Short answer: NHIS (National Health Insurance Service) is South Korea’s mandatory public health insurance system — nearly every resident, including foreign workers, must be enrolled. If you’re an Indian working in Korea with a spouse or children, you can usually add them as dependents on your NHIS policy, but you’ll need to prove the family relationship with official documents — a marriage certificate and/or family relationship certificate, apostilled and translated. The exact document needed depends on the situation: a Korean-born child is usually simple, but adding a spouse, switching a spouse’s coverage, or re-adding someone after time abroad each has its own requirement.
1) What is NHIS?
NHIS is Korea’s national health insurance program, run by the National Health Insurance Service. It covers most residents through one of two tracks:
- Workplace subscriber (직장가입자): if you’re employed, you and your registered dependents are covered through your employer.
- Regional subscriber (지역가입자): if you’re self-employed or not covered through a workplace, you enroll and pay directly.
As a foreign worker in Korea, you’re generally required to enroll, and your immediate family can often be added as dependents rather than needing separate policies — usually cheaper and simpler than everyone holding individual coverage.
2) How to add a family member to NHIS: step-by-step
Step 1 — Get the document from India
Get the relevant certificate — usually a marriage certificate (for a spouse) or a family relationship certificate (for broader family relationships, or when NHIS specifically asks for the full family structure). See our guide on how Indians in South Korea get a Family Relationship Certificate for how to obtain one through ICAC Seoul.
Step 2 — Get it apostilled by India’s MEA
The document needs an apostille from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) before it’s recognized in Korea. This happens entirely on the Indian side, through MEA or its authorized outsourced agencies — see our apostille process in India guide. Since India and Korea are both Hague Apostille Convention members, this apostille is accepted directly in Korea without further embassy legalization.
Step 3 — Get a Korean translation
Once apostilled, the document needs a Korean translation. As covered in our certified translation guide, this generally means either a simple certification statement, a Public Certificate of Translation from a licensed translation administrative agent, or — as many NHIS branches specifically require — a translation notarized by a Korean notary public.
Step 4 — Get the translation notarized (confirm this is what NHIS wants)
Because some NHIS branches reject a translation certified only by an administrative agent (see the callout below), confirm with your specific branch, then get the translation notarized if required. See our Korean notary public guide for the full process and current fees.
Step 5 — Submit the complete set to NHIS
Bring the original document, the apostille, the notarized Korean translation, and your own workplace/registration details to your local NHIS branch. Submit within the required window — generally within 9 months of the document’s issue/apostille date, though confirm this with your branch since timing rules can be updated.
A translation certified only by a licensed Foreign Language Translation Administrative Agent (외국어번역행정사) is not the same as notarization. For some institutions, including in some NHIS cases, a translation carrying only that agent’s certificate can be rejected on submission, because the office specifically wants a document notarized by a notary public instead. Ask your local NHIS branch which one they require before you pay for either option — it can save you from redoing the translation later.
3) Cost breakdown (approximate)
| Step | Typical cost | Where it happens |
|---|---|---|
| MEA apostille (India) | Varies by provider/agency | India (or a remote apostille service) |
| Korean translation | ₩30,000 per page for a short document (before notarization) | Korea |
| Notarization of translation | ₩27,000 total | Korea |
These are approximate figures — always get a specific quote for your document, since page count, formatting, and rush service all affect the final price.
You may not need a new translation each time. If you already have a notarized Korean translation of a document from a previous submission, NHIS branches generally accept it again within the same 9-month validity window used for the underlying document (see step 5 above) — you don’t automatically need to pay for and notarize a fresh copy just because you’re submitting again, as long as it’s still within that window.
4) How to prove a family relationship — which document do you need?
- Marriage certificate — proves your relationship to your spouse. Usually the starting point for adding a spouse as a dependent.
- Family relationship certificate — a broader document that lists family members and their relationship to you. NHIS may ask for this specifically when the marriage certificate alone doesn’t clearly establish everyone NHIS needs to see, for example when children or other dependents are involved.
Children born in Korea
If your child was born in Korea, in most cases a Korean birth certificate showing both parents’ names is enough on its own — you generally don’t need Indian documents for that child. In some cases, the case officer may still ask for a family relationship certificate that shows the full family structure, especially if something needs clarifying. If this happens, ask exactly what they need to see rather than guessing.
5) Real situations that come up — and how to handle them
Changing jobs restarts your NHIS registration
If you change employers, your NHIS enrollment is generally re-started under the new workplace, and the case officer may re-check your family details. This is normal — not a sign something is wrong — but keep your family documents (or copies) on hand so you can respond quickly if asked.
Make sure every family member is actually linked to you
Double-check directly with NHIS that all your family members are properly linked as dependents under your registration — a family member can end up unlinked or under the wrong applicant, especially after a job change or household restructuring. Don’t assume it’s correctly linked just because you submitted the paperwork once.
When both spouses work: children under one parent, spouse under separate coverage
If both spouses are working, it’s common for children to be registered as dependents under one parent while the other holds separate coverage through their own workplace. If the situation changes — for example, one spouse wants to join the other’s insurance as a dependent instead of keeping a separate policy — NHIS will generally want a freshly issued apostille certificate on the marriage certificate, and a freshly issued family relationship certificate with its own fresh apostille, not the documents used at your original registration. It’s the apostille’s date that matters most here, so an otherwise fine document can still be rejected if its apostille is too old.
