Health insurance in South Korea.
Stay more than 6 months and you must join the national plan. Before that, and for your share of each bill, you need your own cover.
The rules
What Korea asks of you.
Checked against official sources on 23 October 2026. Rules change, so the broker confirms them again before you apply.
- NHIS after 6 months
Since 16 July 2019, registered foreigners who have stayed more than 6 months are enrolled in the National Health Insurance Service and pay monthly premiums.
Source: nhis.or.kr - Employees: a 14-day opt-out
Foreign employees are enrolled through work. If you already have equal cover from a foreign insurer or your contract, you can ask to leave within 14 days.
Source: nhis.or.kr - Students: from day 1
D-2 and D-4 students are enrolled automatically on arrival. The 2026 premium is 79,320 KRW a month.
Source: sungshin.ac.kr - Families wait 6 months
Since April 2024, most foreign dependants must live in Korea for 6 months before NHIS covers them.
Source: korea.net - Workation visa: 100 million KRW
The F-1-D digital nomad visa needs a private plan with at least 100 million KRW of cover for treatment and transport home.
Source: overseas.mofa.go.kr - Unpaid premiums affect your visa
Leaving NHIS premiums unpaid can block a visa extension.
Source: sungshin.ac.kr
NHIS leaves you a share of each bill: 20% for a hospital stay, 30% at a clinic or pharmacy, and 60% for outpatient care at a tertiary hospital. Care is good, but staff may not speak English.
Source: nhis.or.krLocal or international
We compare both. You keep the one that fits.
Residents must join the national plan after 6 months. A local plan can cover your share of each bill, and an international plan covers the first months and travel.
- Local plans
Plans sold in Korea. Often cheaper, sometimes required for your visa. Filed by a broker licensed in Korea.
- International plans
Plans that cover you in Korea and beyond, and stay with you if you move again. Filed by our international broker partner.
What it costs
Published prices in Korea.
List prices from insurers and official schemes. Your quote depends on your age, health and the cover you pick.
- Employees: 7.19% of pay
The 2026 rate. You pay half, 3.595%, and your employer pays the other half.
Source: nhis.or.kr - Students: 79,320 KRW a month
The 2026 premium for D-2 and D-4 students, after the student reduction.
Source: sungshin.ac.kr
What to look for
Choosing a plan in Korea.
Ankyro checks each of these on every plan, so you don’t have to read the fine print.
- Your first 6 months
Most foreigners who aren’t employees or students wait 6 months for NHIS. You need a plan for that gap.
- Your share of each bill
NHIS leaves you paying 20 to 60%, depending on the hospital level. A private plan can cover that share and a private room.
- Workation visa wording
The plan must state at least 100 million KRW of cover and transport home. Many travel policies don’t.
- Cancer and rare disease
Registered cancer patients pay only 5% of hospital costs under NHIS, so a private plan matters most for the first 6 months and for what NHIS doesn’t cover.
Step by step
Getting covered in Korea.
- 01Register as a foreigner. Get your residence card at immigration. NHIS enrolment is tied to that registration.
- 02Cover your first 6 months. Unless you are an employee or a D-2 or D-4 student, NHIS starts after 6 months. Buy a private plan for that gap.
- 03Let NHIS enrol you. Employees join through work from day 1. Everyone else on an eligible visa is enrolled once they pass 6 months in Korea.
- 04Set up monthly payment. Pay by auto-debit, virtual account, bank, ATM or convenience store. Students pay by the 25th of each month.
- 05Add your family. Dependants need an apostilled family document with a notarised Korean translation, and their own income under 20 million KRW a year. Most wait 6 months.
Common mistakes
3 we see all the time.
- 01Thinking a private plan lets you skip NHIS. Joining is mandatory after 6 months.
- 02Assuming a spouse or parent is covered on arrival. Most dependants wait 6 months.
- 03Leaving NHIS premiums unpaid. It can block your visa extension.
Real published prices, and the 6 things that move yours.
Just visiting?For a holiday or a short trip, travel insurance is enough. See what South Korea asks of visitors, and what care costs.
Questions
People also ask.
Do foreigners have to join Korea’s national health insurance?+
Yes, if you stay more than 6 months. Employees and students are enrolled sooner.
How much is NHIS for international students in 2026?+
79,320 KRW a month for D-2 and D-4 students.
What insurance do I need for the Korea digital nomad visa?+
A private plan with at least 100 million KRW of cover for treatment and transport home.
Can my family use NHIS straight away?+
Usually not. Since April 2024, most foreign dependants must live in Korea for 6 months first.
Other countries
Going somewhere else?
Most UK visas don’t ask for private insurance. You pay a yearly surcharge instead, and it opens the NHS. Here is what the surcharge buys, and what you still pay for.
02AustraliaMost visitors can’t use Medicare, and many visas carry condition 8501. Here is what each visa asks for, who gets Medicare, and what to check.
03Dubai and the UAEIn Dubai, no insurance means no visa. Your employer covers you, but not always your family. Here are the rules, and what the basic plan leaves out.
