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National Health Insurance for Foreigners: Using It at Our ENT Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul

🌍 Welcoming patients from around the world · Consultations in English with Dr. Kim Yoo Suk, MD, former professor at Yonsei & Ajou University

What is NHIS?

Korea's National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 국민건강보험공단) is the single public health insurer that covers most of the population. Covered services at clinics, hospitals and pharmacies are partly paid by NHIS, and patients pay a co-payment. Some services, such as certain tests, cosmetic procedures and documents, are non-covered and paid in full. This page is a general overview; rules change, so always confirm your own situation with NHIS. Enrollment also brings access to the same co-payment levels Korean citizens pay, which makes regular follow-up for chronic problems such as allergies or sinusitis more affordable.

Who is enrolled

• Employees: foreigners employed at a company that provides workplace insurance are usually enrolled through their employer, with premiums shared and deducted from salary.
• Long-stay residents: since 2019, foreigners who have stayed in Korea for six months or more on many visa types are generally required to enroll as regional (self-employed) subscribers.
• Students: international students on D-2 and D-4 visas have generally been included since 2021; see our guide for international students.
• Dependents: spouses and children may be covered under an enrolled family member in some cases.
• Short-term visitors and tourists are not covered and pay in full, usually claiming from travel insurance afterward.

NHIS operates a customer center with foreign-language support, and its regional branches can confirm your status, premiums and exemptions, for example if you already have qualifying insurance through your employer abroad.

Using NHIS at our ENT clinic, step by step

1. Confirm you are enrolled and premiums are paid; unpaid premiums can affect coverage.
2. Bring your Residence Card (ARC). The clinic checks your eligibility using your registration number.
3. Consultation. Covered services, such as consultation and many ENT examinations, are billed with the NHIS share deducted.
4. Pay your share at the desk. Non-covered items are added at full price.
5. Pharmacy. Covered prescription medicines are also discounted when you show your ARC.

Covered and non-covered at our clinic

Most standard consultations and many diagnostic procedures, such as nasal endoscopy, are typically covered when medically indicated. The clinic's published non-covered list includes items such as the olfactory (smell) test, taste test, flu rapid antigen test, vitamin D test, flu vaccines, nutritional IVs, nasal valve reconstruction, radiofrequency tongue base reduction, dust mite sublingual immunotherapy, a single-person room and English medical certificates. Ask reception before a test if cost is a concern.

NHIS plus private insurance

Many expats hold both NHIS and an international private plan. You can claim your co-payment and non-covered costs from the private plan if it allows, using an itemized receipt and English medical certificate. See our insurance claim documents guide.

Seeing Dr. Kim

Dr. Kim Yoo Suk is a board-certified otolaryngologist and former Yonsei and Ajou University professor who consults in English. He treats all ear, nose and throat conditions and explains whether a recommended test is covered before you decide. More on visits is on our English-speaking ENT page, hours are on the location page, and other topics are on the International Patients hub.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to join NHIS as a foreigner?

Foreigners staying in Korea for six months or more on many visa types are generally required to enroll, either through an employer or as a regional subscriber. Exceptions and exemptions exist, and rules change. Contact NHIS or your employer to confirm your status.

What do I need to bring to use NHIS at the clinic?

Bring your Residence Card. The clinic checks your eligibility using your foreign registration number. If you have just enrolled or recently changed visa, keep any NHIS confirmation document handy in case the system has not updated yet.

Does NHIS cover everything at an ENT clinic?

No. Many consultations and medically necessary tests are covered with a co-payment, but some items are non-covered, such as the olfactory test, flu vaccines, nutritional IVs and English medical certificates. Ask reception about coverage before a test if cost matters to you.

General information for international patients, reviewed by an ENT specialist. Insurance coverage and claim rules depend on your own insurer — please check with them. In an emergency in Korea, call 119.