Unpaid health insurance can shorten your visa extension

When a registered foreigner applies to extend their stay, immigration checks whether they owe health insurance premiums or taxes. The Ministry of Justice says the aim is to limit visa extensions for people who keep not paying.

Who is checked
Registered foreigners aged 19 or over who are staying legally. The ministry says the effect differs by stay status, but it does not list the statuses.

What happens

• If you pay everything you owe, the extension is handled normally. The ministry gives 2 to 5 years as the usual period, depending on the status.
• If you do not pay, the extension is limited: in principle, 6 months or less.
• The check runs at the 38 immigration offices nationwide.

On the NHIS side
NHIS warns on its own site that arrears bring disadvantages, such as a shorter stay period, when you apply for stay permits. Since April 2025 a regional foreign member (지역가입자) who misses a payment also loses benefits from the month after the deadline until the arrears are paid.

Not stated by the ministry: whether an instalment plan counts as paid, and which statuses are exempt. Ask your immigration office if this is your case.

It depends on your stay status and what you owe.

Next step: before you book an extension appointment, check your NHIS balance on the NHIS site or app and settle it. For NHIS call 1577-1000 and press 6; for immigration call 1345.

Sources: Ministry of Justice; NHIS, unpaid premiums. Checked 11 October 2026.