Table of requirements for gaining and losing status.
This post covers Korea's National Health Insurance rules; Korean law names are translated, and the linked official sources are in Korean.
Search: health insurance dependents / dependent recognition criteria / dependent income criteria / dependent property criteria / dependent acquisition report / loss of dependent status / The Health Insurance app / Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Annex 1 / Annex 1-2
Checked: 2026-08-18. Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, effective 2026. 8. 11. [Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 1187, 2026. 7. 10., amended by another act]. The income threshold of 20 million won a year comes from Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 907 of 2022. 9. 1. (34 million → 20 million). No separate public notice titled "Dependent Recognition Criteria" was found. Article 5(2) and (3) of the Act delegate the income and property criteria and recognition, acquisition and loss to an Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The locked documents are Annex 1 and Annex 1-2.
1. The box this post covers
The box this post covers is the table of requirements for gaining and losing status.
Inquiries: National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) customer center 1577-1000, branch offices, The Health Insurance app (labelled "Health Insurance 25si" on the civil-petition page), Social Insurance Information Linkage Center (www.4insure.or.kr). (S5, S6, S16)
Definition of a dependent: Article 5(2) of the Act
"A dependent under paragraph (1) means a person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs, mainly depends on an employee subscriber for a living, and whose income and property are at or below the criteria prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare." (S1)
- The employee subscriber's spouse
- The employee subscriber's lineal ascendants (including the spouse's lineal ascendants)
- The employee subscriber's lineal descendants (including the spouse's lineal descendants) and their spouses
- The employee subscriber's brothers and sisters
Paragraph (3): "The criteria for recognizing dependent status, the timing of its acquisition and loss, and other necessary matters shall be prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare." (S1)
All requirements must be met: Article 2(1) of the Enforcement Rule
"The criteria for recognizing dependent status under Article 5(2) of the Act shall be meeting all of the requirements in the following subparagraphs." (S2)
| Subpara. | Requirement | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meets the support requirements under Annex 1 | Enforcement Rule Article 2(1)1 |
| 2 | Meets the income and property requirements under Annex 1-2 | Enforcement Rule Article 2(1)2 |
The support requirements and the income and property requirements must all be met. (S2, S13)
2. Relationship table: who can be registered
Article 5(2) of the Act has four branches. NHIS guidance: "the employee subscriber's spouse (including de facto marriage), lineal ascendants (including the spouse's lineal ascendants), lineal descendants (including the spouse's lineal descendants) and their spouses, brothers and sisters." (S1, S5, S6)
Table A. Relationship: Article 5(2) of the Act + NHIS guidance
| Relationship (Article 5(2) of the Act) | Conditions added by the NHIS and Annex 1 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Includes de facto marriage. Annex 1 item 1: support recognized whether living together or not | S1, S3, S5 |
| Lineal ascendants (including the spouse's lineal ascendants) | Parents, grandparents, etc. When not living together, conditioned on whether cohabiting siblings or lineal descendants have remuneration or income (Annex 1 items 2, 4, 7 and 8) | S1, S12 |
| Lineal descendants (including the spouse's lineal descendants) and their spouses | Children: recognized when living together; when not living together, recognized if unmarried (Annex 1 item 3). Grandchildren (through a son or a daughter): conditioned on the parents' remuneration and income (item 5). Spouse of a lineal descendant: recognized when living together, not recognized when not living together (item 6). Spouse's lineal descendants: recognized when living together and unmarried, not recognized when not living together (item 9) | S1, S12 |
| Brothers and sisters | Annex 1 item 10, living together / not living together + NHIS: unmarried and aged 65 or older, under 30, a person with a disability, or a person wounded in national service or eligible for veterans' compensation for injury + property tax base of 180 million won or less | S5, S4, S12 |
