If you have no Korean health insurance, you still have options. Emergency rooms must treat you. A public program pays most inpatient and surgery costs for uninsured migrant workers, marriage migrants before naturalization, refugees and their children at designated hospitals. Charity clinics give free basic care.
Key facts
| Program | Medical support for foreign workers and others (외국인근로자 등 소외계층 의료서비스 지원사업) |
| Who | Uninsured foreign workers and their spouses and children, marriage migrants before naturalization and their children, refugees and their children |
| Covers | Hospital stays and surgery, plus outpatient visits linked to them. Not ordinary outpatient visits |
| Seoul example (2026) | 90% of costs from admission to discharge; up to ₩3 million per person; above ₩6 million total, more can be approved after hospital review |
| How to apply | Directly at a designated hospital, usually through its social work or public health team |
| Seoul contact | Public healthcare division 02-2133-9244 |
| Emergencies | Call 119. Emergency treatment cannot be refused because of nationality or ability to pay |
Who is usually uninsured
Most foreign residents must join National Health Insurance (see health insurance for foreigners). People who often have no coverage:
- people who have been in Korea less than six months and are not employees;
- workers whose employer never enrolled them;
- people without legal status;
- short-term visitors.
If your employer should have enrolled you but did not, also contact NHIS (1577-1000).
Emergencies: your right to treatment
Korea’s Emergency Medical Service Act gives everyone the right to emergency care without discrimination, and states that this applies to foreigners staying in Korea too. An emergency room cannot refuse or delay emergency treatment because you are foreign, uninsured or cannot pay on the spot.
- Call 119 for an ambulance. The 119 call center can arrange interpretation.
- Uninsured patients are billed the full, non-insurance price afterwards.
- Korea has a system where the state pays an unpaid emergency bill to the hospital first and later collects it from the patient (응급의료비 대지급). Whether it applies is decided case by case; ask the hospital’s billing office (원무과).
- Ask right away whether the hospital takes part in the uninsured migrant program below.
The medical support program for uninsured migrants
Funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare with local governments and run through designated public and private hospitals.
Who can get it. People who cannot use any Korean medical security system (health insurance or medical aid), namely:
- foreign workers and their spouses and children;
- marriage migrants who have not yet naturalized, and their children;
- refugees and their children.
Detailed criteria differ by region and hospital. Busan’s program, for example, requires more than 90 days in Korea and a doctor’s view that the illness started in Korea, and covers children under 18. Ulsan’s program explicitly includes undocumented foreigners who have stayed 90 days or more.
What it covers. Inpatient care and surgery, plus outpatient care linked to them. Ordinary outpatient visits are excluded. The same illness is usually supported only once.
How much. Rules differ by region:
| Region | Support (as published) |
|---|---|
| Seoul (2026) | 90% of costs from admission to discharge, up to ₩3 million per person; if total costs pass ₩6 million, the hospital can review and request more within the budget |
| Busan | Up to 90% of hospital, surgery and linked outpatient costs |
| Ulsan | City pays 70%, hospital 20%, patient 10% |
Designated hospitals in Seoul (2026). National Medical Center (02-2260-7472), Seoul Red Cross Hospital, Seoul Medical Center (02-2276-7000), Boramae Medical Center, Seoul Dongbu Hospital, Seobuk Hospital, Seonam Hospital, Bukbu Hospital, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, Sungae Hospital, H Plus Yangji Hospital, Green Hospital, Sarang Plus Hospital and Bestian Seoul Hospital. Other provinces have their own lists; ask the provincial health department, 1345 or a migrant support center.
Contact the hospital's social work or public health team before a planned admission if you can. Bring your passport or residence card and any proof of work or family relationship. The hospital applies on your behalf; you do not apply to the government yourself.
Free and low-cost clinics
- Raphael Clinic (라파엘클리닉). A volunteer-run free clinic for migrant workers, open on Sundays in Seoul, with permanent clinics in Dongducheon and Cheonan as reported in 2026. Check raphael.or.kr for the current location and hours.
- Public health centers (보건소). Every district has one. They offer cheap basic care, TB tests, children’s vaccinations and maternal health services. Children without a registration number can get a temporary number for free vaccinations.
- Foreign resident centers. Some run free medical days. See foreign resident support centers.
Will the hospital report me to immigration?
Public officials normally must report people without legal status. Korean rules exempt certain situations from this duty, including patients at public health and medical institutions, students in schools, and crime victims. In November 2025 the Ministry of Justice added foreigners who report unpaid wages. Undocumented people should not avoid urgent treatment for fear of being reported.
Ramon has been in Korea for two years without legal status. He needs an emergency appendectomy in Seoul. He goes by ambulance to Seoul Medical Center, which treats him first. Its public health team checks the uninsured migrant program, which pays 90% of the bill up to the program limit. Ramon pays the remaining part in installments arranged with the billing office.
Other help
- Pregnancy. Uninsured pregnant women should contact a public health center early for prenatal checks.
- Workplace injury. If you were hurt at work, industrial accident insurance covers treatment even if you are undocumented or your employer never enrolled you. See employment and industrial accident insurance.
- Crime victims. Victims may get medical and living cost support through victim support centers and the police.
For how hospitals work in general, see using hospitals in Korea.
Common questions
Does the program pay for regular doctor visits?
No. It covers hospital stays and surgery and outpatient visits linked to them. For regular care, use a public health center or a free clinic.
What if I can’t pay the remaining bill?
Ask the hospital’s social worker or billing office about installments or charity funds.
Official sources
- Seoul Metropolitan Government: medical support for foreign workers and others (updated March 2026)
- News Seoul: Ulsan's medical support for uninsured foreign workers
- Hankyung: Danbit Foundation expands support for Raphael Clinic (Sept. 2026)
- Segye Ilbo: MOJ adds wage-arrears victims to reporting-duty exemptions (Nov. 2025)
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.