04PhilippinesThe retiree visa asks for a medical certificate, not a policy. The new nomad visa does ask for cover. Here is what each visa needs, and how PhilHealth works for foreigners.
05NetherlandsIf you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic insurance is the law. A few people are exempt. Here is who must sign up, by when, and what it costs in 2026.
06CanadaEach province runs its own health plan, and some make you wait. The super visa has strict insurance rules. Here is how Ontario and BC differ, and what the super visa needs.
07Saudi ArabiaIn Saudi Arabia, no insurance means no iqama. Your employer pays for you and your family, and visitors need a policy too. Here is who pays, and what each policy covers.
08JapanIf you live in Japan, joining public insurance is the law. A private plan can only sit on top. Digital nomads are the exception.
09GermanyEveryone in Germany must be insured, and a residence permit needs cover equal to the public system. Here is how to choose, and what gets rejected.
10SingaporeThe national plan is for citizens and PRs. Hospital bills for foreigners are high, and families are often left out. Here is what to check.
11ThailandRetirement visas have hard minimums, the DTV has none, and public care is not free for foreigners. Here are the rules, and what to check.
12SpainSpain has the strictest visa insurance rules in Europe: a Spanish-authorised insurer, no co-pays, no waiting periods. Here is what passes.
13MalaysiaPublic hospitals charge foreigners full price, and work schemes only cover injuries at work. Here is what each pass asks for, and what to check.
14QatarMost visitors need a QAR 50 a month policy before Qatar issues a visa. The law covers expats too, but that part is still rolling out. Here are the rules.
15FranceThe public system is open to residents, but not on day 1 if you don’t work, and it only pays part of each bill. Here is how to cover the gaps.
16PortugalThe visa asks for travel medical cover. The public system opens once you are a resident. In between, and after, here is what to check.
17MexicoNo visa asks for it, so many expats skip it. Then a private hospital asks for payment first. Here is how cover really works in Mexico.
18ItalyWorkers join the public system for free. Retirees and nomads need private cover for the visa, then pay at least €2,000 a year to join. Here are the rules.
20VietnamOnly long local contracts come with public cover, and most expats use private hospitals anyway. Here is what the rules say, and what to check.
21Bali and IndonesiaMost Indonesian visas don’t ask for insurance. But hospitals ask for payment first, and serious cases fly to Singapore. Here is what to check.
22GreeceThe consulate takes travel cover for the visa. The residence permit then asks for full health cover. If you don’t work for a Greek employer, that means a private plan.
23ColombiaNomads and retirees need a private policy with exact wording. Residents who work must join the public EPS system. Here are the rules.
24Costa RicaResidents must pay into the Caja, whatever private plan they have. Nomads need their own cover for the visa. Here is how it fits together.
25USAThe US has no public plan you can simply join. Some visas set minimum cover. Others leave it to you. Here is what a J-1 needs, who can use the Marketplace, and what plans cost.
26SwitzerlandBasic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives in Switzerland. You have 3 months to sign up. Here is how it works, and what to check.
27IrelandNon-EEA students must hold private medical insurance. Everyone else gets public care once they count as living in Ireland for 1 year. Here is what to check.
28Dominican RepublicThe residence visas for retirees and rentistas ask for a medical certificate, not an insurance policy. Public care is limited. Private care is good but costly.
29New ZealandStudent visas require insurance. A work visa of 2 years or more may open public health care. ACC covers accident injuries. Here is what to check.
30IsraelIn Israel, the public system is for residents. If your life is centred there, you join a health fund (kupat holim). If not, you need private cover.
31Hong KongPublic hospitals in Hong Kong are cheap for eligible persons. Many foreigners are not on that list. Here is who is, what the rest pay, and what to check in a plan.
32ChinaIf you work in China on an employment permit, your employer must enrol you in social insurance. That includes basic medical cover. Here is how it works, and what to check on top.
33ArgentinaEmergency care is open to everyone. For other care at national hospitals, foreigners without permanent residence must show insurance or pay first. The rules are new, so check them.
34IndiaWe found no official rule that ties health insurance to an Indian work visa. We also could not confirm a public scheme for foreign residents. So the plan is yours to choose. Here is what to check.
35TurkeyA residence permit application needs valid health insurance for the whole permit. Most new expats buy a private policy. The public SGK system opens later, after 1 year of residence.
36BrazilThe digital nomad visa needs health insurance valid in Brazil. The public system is open to migrants by law. Many expats add a private plan for speed.
37PanamaThe Pensionado visa asks for a health certificate, not an insurance policy. The public system is tied to the Caja. Private care is the main option for most expats.
38South AfricaStudy and exchange visas ask for proof of cover from a registered medical scheme. Public clinics offer free primary care. Here is what to check.
39KenyaKenya’s public fund is run by the Social Health Authority (SHA). A foreigner who lives in Kenya for more than 12 months pays into it. Shorter stays need travel health insurance instead.
40TaiwanTaiwan has one national health insurance. Foreigners with a residence certificate can join. If you have a job, you join through your employer. If not, there is a wait.