Annex 1, living together / not living together: item numbers and NHIS summaries
For Annex 1 items 1 to 10, only the item numbers and the NHIS and packet summaries are given. The sentence-by-sentence original text of each item is not placed in the body. (S12)
| Item | Who | NHIS / packet summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spouse | Support recognized whether living together or not. Includes de facto marriage |
| 2, 4, 7, 8 | Lineal ascendants (including the spouse's lineal ascendants) | When not living together, conditioned on whether cohabiting siblings or lineal descendants have remuneration or income |
| 3 | Children (lineal descendants) | Recognized when living together. When not living together, recognized if unmarried |
| 5 | Grandchildren (through a son or a daughter) | Conditioned on the parents' remuneration and income |
| 6 | Spouse of a lineal descendant | Recognized when living together. Not recognized when not living together |
| 9 | Spouse's lineal descendants | Recognized when living together and unmarried. Not recognized when not living together |
| 10 | Brothers and sisters | Living together / not living together + the additional conditions below |
Additional conditions for brothers and sisters
NHIS guidance + Annex 1 item 10. (S5, S4)
- Unmarried
- and under 30 or aged 65 or older or a person with a disability, a person wounded in national service or a person eligible for veterans' compensation for injury
- Total property tax base of 180 million won or less (Table C)
NHIS original text: "For brothers and sisters, the total property tax base must be 180 million won or less. (However, only those aged 65 or older, under 30, persons with disabilities, and persons wounded in national service or eligible for veterans' compensation for injury are recognized.)" (S5, S6)
The original text of the definition of "unmarried" in the Annex 1 notes (whether divorce or bereavement is included) has not been obtained. The NHIS writes only "unmarried." The full text of the notes is not used.
De facto marriage
The NHIS writes "including de facto marriage." Annex 1 item 1 recognizes support whether living together or not. A list of documents for de facto marriage is not in this packet. No list is given. (S5, S3)
3. Income requirement table: Annex 1-2 item 1
Annex 1-2 item 1. The NHIS Policy Center publishes the same figures as the full text of Annex 1-2. (S3, S4)
The current 20 million won a year is the figure changed on 2022. 9. 1. by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 907 from 34 million won or less a year to 20 million won or less a year. (S9)
Table B. Income requirement (Annex 1-2 item 1)
| Box | Criterion | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Combined income | Total of each subparagraph of Article 41(1) of the Enforcement Decree (interest, dividends, business, earned, pension, other) of 20 million won or less a year | S3, S4 |
| Business income principle | No business income | S3 |
| Unregistered | With no business registration and business income of 5 million won or less a year, treated as having no business income. Excluded from this exception if there is housing rental income | S3, S4 |
| Persons with disabilities / wounded persons | Regardless of business registration, business income of 5 million won or less a year is treated as no business income. Applies to: registered persons with disabilities, persons wounded in national service, persons eligible for veterans' compensation for injury | S3, S4 |
| Housing rental | Excluded if there is income, regardless of business registration (NHIS wording) | S4, S7 |
| Married | Both spouses meet items (a) through (c) | S3 |
| Timing of application | January to October: the year before last (pensions: the previous year). November to December: the previous year | S4, S10 |
Gist of the Annex text. "The total income under each subparagraph of Article 41(1) of the Enforcement Decree shall be 20 million won or less a year." "There shall be no business income. However, … where the total business income is 5 million won or less a year, it shall be deemed that there is no business income." "In the case of a married person, both spouses must meet … the requirements." (S3)
NHIS: "For housing rental income earners, excluded if there is income, regardless of business registration." (S4, S7)
Original text of the income settlement lookup page. "If one of a married couple does not meet the dependent income requirement, both spouses lose dependent status." (S11)
For the timing of applying income data, only the original text of Article 41(3) of the Enforcement Decree is used. From January to October, data for the year before last (for pensions, the previous year). From November to December, data for the previous year. (S4, S10)
