Insurance in Korea for foreign residents and visitors

Start with your situation—not an insurance product

Insurance in Korea works differently depending on why you are here. A short-term visitor, an international student, an E-9 worker, and a permanent resident may have different public-insurance rules and different private-insurance options.

Choose the guide that matches you:

• Employment Permit System worker (mainly E-9 or H-2): check the four mandatory EPS insurance policies and Korea’s social insurance.
• Resident or international student: first confirm when National Health Insurance starts and whether you are an employee-insured or self-employed insured person.
• Tourist or short-term visitor: check travel medical coverage for the entire stay because National Health Insurance often does not apply.
• Foreign employee in another visa category: check health, pension, employment, and industrial accident insurance separately. Do not assume the E-9/H-2 rules apply.

Before buying private insurance

Ask these questions in this order:

1. What event or treatment makes the insurer pay?
2. What is excluded, and is there a waiting or reduced-benefit period?
3. Is the policy renewable, and when can the premium change?
4. Does the coverage last for my full period in Korea?
5. How do I claim in Korea, and which documents must be in Korean?

Do not rely only on an English marketing sentence. Ask the insurer to show the same answer in the official application screen or Korean policy terms.

Official multilingual help

• Immigration Contact Center 1345: immigration and living-in-Korea guidance in multiple languages; weekdays 09:00–22:00.
• National Health Insurance Service English site: foreign-language consultation at 1577-1000 (extension 6) or 033-811-2000.
• National Pension Service English site: pension coverage, social security agreements, and lump-sum refunds.
• EPS insurance guide: official Employment Permit System insurance information.

This site provides general information and questions to ask. The responsible public agency or insurer must confirm how a rule applies to your visa, job, and current contract.