How to Get a Health Insurance Premium Refund or Suspend Payments When Moving Abroad
3 min read Β· Β· Korean original
Contents 3
Did you know that you don't have to pay health insurance premiums if you stay abroad for 3 months or more? Here's everything you need to know about the health insurance premium refunds and payment suspension available when you leave Korea.
Who Is Eligible for a Premium Refund
In the past, health insurance premiums were refunded if you stayed abroad for 1 month or more. Since July 2020, however, stays abroad for other purposes such as travel (non-economic activity) qualify only if they last 3 months or more.
Since October 2021, for stays abroad for economic activity (employment, business trips, overseas assignments, etc.), you can get a health insurance premium refund even if you stay abroad for just 1 month or more.
Locally Insured Subscribers π‘
- When staying abroad for 3 months or more (or 1 month or more if you have proven to the NHIS that you are staying abroad for overseas work)
Employee Subscribers πΌ
- If you stay abroad for 3 months or more and have no dependents in Korea, 50% of your premium is waived (or 1 month or more if you have proven to the NHIS that you are staying abroad for overseas work)
How to Apply for a Premium Refund
If you plan to stay abroad for 3 months or more, you can apply in advance so that you don't pay health insurance premiums during that period. Alternatively, you can apply afterward to get a refund of premiums you have already paid.
- Applying in advance so you don't pay premiums
- Locally insured subscribers: Submit copies of your passport and plane ticket
- Employee subscribers: Ask your company's payroll manager to file a payment suspension report
- Applying afterward to get a refund
- Locally insured subscribers: Submit copies of your passport and (round-trip) plane ticket, along with a Certificate of Entry and Exit
- Employee subscribers: Contact your company's payroll manager and submit a Certificate of Entry and Exit
If you call the customer center (1577-1000) and speak with an agent, you don't need any of the documents mentioned above. Because the National Health Insurance Service and the immigration office systems are linked, the NHIS checks your entry and exit dates and your application is filed automatically.
How the Period of Stay Abroad Is Calculated
For a health insurance premium refund, the period of stay abroad is counted from the month after the month in which the reason arises, up to the month in which the reason ends. In short, you need to be abroad while the 1st of the month passes three times.
- Example β April 2 β July 2: meets the 3-month requirement (May, June, July)
- Example β‘ March 1 β June 1: recognized as a 2-month stay abroad, does not meet the 3-month requirement (April, May)
Health insurance premium refunds are available for stays abroad within the previous 3 years. So if you have been staying abroad long-term and kept paying your premiums, be sure to apply for a refund. That wraps up our look at applying for health insurance premium refunds and payment suspension when going abroad: who is eligible and how to do it.
On top of that, did you know you can also get a refund on your indemnity (actual loss) insurance premiums if you go abroad for 3 months or more? See the post below for details.
How to Claim an Indemnity Health Insurance Premium Refund When You Go Abroad3 min read
