Starting in April, foreigners and overseas Koreans must reside in South Korea for at least six months to be eligible for dependent status under the national health insurance.

The National Health Insurance Service announced that this rule, a key component of the revised ‘National Health Insurance Act,’ will take effect from April 3rd.

The amendment to the National Health Insurance Act includes a new condition for foreigners and overseas Koreans seeking dependent status: in addition to meeting the existing relationship, income, and property requirements with the workplace enrollee, they must now have resided in South Korea for at least six months. This change strengthens the criteria for obtaining dependent status under the national health insurance system.

The National Health Insurance Service explained that the amendment aims to prevent instances where foreign relatives enroll as dependents only to enter South Korea for surgeries or treatments as needed, then leave the country.

However, dependents who are minors under 19 years of age, spouses, or those with specific residency reasons such as academic study (D-2), primary/secondary school students (D-4-3), non-professional employment (E-9), permanent residency (F-5), or marriage immigration (F-6) can immediately receive health insurance benefits.

A dependent in the context of health insurance is typically someone who primarily relies on a working family member, such as a child or other relatives, for livelihood. Currently, both nationals and foreigners can become dependents if they meet the required conditions.