Welfare & health
2026 health insurance rate rises to 7.19%, long-term care insurance to 0.9448%
The 2026 national health insurance contribution rate rose from 7.09% to 7.19%, an increase of 0.1 percentage points. The long-term care insurance rate attached to it also rose, from 0.9182% to 0.9448% of income. Everyone enrolled in Korean health insurance pays a little more each month, regardless of nationality.
What changes
On 28 August 2025 the Ministry of Health and Welfare convened the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee and set the 2026 rate at 7.19%. That is 0.1 percentage points above the 7.09% applied in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 1.48%. The rate applies identically to employee subscribers and regional (self-employed) subscribers, and took effect with the January 2026 contribution.
In the ministry's own estimate, the average employee subscriber's monthly contribution rises from 158,464 won to 160,699 won, about 2,235 won more, while the average regional subscriber household goes from 88,962 won to 90,242 won, about 1,280 won more. For employee subscribers, the amount is split evenly between the worker and the employer.
The long-term care insurance rate, billed alongside health insurance, also went up. For 2026 it is 0.9448% of income, up from 0.9182% in 2025, which corresponds to 13.14% of the health insurance contribution. The average household long-term care contribution is estimated to rise from 17,845 won to 18,362 won per month. The government says the increase funds higher monthly ceilings for home-based care, more home-visit care sessions, and a long-service bonus opened up to workers with one year of service instead of three.
Who this applies to
- Everyone enrolled in National Health Insurance. The rate is the same whether you are a Korean citizen, a naturalised citizen, a permanent resident or a foreign national.
- Employee subscribers: people on a company payroll. Because the contribution is split with the employer, the health insurance deduction on your payslip goes up slightly.
- Regional subscribers: self-employed people, freelancers and those not on a payroll. They pay the full amount, calculated from income and property.
- Foreign residents: staying in Korea for six months or more triggers compulsory enrolment as a regional subscriber, a rule in force since 16 July 2019. Some statuses such as students follow separate rules, so confirm your own case with the NHIS.
- Foreign nationals and overseas Koreans hoping to register as a dependent: since 3 April 2024, becoming a dependent of an employee subscriber generally requires having lived in Korea for six months or more.
What to do now
- 1If you are on a payroll, check your January 2026 payslip onwards to see how much the health insurance and long-term care deductions changed.
- 2If you are a regional subscriber, compare your monthly bill with last year's and ask the NHIS whether an adjustment is possible if your income or property has fallen.
- 3If you are a foreign resident and have not received an enrolment notice, call the NHIS on 1577-1000 with your status of stay and entry date to confirm whether you should be enrolled.
- 4To be registered as a dependent of a family member who is an employee subscriber, first check that you meet both the residence period and the income and property conditions, then prepare documents proving the family relationship. Documents issued abroad may need translation and notarisation.
- 5If contributions are overdue, do not leave them. Ask the NHIS about instalment options. Arrears can restrict medical benefits and may come up in immigration reviews.
Commonly misunderstood
- A 1.48% rate increase does not mean your own bill rises by exactly 1.48%. Contributions are calculated from income and property, so if those changed your bill may move more or less than the headline figure.
- Health insurance and long-term care insurance are two different schemes. Long-term care is billed together with health insurance, but it is calculated by applying its own rate on top and is not included inside the health insurance amount.
- A separate rule applies to foreign regional subscribers: if the contribution calculated from income and property is lower than the average contribution across all subscribers, the average amount is charged instead. That average is reset each year, so ask the NHIS for the current figure.
- Do not assume a long stay abroad settles itself. There are specific procedures for suspending coverage and contributions while you are outside Korea, so notify the NHIS in advance.
Official sources
The links below are official government publications. This page summarises them; always check the original before filing or applying.
- 보건복지부2026년 건강보험료율 7.19%로 결정 (2025. 8. 28. 보도자료)
- 보건복지부2026년도 장기요양보험료율 0.9448% (보도자료)
- 대한민국 정책브리핑(문화체육관광부)2026년 건강보험료율 7.19%로 결정
- 국민건강보험공단장기체류 재외국민 및 외국인에 대한 건강보험 적용기준 (고시)
- 대한민국 정책브리핑(문화체육관광부)외국인 건강보험 가입·부과 기준 설명자료 (사실은 이렇습니다)
Verified on: 2026-08-24
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This page explains a policy change and is not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your situation with the responsible agency.