Health Insurance: How to Join, How Much You Pay, and How to Use It at the Hospital

Who does this apply to?

Employee subscribers (직장가입자) E-9 and H-2 workers who are hired and work at a workplace become employee subscribers. You do not need to apply yourself. When your employer reports your enrollment, the Service sends you a health insurance card.

Local subscribers (지역가입자) Foreigners who are not employee subscribers and not dependents are covered by health insurance as local subscribers after they stay in Korea for 6 months or more. Local subscribers pay the full premium themselves.

Dependents (피부양자) The spouse, parents, children and some other family members of an employee subscriber can register as dependents if they meet the income and property rules. Dependents can use hospitals without paying a separate premium. As a rule, foreigners who entered Korea on or after April 3, 2024 must stay 6 months or more before they can become dependents. However, the spouse and children under 19 (minor children) of an employee subscriber do not need to meet this 6-month rule.

Steps

1. When you start a job, check with your employer that they reported your health insurance enrollment. The deadline is 14 days from the day you were hired.
2. Check your 급여명세서 (pay slip) to see that the health insurance premium was taken out. As a rule, the worker pays only half of the premium rate.
3. Get your health insurance card or a 자격득실확인서 (certificate showing when your insurance started and ended). You can get it at a Service branch office, on the website, or in the The건강보험 app.
4. Bring your 외국인등록증 (Residence Card) when you go to the hospital. Since 2024, hospitals must check your identity.
5. To add a family member as a dependent, submit a dependent enrollment form (피부양자 자격취득 신고서) and documents that prove your family relationship to the Service.
6. If you leave your job, you become a local subscriber. Give the Service your correct address so you can receive your bills.

What to bring

• 외국인등록증 (or passport)
• 근로계약서 (employment contract), 급여명세서
• To register a dependent: documents from your home country that prove your family relationship, and a translation. An apostille or consular confirmation may be needed.
• A bank account book to set up automatic payment

Be careful

• If you do not pay your premiums, you pay all hospital costs yourself. If you use a hospital while your premiums are unpaid, health insurance does not cover it.
• You may have problems when you apply to extend your stay. Foreigners with unpaid health insurance premiums may be refused an extension, or may get a shorter period. For the exact rules, check with 출입국·외국인관서 (Immigration Office) or call 1345. (Official confirmation needed)
• Some companies take the health insurance premium out of your pay but do not pay it to the Service. It is a good idea to check your 자격득실확인서 and payment history from time to time.
• It is wrong for an employer to make the worker pay the whole premium. As a rule, each side pays half.
• If your address or phone number changes, tell the Service. Many people fall behind on payments because they did not receive their bills.
• When you leave Korea, it is best to pay any unpaid premiums before you go.

How to use it at the hospital

• Show your 외국인등록증 at the reception desk. If your health insurance is confirmed, you pay only part of the medical costs.
• For outpatient care (visits without staying overnight), the share you pay depends on the type of hospital. Clinics (의원): about 30%. Hospitals (병원): about 40%. General hospitals (종합병원): about 50%. Tertiary general hospitals (상급종합병원, large university hospitals): about 60%. For a hospital stay, you usually pay 20%.
• For minor illnesses, going to a local clinic saves money and time.
• To be treated at a tertiary general hospital, you often need a referral letter (진료의뢰서) from another hospital.
• Health insurance also covers medicine you buy at a pharmacy. Always get a prescription.
• You pay the full cost of items that health insurance does not cover. Before a test or procedure, ask: "건강보험이 되나요?" (Is this covered by health insurance?)
• Employee subscribers can get a general health check-up once every 2 years. Check the notice that the Service sends you.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How much is the premium? A. Employee subscribers pay half of their monthly pay multiplied by the 2026 premium rate of 7.19%. The long-term care insurance premium is added to this. For local subscribers, the premium is calculated from income and property. But for foreigners, it is never less than 158,630원 per month (2026).

Q. My company did not report my enrollment after 14 days. A. You can report it yourself to the Service (1577-1000). Prepare your 근로계약서 and 급여명세서.

Q. If I have health insurance, is all treatment free? A. No. You pay part of the medical costs yourself. Cosmetic treatment, some tests, private hospital rooms and similar items are not covered by health insurance.

Q. Do I use health insurance if I get hurt at work? A. As a rule, work injuries are covered by industrial accident insurance (산재보험), not health insurance. Tell the hospital, "I got hurt at work."

Q. Can I get help in a foreign language? A. Call 1577-1000 or 033-811-2000 for help in English, Chinese, Vietnamese or Uzbek. If your language is not available, you can call 1345 and ask for a 3-way interpreted call.

Where to get help

• 국민건강보험공단: 1577-1000 (weekdays 09:00~18:00) / foreign language help 033-811-2000
• 국민건강보험공단 Foreigner Service Center: visit for counseling after making a reservation (www.nhis.or.kr)
• Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터): 1345
• 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Counseling Center: 1350