Starting April 2026, expats in Korea must have lived in the country for six months before becoming eligible for the national health insurance system.
South Korea is tightening eligibility for its national health insurance program. From April 2026, expats will need to have been resident in the country for at least six months before they can enroll—a change that affects anyone planning to move there or already settling in.
This matters if you're relocating to Korea for work, study, or retirement. The six-month waiting period means you'll need to arrange private health coverage for your first half-year, or rely on your home country's insurance if it covers you abroad. Plan ahead: get quotes from expat health insurers before you move, and factor the gap into your budget.
You'll need private health coverage for your first six months in Korea before the public system kicks in.
Once you hit the six-month mark, you become eligible for Korea's public system, which is comprehensive and affordable. But that first window requires your own coverage.
Source: original report ↗
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