 19 can be in the same household. The details are fiddly, so call NHIS before your family arrives.

Changing jobs or leaving Korea

• New job: employee coverage ends the day after your old job ends. Your new employer reports you again. If there's a gap between jobs, ask NHIS how you're covered in between.
• Leaving Korea: regional coverage ends the day after you leave if you're away a month or more, or the day after your permitted stay ends. Come back within 6 months and pay for the time away, and coverage can continue from re-entry.
• Before you go home: clear any unpaid premiums and keep your last pay slip. Also check other money you may be owed when you leave, like severance pay and E-9 departure insurance. Our severance pay guide explains both.

Can you opt out?

Only in a few narrow cases, and most workers can't. The law allows an exception if you already have equal coverage under a foreign law, foreign insurance or your employment contract, and you or your employer apply. Ordinary travel insurance usually isn't enough. People staying illegally can't be covered at all.

Need to ask someone? The NHIS customer center is 1577-1000, with a foreign-language option. NHIS also lists 033-811-2000 for English, Chinese and Vietnamese. Both work on weekdays from 9:00 to 18:00. Have your residence card number ready. For other help numbers, see our help lines guide.