Can foreigners join national health insurance?

Yes, and it is mandatory. Foreigners who stay in Korea for over six months must join, and employees are enrolled through their workplace.

CHECKED02 NOV2026Required

Source: National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), English guidance for foreignersOpen the official source ↗

Checked Nov 2, 2026Re-check due Jan 31, 2027Sources: National Health Insurance Service

Who has to join

Employee at an insured workplaceRequiredYou are enrolled through your employer. You can apply to be excluded if you can prove equivalent medical coverage under foreign rules, a foreign insurance policy or a contract with your employer.

Foreigner living in Korea for over six monthsRequiredSubscription is mandatory from July 16, 2019 for foreigners registered with immigration who hold one of the visa types NHIS lists.

Dependent of an insured personDependsDependents can be covered if their income and property are under the limits set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. We did not check the limits.

Visa types on the list

NHIS lists these statuses of stay: D-1 to D-9, E-1 to E-7, E-9, E-10, F-1 to F-6, H-1 and H-2. Check the NHIS page for the exact wording and for how your status is treated.

What to prepare

You need to be registered with immigration, which gives you an Alien Registration Card. If you join as a dependent, a document issued abroad needs confirmation by the foreign ministry of the issuing country or an Apostille. If it is not in Korean, NHIS also asks for a Korean translation notarized by a notary. NHIS sets time limits on these documents, so ask it for the current list.

What we left out

The monthly premium. Websites give different amounts, and the NHIS English page we read does not state one.

Students on D-2 or D-4 visas. The NHIS page still says their application to the self-employed insured is deferred until Feb. 28, 2021, which is out of date. We cannot tell you the current rule from that page.

Ask NHIS about your own case.

Common questions

Can I skip health insurance if I have coverage from my home country?

Employees can apply for exclusion if they show equivalent medical coverage under foreign regulation, a foreign insurance policy or a contract with the employer. The NHIS page describes this exclusion for employees only. We did not find it for other subscribers.

When did the six-month rule start?

NHIS says mandatory subscription for foreigners who have stayed in Korea for over six months applies from July 16, 2019.

Who reports an employee's enrolment?

The workplace does. NHIS says a self-employed person who employs a foreign worker must submit the report of the employee's eligibility to NHIS.

Do documents from abroad need to be translated?

Yes, if they are not in Korean. NHIS asks for a Korean translation notarized by a notary public institution, and documents issued abroad also need foreign-ministry confirmation or an Apostille.

Sources

1. National Health Insurance Service, “Guidance for foreigners” (English page, read Nov 2, 2026). The page still shows some old dates, such as the student deferral that ended on Feb. 28, 2021.

Next questions

Can foreigners open a bank account in Korea?

Yes

Can foreigners work in Korea?

Depends

Not legal advice. Rules change, so check the official source before you act. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it and update the date.

On this page

• Who has to join
• Visa types on the list
• What to prepare
• What we left out

Say it in Korean

건강보험외국인등록증국민건강보험공단