Employee or regional NHIS member? What changes for you

There are two kinds of National Health Insurance (NHIS, 국민건강보험) member. Which one you are decides when cover starts, how you pay, and what happens when you miss a payment. We wrote about start dates on 21 September; this post is about the difference.

Employee member (직장가입자)

• You join on the day a company in the system hires you. The premium comes out of your salary.
• The rule is the same for every nationality.

Regional member (지역가입자)

• NHIS enrols you itself, with no application, once you have lived in Korea for 6 months. D-2 students, D-4-3 school pupils, E-9 workers, and F-5 and F-6 holders join on their entry date.
• Trips abroad of up to 30 days in total still count toward the 6 months. One trip of more than a month restarts the count from your return.
• You pay one month in advance when you join (F-5 and F-6 holders are billed like Korean nationals instead). After that, each month's bill is due by the 25th of the month before.
• D-2, D-4 and F-4 students, but not graduate students, get 50% off the premium if their income and property are under the limits.

Missing a payment
Under the April 2025 notice, a regional foreign member who does not pay by the 25th of the following month loses benefits from the month after that, until the arrears are paid. Arrears can also shorten a stay extension at immigration.

It depends on your visa, your employer, and your income and property.

Next step: check your member type and your bills on the NHIS site or app, or call 1577-1000 and press 6.

Sources: NHIS, foreign members; NHIS, premiums for foreign members; NHIS, guidance for foreigners in English. Checked 11 October 2026.