International Health insurance in South Korea

Healthcare formalities for expatriates

• If you are working in South Korea under a local employment contract: your employer will enroll you in the health insurance scheme. The company pays 50% of the employee's healthcare and 5% of salary is deducted to fund the health insurance contributions.

• If you are self-employed in South Korea: you will have to apply for enrolment yourself. You will only be able to join the health insurance scheme once you have obtained your Residence Card (or ARC - Alien Registration Card). This card is mandatory for all foreign nationals wishing to stay in the country for more than 90 days.
  • To get your Residence Card, go to the nearest immigration office with the required documents (for more information: https://www.hikorea.go.kr/Main.pt
  • Then go to the nearest NHIS office with your Residence Card to apply for enrollment in the health insurance scheme. The amount of contributions will depend on your income.

• Samsung Medical Center
• Asan Medical Center
• Seoul National University Hospital
• Severance Hospital
• Seoul St Mary's Hospital

• Fire and ambulance: 119 
• Police: 112 
• English-speaking call center for medical emergencies: 1339 
• French Embassy in Seoul: + 82 2-3149-4300   

MSH can help you design the best international health insurance plan to suit your needs.

Going for less than a year?  
We have the right health insurance plan to cover you for 1 to 12 months, whether it's for a personal project, an apprenticeship, a working holiday or any other reason.

Going for a year or more?
Explore our comprehensive and highly flexible health insurance solutions to protect you and your family while you're abroad.

Duration: 12 months non-renewable

List of participating countries as of January 2021: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States

Cost of the visa: Applications for a Korean WHV are free for French nationals although from March 2021, a fee of €60 is payable to the KVAC, which will process your application.

For Belgian citizens, the application costs €50.40 (payable in cash only) and $117 for Canadians.

Turnaround time: 1 week

Fees may vary depending on nationality

To apply for a visa for South Korea, you must:

• Be between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
• Hold a valid passport from any country having signed an agreement with South Korea
• Have sufficient funds to meet your needs at the beginning of your stay (€2,500 minimum)
• Not be accompanied by dependents during your stay
• Not previously have entered South Korea on a Working Holiday Visa (first application)
• Have international health insurance for the duration of your stay
• Apply for a WHV as long as the year's quotas have not been reached
• Have a return ticket or proof of having the means to purchase one
• Have a clean criminal record

Please note that Working Holiday Visa conditions may vary depending on the country

To apply for a visa, you must follow the procedure set out on the page of the relevant embassy:

Here is the link to the visa application form to be completed and signed: https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/upload/cntnts/fr-fr/visakorean.pdf

Please note that the documents required may vary depending on the embassy / consulate. We therefore recommend getting up-to-date official information from the relevant embassy / consulate before making any plans.