Health insurance
Can foreign residents buy private health insurance in Korea?
Foreign residents may be able to buy private health insurance in Korea. Insurers provide information and customer-service channels for foreign customers’ contracts and claims. Eligibility for National Health Insurance does not, however, automatically approve an application for private health insurance.
Private health products may be subject to underwriting. Factors can include age, health, recent tests, medication, hospital stays or surgery, occupation and the amount of coverage requested. For foreign residents, identity verification and the ability to maintain contact while resident in Korea may also matter in practice.
A pre-existing condition does not always prevent enrollment. Some insurers offer simplified-underwriting products or products for people whose medical history makes standard underwriting difficult or changes the available terms. These products still require answers to health questions and approval under the insurer’s underwriting criteria, and their premiums or out-of-pocket structure may differ from standard products.
An example from official insurer information
One insurer currently offers a separate medical-expense product for people with medical histories. It uses simplified questions about recent treatment, hospital stays, surgery and cancer history, while stating that enrollment may be restricted or declined under the insurer’s underwriting criteria.
This is an example of one insurer’s current product. It does not mean that every foreign resident with a pre-existing condition will be accepted or that all insurers use the same questions and standards.
What to check before applying
- Whether the product accepts applications from foreign residents
- Required identification and identity-verification method
- Whether a Korean address, phone number or bank account is required
- The scope of the health questions
- Exclusions, out-of-pocket amounts and renewal terms
- Whether post-enrollment claims and management are available in another language
- Whether the contract can continue after departure and whether overseas medical expenses are covered
Sensitive-information warning
Do not send medical certificates, passport numbers, foreign resident registration numbers or a detailed medical history through this site’s inquiry form merely to ask about possible enrollment. Provide information required for actual underwriting only through the insurer’s official process.