OPDADA · Korea Guide

National Health Insurance (NHIS) for Foreigners in Korea: 2026 Rules

Mandatory after 6 months · 2026 premiums · students · arrears and visas

If you stay in Korea longer than a short trip, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 국민건강보험공단) becomes part of your life. Since 16 July 2019, any foreigner or overseas Korean who has stayed in Korea for more than six months is automatically enrolled as a local (self-employed) subscriber, and the premium is billed whether or not you asked for it. Employees are covered through their workplace from day one.

This guide explains the system only: who is enrolled, what it costs in 2026, how students are treated, and what happens if you do not pay. It does not recommend hospitals or treatments. For what to do when you are actually ill, see /guide/pharmacy-hospital-korea. For the wider first-month checklist (ARC, bank account, phone), see /guide/living-in-korea-first-30-days.

Who is enrolled, and when

NHIS splits foreign residents into two groups.

Some statuses are enrolled from the foreigner-registration date rather than after six months. Korean universities' international offices, following NHIS guidance, state that D-2 study-visa holders are enrolled from their foreigner registration date (or re-entry date). Confirm your own start date with NHIS, because it determines when billing begins.

Leaving and returning. According to the Korean Embassy's summary of the system, a foreigner who stays outside Korea for more than 30 days loses eligibility, and the six-month clock starts again on return. If you plan to be away for a month or more, tell NHIS before you go.

What it costs in 2026

The rate is set by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee (the 2026 rate was decided on 28 August 2025), and NHIS posts the premium standards before January. The 2026 figures are:

Item2026 figureChange vs 2025
Health insurance rate (workplace and local)7.19%+0.10 %p (+1.48%)
Long-term care insurance rate0.9448%+2.90%
Local subscriber value per pointKRW 211.5+1.48%
Foreign local subscriber average premiumKRW 158,630 per month+3.80%

Workplace subscribers. The 7.19% rate applies to your monthly standard remuneration and is split equally between you and your employer, so your own share is 3.595%. The long-term care premium is collected together with it. Your employer deducts everything from salary; you do not pay NHIS directly.

Local subscribers. Your premium is calculated with the same formula as for Koreans, based on income and property points. However, NHIS applies a floor to foreign households: if the calculated amount is lower than the average premium of all subscribers as of the previous November, the average is charged instead for January to December of the following year. For 2026 that average is KRW 158,630 per month (health plus long-term care). In practice most newly arrived foreigners with little Korean income or property pay this floor amount. NHIS states that households whose head holds F-5 (permanent residence) or F-6 (marriage immigrant) status are charged exactly like Korean households, without the foreign floor.

Payment deadline. Under Article 109 of the National Health Insurance Act, a foreign local subscriber's premium for a given month must be paid by the 25th of the preceding month, i.e. in advance. Check the bill or ask NHIS for payment methods, including whether automatic debit is available, if you want to avoid missing a month.

Students and other reduced rates

NHIS applies fixed reductions to certain statuses when the average-premium floor is charged:

Using the 2026 average, the 50% student rate comes to roughly KRW 79,000 a month; university notices issued in 2026 under NHIS guidance quote KRW 79,320. Check the exact amount on your own bill, since it depends on your household composition. Students whose university arranges a group scheme should still confirm with NHIS that they are not being billed twice.

NHIS also allows an application for exclusion from coverage if you already receive medical coverage equivalent to NHI benefits under a foreign law, a foreign insurance policy, or a contract with your employer. Documents proving that coverage are required, and the exclusion is not automatic; contact NHIS first.

Dependents

Since 3 April 2024, a foreigner who wants to be registered as a dependent of a workplace subscriber must themselves have resided in Korea for six months or more. The exception is the spouse and children under 19 of a workplace subscriber, who can be added without the waiting period. Dependents must also meet the income and property limits that apply to Korean dependents. For local subscribers, family members can ask NHIS to be combined into one household bill with supporting documents.

What happens if you do not pay

Unpaid premiums have two separate consequences, and both are enforced.

1. Benefits stop. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's April 2025 revision of the foreigner coverage standards restricts insurance benefits once premiums are unpaid for one month or more. University summaries of NHIS guidance put it plainly: benefits at clinics and hospitals are unavailable from the first day of the month after the missed deadline until the balance is paid in full. You can still be treated, but you pay the full uninsured price.

2. Your stay can be limited. The Korea Immigration Service checks tax and health-insurance arrears when registered foreigners aged 19 or over apply for a visa extension or similar permits. Its published rule: if arrears exist and are paid, the extension is processed normally; if they remain unpaid, the extension is restricted, in principle to six months or less. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2025 revision also lets NHIS set detailed benefit restrictions for residents who have defaulted three or more times. Small arrears may be treated differently; ask NHIS or your immigration office rather than assuming.

NHIS may also pursue collection of unpaid premiums under the Act; ask NHIS about your case. If you receive a bill you think is wrong (for example, you left Korea but were still charged), contact NHIS immediately instead of ignoring it.

Refunds and leaving Korea

Because local premiums are paid in advance, you may have paid for a month you will not be covered. When your eligibility ends, for example because you leave Korea for good, ask NHIS whether an overpaid-premium refund applies and what documents they need; procedures and amounts are handled case by case, and this guide does not state a figure. For a workplace subscriber, the year-end settlement is handled through the employer. Separately, the National Pension lump-sum refund is a different agency and a different process; do not mix the two.

Foreign-language helpline

Premiums, rates and reduction rules are revised every year; the rate is decided by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee and applied from January. The figures above are the 2026 standards as published by NHIS; always check your own bill or the official site before relying on a number.

FAQ

Q. Do I have to join NHIS if I already have travel or international insurance?
If you stay more than six months with an eligible status, enrollment is automatic. NHIS allows an application for exclusion only if you can document coverage equivalent to NHI benefits under a foreign law, foreign insurance, or an employer contract. Ordinary travel insurance usually does not qualify; ask NHIS before assuming.

Q. How much is the 2026 premium for a foreign local subscriber?
If your calculated premium is below the national average, NHIS charges the average: KRW 158,630 per month in 2026, including long-term care insurance. Households headed by F-5 or F-6 holders are assessed like Korean households instead.

Q. How much do international students pay?
D-2 and D-4 holders receive a 50% reduction on the average premium. Universities quoting NHIS guidance list KRW 79,320 per month for 2026. Check your own bill for the exact amount.

Q. When is the premium due?
For foreign local subscribers, the premium for each month is due by the 25th of the previous month, under Article 109 of the National Health Insurance Act.

Q. Can unpaid premiums affect my visa?
Yes. Immigration checks arrears when you apply for an extension. If they are unpaid, the extension is restricted, in principle to six months or less. Benefits at hospitals are also suspended until you pay.

Q. Is there an English helpline?
Call 1577-1000 and press 6, or dial 033-811-2000. English, Chinese, Uzbek and Vietnamese are available, 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays.

Sources

Written and maintained by OPDADA · Last checked 2026-08-23 · Spotted an error? Let us know. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, prices and schedules change — confirm with the official source before you act.