Health Insurance for Foreigners in Korea: NHIS Costs & Coverage
By WCS Last reviewed and updated: July 18, 2026 · Checked against official Korean government sources. Key takeaways NHIS treatment depends on the insured category: foreign employees at covered workplaces are generally enrolled through work, with a documented exclusion application available in the official foreign-insurance or employer-contract cases; foreign local subscribers are generally subject after more than six months of stay. For employee-insured workers, NHIS lists a 7.19% total contribution rate for 2026, normally split 50:50 between employee and employer before any separate long-term-care premium; local subscribers are assessed by the official income/property/vehicle score method. Local subscribers (students, freelancers, dependents) are charged on income and assets, and foreigners often pay a government-set minimum floor even with low declared Korean income. NHIS covers outpatient visits, hospitalization, surgery, prescriptions, and maternity, with co-payments commonly ...