Institute of International Education – 또다른 삼육 대학교 멀티 사이트

Student Life

Insurance and Medical Care

Welcome to Korea.
This is a guide to the health insurance system for foreigners to help you live a healthy life while staying in Korea.

Health insurance is a social security system that provides insurance benefits for treatment of diseases and injuries, aiming to improve public health and enhance social security. It covers both Korean citizens and foreigners residing in South Korea.

Persons who have registered as foreigners under Article 31 of the Immigration Control Act
Persons who have reported their domestic residence under Article 6 of the Act on the Immigration and Legal Status of Overseas Koreans
Overseas Koreans who have registered under Article 6 of the Resident Registration Act

Workers and employers employed by health insurance applicable businesses
- Foreigners working at applicable workplaces are automatically covered
- French health insurance employees may apply optionally (due to social security agreement)
Exclusions
- Possibility to apply for exemption if covered by foreign laws and insurance
- Possibility to apply for exemption if covered by contracts with employers, etc.

Persons not employed or dependents but holding the following residence statuses may apply voluntarily:
F-1 (visiting family), F-2 (residence), F-3 (dependent), F-4 (overseas Korean), F-5 (permanent resident), F-6 (marriage immigrant), D-1 (culture & arts), D-2 (student), D-3 (industrial training), D-4 (general training), D-5 (journalism), D-6 (religious activities), D-7 (intra-company transfer), D-8 (business investment), D-9 (trade and management), D-10 (job seeking), E-1 (professor), E-2 (foreign language instructor), E-3 (research), E-4 (technical guidance), E-5 (specialized employment), E-6 (artistic performance), E-7 (specific activities), E-9 (non-professional employment), E-10 (seafarer), H-1 (working holiday), H-2 (visiting employment), and overseas Koreans.

When application is made; however, if reported within 90 days of occurrence, deemed as of the occurrence date.

The day after 3 months have passed since the most recent entry into Korea.
If it is clear the individual will stay in Korea for over 3 months due to study or marriage, the acquisition date is the date of entry.

Monthly premium = Monthly wage × Premium rate (Premium burden: 50% employee, 50% employer)
Premiums are withheld from wages and applied retroactively from the employment start date.

For foreigners with a stay status that allows income (wage) assessment (D-3, D-5~9, E-1~7, E-9~10, H-1~2)
- Monthly premium = Monthly wage × Workplace insured premium rate
- For stay status D-6 (religion), 30% reduction on calculated premium
- If calculated premium is less than the previous year's average regional insured premium per household, the previous year's average is applied.
For foreigners with stay status where income is unknown or unassessable (D-1~2, D-4, D-10, F-3)
- The previous year's average regional insured premium per household is applied.
- For general training (D-4) and student (D-2) stay statuses, 50% discount on calculated premiums.
Permanently residing foreigners in Korea [visiting family (F1), residence (F2), permanent resident (F5), marriage immigrant (F6)]
- Premiums are assessed and paid monthly under the same standards as nationals.
Overseas Koreans (F-4) and overseas nationals are charged premiums under the same standards as regional insured nationals.
- If calculated premium is less than the previous year's average regional insured premium per household, the previous year's average applies, but students receive 50% reduction on calculated premiums.
Foreign regional insured (including overseas nationals) pay premiums monthly by the 25th of previous month.
- Initial premiums due to retroactive qualification acquisition are combined and charged with the first notice.

Foreigners receive the same insurance benefits as Korean nationals.
- Insurance premiums are withheld from wages and retroactively applied from the employment start date.

Those who fraudulently receive health insurance benefits can face criminal penalties.
- Examples include lending a health insurance card or identification document to others or using another person's health insurance card to receive medical treatment.
- According to Article 115 (Penalties) Paragraph 3 and 5 of the Health Insurance Act, receiving insurance benefits through false or other fraudulent methods or causing others to receive such benefits can result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine not exceeding 10 million KRW.
If criminal penalties are applied, notifications are sent to the immigration office, which may lead to disadvantages such as entry prohibition or refusal of stay extension.