Medical Insurance for English Teachers Teachers in Korea
The English schools in Korea offer medical coverage to the ESL teachers for the duration of the contract. The schools usually pay half of the coverage and the rest is deducted from the teacher’s salary on monthly basis.
After you enter Korea with your E-2 Visa, the school director will take you to the regional immigration office for your registration for Foreign Registration Certificate. This will provide you legal identity proof in Korea. The cost of registration is around 10,000 Korean won. You cannot have a medical coverage in Korea until and unless you receive the Foreign Registration Certificate. This certification process usually takes up a couple of weeks. For the time being you can manage the cost with a temporary travel insurance policy. The insurance coverage provided by the school will cover the cost of basic medical expenses and dental necessities. It will not cover the cost of cosmetic surgery, optical care or dental work. Pre existing conditions are also not covered by this insurance plan. There are plenty of foreign clinics and hospitals for the native English speakers in Seoul which accept the national insurance plan provided by your school.
The schools can also arrange for the private medical insurance coverage for you but those will be bit expensive. Your residency in Korea has to be processed first and that takes 2-4 weeks from the day of your arrival. This is why the teachers are advised to buy travel insurance plans with medical coverage for 30- 45 days from the arrival in Korea.
