Korea's National Health Insurance for Australians

Korea has one of the cheapest, fastest public health systems in the world. For Australians, it isn't optional, and it doesn't care that you've got Medicare at home.

The short version

Foreigners who stay in Korea for six months or more must join National Health Insurance (NHI), run by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). It's been compulsory since 2019 [1][2].
Employees are enrolled through work from the start. In 2026 the premium is 7.19% of pay, split 3.595% each between you and your employer, plus a smaller long-term care premium [3].
Freelancers and people without a Korean employer are enrolled automatically after six months as "regional" subscribers. If their calculated premium is below the average for all subscribers, they pay the average [2][4].
Australia has no Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Korea, and the 2008 social security agreement covers pensions, not health. Medicare won't pay for care in Seoul.
Unpaid premiums can cut off your cover and can count against you when you renew your visa [1][4].

How Korean NHI works

Korea has a single national insurer. Almost every clinic, hospital and pharmacy in Seoul is in the system, from the walk-in clinic in your apartment block to the big university hospitals in Sinchon and Jongno. You show your registration card or NHI details, the clinic bills the NHIS, and you pay a co-payment at the counter.

It feels a bit like bulk billing with a gap. For routine care at a local clinic, the co-payment is usually modest.

How it differs from Medicare

	Medicare in Australia	NHI in Korea
How you pay	Medicare levy through tax	Separate monthly premium
Visit costs	Bulk billing or a gap	Co-payment on almost every visit
Hospital	Free as a public patient	Co-payment, lower for inpatients than outpatients
Choice of doctor	GP referral to specialists	Walk straight into a specialist clinic
Big hospitals	Public waiting lists	Referral needed for tertiary hospitals, or you pay more [5]
Foreigners	Mostly not covered	Compulsory after six months [5]

The referral rule catches newcomers. Seoul's top university hospitals are "tertiary" hospitals. Without a referral from a clinic or hospital, you may pay more up front [5]. Emergencies, childbirth, dental and some other care are exempt [5].

Joining: employees vs everyone else

If you work for a Korean employer

Your employer enrols you in employee insurance, usually from your first pay. This includes E-2 teachers at hagwons and public schools, professionals on E-7 visas and most office workers. Premiums come straight out of your salary.

2026 rates [3]:

Premium	You	Employer	Total
Health insurance	3.595%	3.595%	7.19% of pay
Long-term care	Smaller extra amount, calculated from your health premium	Same

Check your first payslip. If there's no health insurance line after your first month, ask HR why. You don't want to find out at the hospital.

If you're freelance, self-employed or between jobs

Regional subscribers are enrolled automatically once they've lived in Korea for six months [4]. The six-month count starts from your entry. You're enrolled from the day after you pass 183 days [2]. The NHIS then posts an insurance card and a monthly bill to the address on your registration [5].

Premiums for regional subscribers are worked out for the household from income and property. Foreigners pay at least the average premium of all subscribers [2]. That floor is set each year and is reasonably high for a single person on a modest income. Check the current amount with the NHIS. Pay by the due date each month, usually by direct debit from a Korean bank account.

Some visa holders, including D-2 students and F-6 marriage visa holders, are covered from day one [2].

Can you opt out?

Rarely. When it became compulsory, exemptions were limited to people with home-country public or private cover that extends to Korea and is comparable to NHI, or employees covered by an employer's plan [1]. Students, for example, can apply for a waiver with an ARC, the NHIS form, a policy summary and a copy of the policy in English and Korean. Approval isn't guaranteed [6].

Australian travel insurance or a standard overseas visitor policy usually won't qualify. If you plan to apply, ask the NHIS first.

Family members

Your spouse and children can usually join as your dependants. Since April 2024, foreigners need to have lived in Korea for six months before they can be added as a dependant [7]. Spouses and younger children of an insured person can generally join without waiting [5][7]. Some visa holders, including D-2 students, F-6 visa holders and permanent residents, can join straight away [7]. Rules on which children count have changed, so confirm with the NHIS.

Under regional insurance, foreign subscribers can only register a spouse and underage children in their household [4]. Parents visiting from Australia can't be added. They need travel insurance.

What it costs to use

NHI doesn't cover everything. You pay:

A co-payment on each visit, prescription and hospital stay. Your share is generally lower for hospital stays than outpatient visits, and higher at big hospitals than at local clinics.
The full cost of uninsured items. Common examples are private rooms, some scans and tests, cosmetic procedures and some dental work.
Pharmacy co-payments. You take the clinic's prescription to a nearby pharmacy. Most are closed on Sundays and public holidays; the Korean site pharm114.or.kr lists those that open [5].

Because co-payments add up for serious illness or a long hospital stay, some Australians in Seoul also buy private top-up cover. If you're thinking of keeping your Australian private health insurance while you're away, read our guide to private health insurance when you move overseas first.

Arrears, visas and leaving Korea

This is where Australians get caught. Under Korea's rules, foreign subscribers who fall behind on premiums can lose benefits straight away. Korean subscribers usually keep cover while they catch up [4]. Unpaid premiums can also lead to a visa extension being refused [1].

Five steps to stay covered

Register your address quickly. NHIS bills go to the address on your ARC. Report moves to immigration so letters reach you.
Set up direct debit. Once you have a Korean bank account, pay premiums automatically.
Check after job changes. Between jobs you may switch from employee to regional insurance, with a new bill.
Save your NHI details on your phone. Clinics will ask for your registration number.
Close it properly when you leave. Tell the NHIS when you leave Korea for good, and pay any final bill. Unpaid premiums can cause trouble if you come back.

The NHIS has a foreign-language line on 033-811-2000 [6].

The Australian angle

No reciprocal agreement. Australia's Reciprocal Health Care Agreements cover a short list of countries, and Korea isn't one. Medicare won't pay for anything in Seoul.
Your Medicare enrolment. If you leave Australia for a long time, your Medicare eligibility can change. Our guide to Medicare when you live abroad explains what happens and how to reactivate it when you move home.
Medicare levy. If you stay an Australian tax resident while you're in Korea, you may still pay the Medicare levy, even though you can't use Medicare. Some people overseas can claim an exemption. Check with the ATO.
Before your first six months. You aren't covered by NHI for your first six months unless you're an employee or on a qualifying visa. Bring travel insurance that covers the gap.

Need an English-speaking clinic, or advice on handling an NHIS bill in Korean? Ask in Cooee South Korea, our Facebook group for Australians in South Korea.

Korea's National Health Insurance: compulsory cover for Australians in Seoul