4. Property requirement table: Annex 1-2 item 2
Annex 1-2 item 2(a) lists only the two cases below as "falling under either one." No other qualifying boxes appear in the Annex or the NHIS table. (S3, S4)
Table C. Property requirement (Annex 1-2 item 2)
| Who | Total property tax base | Additional income condition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annex 1 items 1 to 9 | 540 million won or less | None (income requirement Table B applies separately) | S3 |
| Annex 1 items 1 to 9 | Over 540 million won and up to 900 million won | Total annual income of 10 million won or less | S3 |
| Annex 1 item 10, brothers and sisters | 180 million won or less | (Table B income requirement applies separately) | S3 |
| Types of property | Land, buildings, houses, ships, aircraft | — | S4 |
| Timing of application | Property tax data as of June 1 of the year | November of that year to October of the following year | S4, S10 |
Gist of the Annex text. "The total property tax base exceeds 540 million won and is 900 million won or less, and … total income is 10 million won or less a year" or "is 540 million won or less." Brothers and sisters (Annex 1 item 10): "is 180 million won or less." (S3)
For the timing of applying property data, property tax data as of June 1 of the year is applied from November of that year to October of the following year. (S4, S10)
5. Acquisition report: who, how many days, where
Who must report
Policy Center: for employee subscribers, the employer / for workplace dependents, the employee subscriber. Who reports acquisition: employee subscribers and voluntary continued subscribers. (S5, S6)
Enforcement Rule Article 2(4): the employee subscriber reports acquisition and loss. The dependent reports loss under paragraph (3) subparagraph 8. (S2)
14 days / 90-day retroactivity
Policy Center original text. "Within 14 days from the date of acquiring eligibility." "However, if a dependent eligibility acquisition report is filed separately after the employee subscriber's eligibility acquisition report or change report, and it is filed within 90 days from the date of change, it is recognized retroactively from the date the person could have become a dependent." (S5)
Enforcement Rule Article 2(2) divides the acquisition date. (S2)
| Case | Acquisition date | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn | Date of birth | Enforcement Rule Article 2(2) |
| Reported within 90 days | Date the employee subscriber acquired eligibility, or date the subscriber's eligibility changed | Enforcement Rule Article 2(2) |
| Reported after more than 90 days | Date the report was submitted | Enforcement Rule Article 2(2) |
| More than 90 days for unavoidable reasons | Date of change | Enforcement Rule Article 2(2) |
Table D. Deadlines and channels for acquisition and loss
| Action | Who | Deadline / acquisition date | Channel | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent acquisition report | Employee subscribers, voluntary continued subscribers | Policy Center: 14 days from the date of acquiring eligibility. If reported separately within 90 days of the date of change, retroactive to the date the person could have become a dependent. Enforcement Rule: within 90 days = date of change; more than 90 days = submission date | NHIS website, The Health Insurance app (civil-petition page name: Health Insurance 25si), 4insure.or.kr, branch office, fax, mail, 1577-1000, EDI | Annexed Form No. 1 + family relations register certificate |
| Dependent loss report | Employee subscribers, voluntary continued subscribers, the dependent (in person) | The loss date set by each subparagraph of paragraph (3). Loss reported by the person (subparagraph 8): the day after the report date | Same | Annexed Form No. 1 |
| Employee subscriber loss of eligibility (employer) | Employer | 14 days from the date of loss of eligibility (Article 10(2) of the Act) | 4insure, NHIS | Annexed Form No. 8 |
| Regional acquisition / change | Head of household. Deemed submitted if the employer files Form No. 8 | 14 days from the date of acquisition / change of eligibility (Articles 8(2) and 9(2) of the Act) | NHIS | Annexed Form No. 5 |
Channel paths. (S5, S6, S7, S16)
- Website "Civil Petitions Here" > Personal petitions > Eligibility lookup > Dependent eligibility acquisition and loss report
- Mobile app: The Health Insurance / Health Insurance 25si. The Policy Center says The Health Insurance; the civil-petition page says Health Insurance 25si. Both are NHIS labels. They are not merged into one name here
- Social Insurance Information Linkage Center: Civil petition reports > Eligibility acquisition > Health insurance employee subscriber dependent acquisition report
