Julia came to Korea on an F-6 visa and spent her first months studying Korean, with no job yet. In month seven a letter arrived from the National Health Insurance Service (국민건강보험공단) with a bill for over ₩100,000.
She'd never signed up for anything. Was it a mistake?
It wasn’t a mistake. Since 2019, foreign residents who have lived in Korea for 6 months are enrolled in National Health Insurance automatically, and the premium starts whether or not you visit a doctor.
Two ways to be covered
| Your situation | How you’re covered | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Employee (E-2, E-7, E-9, F visas with a job) | Workplace subscriber (직장가입자) from your first day | 3.595% of pay + long-term care, your employer pays the same |
| Not employed: students, spouses, freelancers, job seekers | Regional subscriber (지역가입자), automatically after 6 months’ stay | Based on income and property, with a minimum |
| Spouse or child of an insured employee | Dependent (피부양자) | Nothing extra |
Students on D-2 and D-4 visas are enrolled from arrival and pay a reduced premium.
How much regional subscribers pay
Regional premiums are calculated from your income and property, but foreigners pay at least the average premium of all subscribers from the previous year, even with no income. In 2025, foreign households in regional insurance paid about ₩135,000 a month on average.
A spouse who isn't working gets her own regional bill at the foreign minimum.
The same spouse is registered as a dependent of a partner who's an employee, and pays nothing extra.
Since April 2024, foreign family members generally need to have lived in Korea for 6 months before they can be added as dependents. Spouses and children under 19 are exempt from that wait.
Employee earning ₩3,000,000 a month in 2026:
Health insurance 3.595% = ₩107,850 · Long-term care ≈ ₩14,170
Total ≈ ₩122,000 a month, with the employer paying the same again. A non-working spouse can be added as a dependent at no extra cost.
Why paying on time matters
Unpaid premiums are reported to immigration. Arrears can shorten or block your next visa extension, and benefits can be suspended while you owe money. If you leave Korea for a while, contact NHIS about pausing your coverage instead of letting bills pile up.
Using it
Show your ARC at any clinic or hospital. You pay a share of the cost, typically 30–60% for outpatient visits depending on the size of the hospital, and the insurance covers the rest. Your app-based insurance card (모바일 건강보험증) works too.
The NHIS foreigner helpline is 033-811-2000 (English, Chinese, Vietnamese and more). See how health insurance fits into your payslip with the salary calculator, or read what every payslip line means.
Sources: National Health Insurance Act art. 109 (foreigners); NHIS guide for foreign residents; NHIS 2026 contribution rates.
Try it with your own numbersKorea Salary Take-Home CalculatorEnter your annual salary to see what lands in your bank account each month, with every deduction explained.Written from the laws and official notices in force on the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so check with the office named in the article before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.