Health Insurance is separated into employee insurance and local health insurance.
National health insurance is the system by which contributions made by insured persons are consolidated
into a fund and insurance benefits are provided upon their need. The system aims to share the burden
between insured persons to provide medical services.
1) Conditions for Enrollment
Registered foreigners who meet the following conditions can apply for the health service.
Employee insurance: Employers or employees of work places
Local health insurance: Those who are excluded from the employee insured scheme and have one of the
following residence statuses : F-2, F-4, D-1~9, E-1~5, E-7~8,F-1 (spouses and children of Korean
nationals) and spouses and children of foreigners who are under 20 years of age.
2) Enrollment procedures and required documents
Employee insurance: The employer will prepare the documents and apply to the National Health
Insurance Corporation.
Local health insurance: Please prepare your alien registration card and passport and visit the
nearest office of the National Health Insurance Corporation.
3) Contributions and Payment
Employee health insurance: Salary x Employee insurance rate (50% shared by employer) Contribution
amount is deducted from salary.
Local health insurance :
People with income: Income x health insurance rate
People with no income: Average contribution of local health insurance of last year (If
studying abroad: 30% reduced)
Full insurance fee should be paid every 3 months.
Foreigners who have the status of F-1 and F-2 shall pay the contribution under the same
conditions as Koreans.
The duty of the insurance fee payment begins at the time of your alien registration date.
4) Advantage of Insurance
Benefits of insurance are applied equally to foreigners. So insured foreigners share only some
portion of the fee for medical consultation.
When you receive medical treatment at a hospital or clinic : You pay 20-50% of the total expenses
under health insurance.
If you get medicine from a pharmacy with your prescription : You pay 30% of the total expenses
under health insurance.
Busan Regional Headquarters
You can visit the National Health Insurance Homepage at www.nhic.or.kr for more information on
medical insurance or if you want to find out the address and telephone number of the branch
office across the country.