- Visit to a branch office, fax, mail, customer center 1577-1000, EDI (workplaces)
Forms: Annexed Form No. 1, Dependent Eligibility (Acquisition / Loss) Report + family relations register certificate. (S6, S2)
6. Loss: ex officio confirmation and reports
A dependent loses eligibility on the date that falls under each subparagraph of Enforcement Rule Article 2(3). (S2)
Table E. Loss dates (Enforcement Rule Article 2(3))
| Subpara. | Reason | Loss date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death | The day after the date of death |
| 2 | Loss of nationality | The day after the date nationality was lost |
| 3 | No longer residing in Korea | The day after the date the person ceased to reside in Korea |
| 4 | Employee subscriber loses eligibility | The date the employee subscriber lost eligibility |
| 5 | Becomes a medical aid recipient | The date the person became a recipient |
| 6 | Application for exclusion from coverage as a person eligible for medical protection, such as a person of national merit | The day after the application date |
| 7 | Acquires eligibility as an employee subscriber or as a dependent of another workplace | The date that eligibility was acquired |
| 8 | Person's own loss report | The day after the report date |
| 9 | Does not meet the paragraph (1) requirements (support, income, property) | The day after the date the NHIS confirmed the requirements were not met |
| 10 | Business income, etc. arises and its amount is reported, and the NHIS confirms the income requirement is not met | The last day of the month following the month in which that business income, etc. arose |
| 11 | Business income, etc. was not reported, but the NHIS confirms the income requirement is not met | The last day of the month in which that business income, etc. arose |
| 12 | Monthly income amount adjusted, or dependent acquisition reported, by false or fraudulent means | The date that eligibility was acquired |
Income, property or support requirements not met: subparagraph 9
Failing to meet the requirements falls under subparagraph 9: "the day after the date the NHIS confirms that the requirements are not met." (S2)
Original text of the income settlement lookup page. "Based on the results of income settlement, the eligibility of dependents who do not meet the dependent recognition requirements prescribed in Article 2(1) of the Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act is lost retroactively." (S11)
Business or earned income arises: subparagraphs 10 and 11
If reported and confirmed by the NHIS, the last day of the month following the month it arose (subparagraph 10). If not reported but confirmed by the NHIS, the last day of the month it arose (subparagraph 11). (S2)
Employment: subparagraph 7
When a dependent becomes an employee subscriber, the previous dependent eligibility is lost on "the date that eligibility was acquired" under subparagraph 7. The same applies on the date of acquiring dependent eligibility under another workplace. (S2)
Who reports loss
Employee subscribers, voluntary continued subscribers, the dependent (in person). Channels are the same as in Table D. (S6, S2)
Notification: Article 9-2 of the Act
"Where the Service confirms the acquisition or change of a subscriber's eligibility through data provided under Article 96(1), it shall notify the matters concerning the acquisition or change of eligibility, as prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, when it first issues a premium payment notice to the person liable for payment under Article 79 after the acquisition or change." Enforcement Rule Article 4-2: the payment notice shows the name and the eligibility that was acquired or changed. No form name for a dependent-specific "loss notice" appears on the NHIS dependent page. (S1, S2)
7. Regional coverage after loss: one sentence
"A regional subscriber means a subscriber other than employee subscribers and their dependents" (Article 6(3) of the Act). "A person who was a dependent of an employee subscriber: the date that eligibility was lost" (Article 8(1) of the Act). (S1, S8)
Original text of the NHIS eligibility acquisition page. "Even if you are currently a dependent, if you fail to meet any one of the recognition criteria, you may be switched from dependent to regional subscriber." "Even after acquiring dependent eligibility, if a reason for not meeting the recognition criteria arises in the future (including income settlement), you may be switched to a regional subscriber, and once switched to a regional subscriber you will pay premiums every month." (S7)
Calculating regional premiums is not a box in this post.