A scan copy is enough to get started — through our marriage certificate apostille service, we confirm the route, price (starting at ₹1,500 per document), and ETA before you send anything else. Hassle-free, with the apostilled original couriered straight to you or your family in South Korea.
After a passport change or a long stay abroad
If your spouse’s passport has changed, or they stayed outside Korea for an extended period, this can affect their dependent status — in some cases, coverage can be suspended or barred if the absence is long enough. A commonly cited threshold is around 3 months, but this can vary, so confirm the current rule directly with NHIS. To reinstate coverage, you’ll typically need a fresh apostille on the marriage certificate, plus a freshly issued and freshly apostilled family relationship certificate.
How to check the current rule: Call the NHIS foreign-resident helpline at 1577-1000 (press or ask for extension 6 for English), or 033-811-2000, since exact thresholds and requirements are set by NHIS and can be updated.
Returning from a family trip — reactivating everyone at once
Reported cases suggest the suspension threshold can be shorter than “3 months” in practice, and that reactivating a whole family doesn’t necessarily need a fresh document for every member. Here are two such experiences, shared with us directly:
If you have a child, you do not need to submit a Korean translation and notarization of the child’s birth certificate. Based on my recent experience, a Korean-translated and notarized marriage certificate was sufficient to activate/reactivate my family’s NHIS coverage after we returned to Korea from a vacation of more than 30 days.
Another useful point: the same Korean-translated and notarized marriage certificate can be resubmitted, as the document is accepted within its 6-month validity period — so if you already submitted it recently, you may not need to prepare and notarize a new copy.
Ph.D, Senior Researcher, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), South Korea
For kids, just a phone call is enough to reactivate their health insurance — Korean NHIS is very supportive and accepts this.
South Korea
Treat these as individual families’ experiences rather than the rule — branch practice can vary, and it may depend on what NHIS already has on file for your child. If you’re planning to be away, call NHIS beforehand and confirm the threshold and reinstatement requirements that apply to your case.
Frequently asked questions
NHIS for Indian Families FAQs
Is a translation certified by a licensed translation administrative agent the same as a notarized translation?
No — and this distinction matters for NHIS. A Foreign Language Translation Administrative Agent is qualified under the Administrative Agent Act, not by any Ministry of Justice qualification, and is not a notary. Some institutions, including some NHIS branches, may reject a translation that carries only this agent's certificate and specifically require notarization by a notary public instead. Confirm with your local NHIS branch which one they need before you commission the translation.
How much does it cost, start to finish, to submit a family document to NHIS?
As a rough guide: Korean translation runs around ₩30,000 per page before notarization, and notarization of that translation adds around ₩27,000 total. The MEA apostille cost on the India side varies by provider. Always get a specific quote for your document rather than relying on these as fixed prices.
How long does the whole process take, from getting the document in India to submitting it to NHIS?
This varies by which route you use to get the underlying document, plus MEA apostille processing and courier time, on top of Korean translation and notarization once it arrives. Build in real buffer time rather than assuming it can be done in a few days, especially against a coverage deadline.
Do I need a family relationship certificate for every family member on NHIS?
Not necessarily — a marriage certificate is often enough to add a spouse, and a Korean birth certificate is usually enough for a child born in Korea. NHIS may ask for a family relationship certificate specifically when it needs to see the full family structure clearly.
My child was born in Korea — do I still need Indian documents?
Generally no. A Korean birth certificate listing both parents is usually sufficient. In some cases, a case officer may still request a family relationship certificate — if this happens, ask exactly what they need before assuming you have to reapply from India.
Why did NHIS ask me to re-verify my family details after I changed jobs?
Changing employers effectively restarts your NHIS registration, and the case officer may recheck your dependents as part of that process. This is routine, not a sign of a problem — just have your documents ready.
My spouse wants to switch from their own NHIS coverage to being my dependent — what's needed?
Typically a freshly issued apostille certificate on the marriage certificate, plus a freshly issued family relationship certificate with its own fresh apostille — documents or apostilles from your original registration may be considered too old for this kind of change.
Can my spouse lose NHIS dependent status by staying in India too long?
Yes, this is possible if the absence is long enough — a commonly cited threshold is around 3 months, though some families have reported reactivation being needed after as little as 30 days, so always confirm the current rule with NHIS directly (1577-1000, extension 6). What's needed to reinstate coverage is situation-dependent: NHIS commonly asks for a fresh apostille on the marriage certificate and a freshly issued, freshly apostilled family relationship certificate, but in some reported cases the marriage certificate translation alone was enough to reactivate the whole family. Don't assume either way — confirm with your branch before preparing documents.
Next steps with VerifiedApostille
- How Indians in South Korea Get a Family Relationship Certificate
- Family Relationship Certificate Apostille Service
- Marriage Certificate Apostille
- Personal Document Apostille — Birth, Marriage, PCC & Affidavits
Send us a scan of your marriage certificate or Family Relationship Certificate — a scan is enough to start. We’ll confirm the route, an all-inclusive price, and a real ETA the same day, then courier the apostilled original to you or your family in South Korea.
