(Background)

A foreigner employed at a workplace of eligible persons for the national health insurance (NHI) shall join the national health scheme, provided that this shall not apply if the person qualifies certain conditions (i.e., when the person is covered by the foreign law or insurance).

(Major issues)

The headquarters of the filing company dispatched 3 foreign employees last April and May. One of them, a technology employee, also invited the person’s family to Korea in September. So far, the filing company’s dispatched employees came to Korea without their families, so this is the first case of family-accompanied dispatch. While the dispatched employees are covered by their home country’s health insurance (the condition for exemption of NHI membership), the accompanying family members did not have health insurance from their home country so they asked how to join the NHI.

The Office of Foreign Investment Ombudsman (OFIO) received the grievance and contacted the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to ask the joining process for NHI membership. OFIO explained the full details of the process and the filing company will apply for the said family member’s NHI membership as notified.

- As for the dispatched employees (D-8 visa holders), they are not employer-provided policyholders of the NHI, which makes the said family members non-eligible for dependent of an employer-provided policyholder. So the family members should be reported as locally provided policyholders.

- 3 months after entering into Korea, the family members can visit the nearest office of National Health Insurance Corporation with their foreigner registration certificate, passport, and family relationship documents to join the NHI.