Sources
Checked: 2026-08-18 PT. News, blogs and calculator sites excluded.
- [S1] National Health Insurance Act, Articles 5, 6(3), 8, 9, 9-2 and 10. Effective 2026. 1. 2., Act No. 21065, https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsLawLinkInfo.do?ancYnChk=&chrClsCd=010202&lsJoLnkSeq=1015626277 / https://www.law.go.kr/lsLawLinkInfo.do?chrClsCd=010202&lsJoLnkSeq=900489735 — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S2] Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Articles 2, 4 and 4-2. Effective 2026. 8. 11., Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 1187, https://lbox.kr/statute/ (statute page for the Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act) / http://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsLawLinkInfo.do?chrClsCd=010202&lsJoLnkSeq=1000921498 — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S3] Annex 1-2 of the same Rule (related to Article 2(1)2). Full provision text published by the NHIS, https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/policy/wbhada07400m01.do — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S4] NHIS Policy Center, "Income and Property Requirements among the Criteria for Recognizing Dependent Eligibility," https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/policy/wbhada07400m01.do — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S5] NHIS Policy Center, "Dependent Acquisition Guide" — 14 days, 90 days, channels, who must report, https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/policy/wbhada07300m01.do — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S6] NHIS civil petitions, "Dependent Eligibility Acquisition and Loss Report," https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/minwon/minwonServiceBoard.do?articleNo=10945798&mode=view — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S7] NHIS civil petitions, "Dependent Eligibility Acquisition" — sentences on relationship, income, property, documents, acquisition date and switching to regional coverage, https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/minwon/wbhapa01000m01.do?articleNo=10946887&mode=view — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S8] Easy-to-Find Everyday Law Information, "Eligibility for Regional Subscribers" — Article 6(3) and Article 8(1) of the Act (a person who was a dependent: the date that eligibility was lost). Information as of 2026-07-15, https://easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMain.laf?ccfNo=2&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=1141&popMenu=ov — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S9] Reasons for the partial amendment of the Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act. Effective 2022. 9. 1., Ordinance of the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 907 — income 34 million → 20 million, https://law.go.kr/LSW/lsRvsRsnListP.do?chrClsCd=010102&lsId=006696 — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S10] Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, Article 41(3) (timing of applying income data). Published on the NHIS page together with the property timing in Article 43-4 of the NHIS Articles of Incorporation, same URL as S4 — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S11] NHIS civil petitions, "Dependent Eligibility Changes and Income Amount Lookup," http://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/minwon/minwonServiceBoard.do?articleNo=10945806&mode=view — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S12] Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act, Annex 1 (support requirements). law.go.kr annex file + the NHIS points to Annex 1, https://www.law.go.kr / S5 and S7 cite Annex 1 — viewed 2026-08-18. The body gives only item numbers and NHIS summaries.
- [S13] Easy-to-Find Everyday Law Information, "Meaning of Health Insurance and Who Is Covered" — Article 5 of the Act + Enforcement Rule Article 2(1). Information as of 2026-07-15, https://www.easylaw.go.kr/CSP/CnpClsMain.laf?ccfNo=1&cciNo=1&cnpClsNo=1&csmSeq=1063 — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S14] Same pages locked by the issue 9 packet: S5 14 days and 90 days, Article 10(2) of the Act employer 14 days, Article 8(2) of the Act head of household 14 days,
/workspace/blog-drafts/09-four-insurances-job-change-research-packet.mdS3, S4, S6 — 2026-08-18. - [S15] Dependent acquisition eligibility lookup (the NHIS self-check questions follow the same branches as Annex 1-2), https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/minwon/retrievePibuChwidukPsblYn.do — viewed 2026-08-18.
- [S16] Social Insurance Information Linkage Center, https://www.4insure.or.kr — viewed 2026-08-18.