South Korea – Changes to National Health Insurance
The Korean government has recently implemented a new change regarding national health insurance. Foreign nationals residing in South Korea for more than 6 months will automatically be subscribed to the national health insurance of Korea from July 16, 2019.
Foreign nationals will need to be aware of the automatic process since if when applying for an extension of the visa and ARC, if there is an amount due for the National Health Insurance, the visa extension may be denied.
In order to check on this, the expat or company should reach out to the Regional Health Insurance Office to check the status in their system. If the foreign national is in the system, they can apply for a waiver from the local health insurance by sending documentation proof, such as their own health insurance package, etc. The applicants would also need to apply to remove their name from the list of local association application in order to not be claimed for any charges on their visa renewal.
No action is required for applicants not in the system.
Employers who may be affected are encouraged to contact their immigration specialist for case-specific advice.