National Health Insurance for Foreigners

Acquisition of Eligibility

The Employee Insured

• Foreigners who work in the workplace such as a company, school, government etc. are eligible for applying for the Korean Health Insurance System. They are already registered as foreigners to the Korea Immigration Office and the employer of the workplace can submit their headlth insurance applications to the NHIS. The contribution for the employee insured is calculated by multiplying the the monthly salary and contribution rate.

  → Monthly Contribution = Average Monthly Salary × Contribution Rate(5.89%)

• Exceptions
  • When an employee receives equivalent medical insurance benefits based on foreign acts or insurances.
  • When an employee receives equivalent medical insurance benefits based on a contact with the employer.
• The arbitrary insurance application is available for French workers. (Applied from Jun. 1st, 2007)

The self-employed Insured

• In principle, Korean health insurance is applied only to citizens living in the country. However, foreigners may be the self-employed insured at their request. Eligibility is granted to those who have filed for the alien registration status under Article 31 of the Immigration Control Act. and have resided in Korea for at least 3 months. The calculation methods of their insurance contributions are categorized into two groups
  • When the income of the self-employed insured is verified.

    → Monthly Contribution = Contribution Points × Value Per Point(172.7won)

    If the monthly contribution is less than the householder's average contribution, NHIS shall impose the householer's average contribution to the insured.

  • When the income of the self-employed insured is not verified

    → Imposition on a householder's average contribution at the end of the previous year.

NHIC Head Office

For more information, contact the head office of the National Health Insurance Corporation.

• Tel. 1577–1000
• Tel. 02-390-2000 (for foreigners)
• Website: http://www.nhic.or.kr [Korean, English]