National Health Insurance for foreign residents: who joins, premiums and family members
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
In Korea, a foreigner who works at a covered workplace and is registered with immigration joins National Health Insurance through the employer. A foreigner who has stayed in Korea for over six months (rule in force since 16 July 2019) must join as a regional ("self-employed") subscriber. The official page gives the 2026 numbers: employees pay 7.19% of monthly wage, split 50/50 with the employer, and regional subscribers pay score × ₩211.5. The benefits are the same as for Koreans.
Who joins, and how
| Your situation | What the NHIS page says |
|---|---|
| Employee at a covered workplace | Foreigners and overseas Koreans living and working at the insured company are compulsorily enrolled. This covers foreigners registered at the Immigration Office, those working at workplaces covered by the scheme, and public officials and teachers or staff of private schools. |
| Employee already covered by equivalent foreign or contract insurance | You may apply for exclusion if you can prove medical benefits equivalent to the Korean medical care benefit, under foreign law, foreign insurance, or a contract with your employer. If you submit the "Employee Health Insurance Withdrawal Application" within 14 days of the date the acquisition of eligibility was reported, the date of acquisition becomes the date of loss. |
| Not an employee, stayed over six months | Any foreigner or overseas Korean who has stayed in Korea for over six months is subject to mandatory subscription (from July 16, 2019). It applies to people registered as foreigners with a listed sojourn status, and to overseas Koreans who reported their residence. |
| Permanent residents (F-5) and marriage immigrants (F-6) | Contribution is calculated the same way as for local residents. |
Visa types named on the page
The regional-subscriber list reads: D-1 to D-9; E-1 to E-7, E-9 and E-10; F-1 to F-6; H-1 and H-2. The contributions section on the same page uses a longer list that also names D-10 (job search), G-1 (other) and "overseas Koreans". The two lists are not identical, and the page does not explain why. Ask NHIS if your status is on only one of them.
A note still on the page says D-2 and D-4 holders' enrollment as regional subscribers was "temporarily deferred until Feb. 28, 2021". That date has passed, and the same page also prints student discounts running to 2023 and later, so treat the note as out of date and confirm with NHIS.
What you pay
| Type | Formula on the NHIS pages | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | Monthly wage × contribution rate (7.19% as of 2026) | Employee 50%, employer 50% (private company). Deducted from salary. |
| Employee, government office | Same formula | Employee 50%, government 50% |
| Employee, private school teacher | Same formula | Employee 50%, employer 30%, government 20% |
| Regional ("self-employed") | Contribution score × value per point (KRW 211.5 as of 2026). Same method as for local residents. The score is the sum of the scores of the household's income, property and cars. | Paid by the householder monthly |
Minimum for regional subscribers: the page says that if the calculated premium is less than the average premium, the average premium is charged. The page gives no amount for that average, so we cannot list a minimum in won. Ask the NHIS call center (1577-1000; English line 033-811-2000).
Year-by-year values on the NHIS page
| Year | Employee rate | Regional value per point |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7.09% | ₩208.4 |
| 2024 | 7.09% | ₩208.4 |
| 2025 | 7.09% | ₩208.4 |
| 2026 | 7.19% | ₩211.5 |
Contribution calculator (two formulas only)
Not covered: caps and floors, rounding, long-term care insurance, discounts, and how NHIS works out your score. The employee formula uses the page's "monthly wage"; the contribution-rate page says "monthly average wage", and the pages do not explain the difference. The result is a plain multiplication, so treat it as an estimate and check your payslip or NHIS bill.
Discounts printed on the page
| Group | Reduction |
|---|---|
| D-6 (religion), G-1-6 (humanitarian status), G-1-12 (dependents of G-1-6) | 30% |
| F-4 overseas-Korean students, Korean national students, D-2 and D-4 visa holders | 70% (2021.3–2022.2), 60% (2022.3–2023.2), 50% (2023.3 onwards). Households of only minors excluded. |
| People living on an island or in a remote area | 50% |
| People living in a farming/fishing or quasi-farming/fishing village | 22% |
| Farmers and fishermen living in such villages | 28% |
The 2023.3 row is the last one printed, so the page does not show whether the student discount changed afterwards. The contribution-rate page words some of these a little differently (islands: "the insured working in remote islands or areas"; farmers and fishermen: "0-28%"; plus 10–30% for vulnerable households), so confirm which applies to you.
Family members (dependents)
A family member can be registered as a dependent of an employee (a person mainly supported by the insured, under income and property limits). The page lists three tests: income, property and dependency.
- Income: total annual income under KRW 20 million, or a business registration with no business income, or no registration and annual business income under KRW 5 million. For a married dependent, both spouses must pass.
- Property: property tax base under KRW 540 million. If it is KRW 540–900 million, annual income must be KRW 10 million or less. For a sibling, the tax base must be KRW 180 million or less.
- Relationship: the employee's spouse; parents (including the spouse's); children (including the spouse's) and their spouses; and unmarried siblings over 65, under 30, disabled or state-merit recipients.
Foreign dependents submit an alien registration card or residence report card, a foreign-government document proving the family relationship with an Apostille or Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmation dated within 9 months, and a notarized Korean translation if it is not in Korean. To pay as one family unit, send NHIS proof of the family relationship such as a marriage certificate.
Where to go
NHIS runs Centers for Foreign Residents: Seoul (3rd floor, Sindorim Techno Mart, 97 Saemal-ro, Guro-gu, for residents of Seoul) and Incheon-Gyeonggi centers in Ansan, Suwon, Incheon and Uijeongbu, each serving listed districts. The call center is 1577-1000, English consultant 033-811-2000.
The NHIS pages print no revision date; they were read on 2026-10-19. The contribution-rate page states its rates "as of 2026".
Official sources
- NHIS — Guidance for foreigners — who must enroll, six-month rule from 2019-07-16, visa lists, dependents tests, discounts; no revision date printed (read on 2026-10-19) (checked 2026-10-19)
- NHIS — Contribution Rate — 7.19% and KRW 211.5 per point as of 2026, yearly table, shares, due date (checked 2026-10-19)
- NHIS — NHIS Center for Foreign Residents — service centers for foreign residents, call center numbers (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.