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Among the four major social insurances for foreign workers, National Health Insurance applies to foreigners and overseas Koreans, centered on Article 109 of the National Health Insurance Act.
🔹 1. Scope of Application and Legal Basis
The legal basis for foreign workers to enroll in National Health Insurance is found in Article 109, Paragraph 2 of the National Health Insurance Act.
According to this, a foreigner staying in Korea becomes a workplace subscriber if they are a worker, public official, or faculty member at an applicable workplace and have completed foreigner registration.
In other words, once a foreign worker signs an employment contract at a domestic workplace and completes foreigner registration, they are enrolled in health insurance with the same workplace subscriber status as Korean nationals.
🔹 2. Dependent Status
The spouse or children of a foreign worker must meet the dependent status requirements to receive health insurance benefits.
This is based on Article 109, Paragraph 4 of the National Health Insurance Act and Article 76-3 of the Enforcement Decree.
• The relationship with the workplace subscriber must fall under one of the categories in Article 5, Paragraph 2 of the Act, and
• The domestic residence period or reason for residence must meet certain criteria.
• However, spouses and children under 19 years of age are exempt from the domestic residence period requirement.
Dependent status must be applied for within 90 days after foreigner registration, and if the requirements are met as of the application date, the status is recognized retroactively to the date of foreigner registration.
🔹 3. Regional Subscriber Status
Foreigners who are not workplace subscribers may enroll as regional subscribers if they meet certain requirements.
• Marriage Immigrant (F-6) visa holders acquire regional subscriber status immediately upon entry.
(Legal basis: Article 61-2, Paragraph 1, Item 3 of the Enforcement Rules of the National Health Insurance Act)
• Overseas Korean (F-4) visa holders acquire regional subscriber status after residing in Korea for 6 months or more.
(Legal basis: Article 109, Paragraph 3, Item 1 of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 76-2, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Enforcement Decree)
🔹 4. Grounds for Exclusion from Health Insurance Application
Health insurance enrollment is restricted in the following cases.
• If medical coverage equivalent to medical benefits can be received under foreign laws, insurance, or employer contracts (Legal basis: Article 109, Paragraph 5, Item 2 of the National Health Insurance Act, Enforcement Rules Article 61-4)
• If the person is a medical aid beneficiary (Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Act)
🔹 5. Residence Period and Loss of Status
If a foreign regional subscriber stays abroad for 1 month or more after departure, their health insurance status is lost.
(Legal basis: Article 76-2, Paragraph 2, Item 2, Sub-item (b) of the Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act)
🔹 6. Summary of Recent System Revisions
According to the revised system after 2025,
• Foreigners and overseas Koreans are required to enroll in health insurance if they stay in Korea for 6 months or more
• Dependents of existing subscribers must also reside for 6 months or more to be eligible for insurance coverage
This measure is intended to prevent fraudulent claims by foreigners and ensure fairness in insurance finances.