Check-up & scaling
Dental care in Korea for international students and working-holiday visitors
How Korean National Health Insurance works at the dentist for foreign students and working-holiday makers, what is covered, and what to bring to your appointment.
By Dr. Kang Jun-guMedically reviewed by Dr. Kang Jun-guPublished Updated 4 min read
Quick answer
Most foreigners who stay in Korea for six months or longer, including international students, are enrolled in Korean National Health Insurance (NHI). With NHI you pay only a share of covered dental treatment, and adults 19 and over can have one scaling a year covered. Cosmetic treatment such as whitening is never covered. Bring your residence card or passport so the clinic can confirm your identity and apply your insurance.
Are you covered by Korean health insurance?
Foreign residents who stay six months or more are generally enrolled in NHI, and international students are enrolled as well. You can check your status in the NHIS app or at an NHIS office. If you have only just arrived or are visiting for a short time, you are treated as an uninsured patient and pay the clinic's fee in full.
What NHI covers at the dentist
- Examinations and X-rays needed for a diagnosis
- One scaling a year for adults aged 19 and over
- Root canal treatment, extractions and some types of filling (you pay a share)
- Not covered: whitening, veneers and most cosmetic treatment
What to bring
- Residence card (ARC) or passport: clinics must confirm your identity before applying insurance
- Recent X-rays or dental records from home, if you have them
- A list of medicines you take and any allergies
Use your stay well
A long stay is a good time for a full check-up and your yearly scaling. Small problems are easier and cheaper to treat early than as an emergency later, especially right before a flight home.
Questions people also ask
Do international students pay the full price at the dentist?
Not if you are enrolled in NHI. You pay the patient share for covered treatment and the full fee only for things that aren't covered, such as whitening.
Is scaling free with Korean insurance?
Not free, but the patient share for the one covered scaling a year is small at a dental clinic, usually under ₩20,000.
Can I use travel insurance instead?
Travel insurance usually covers sudden pain or accidents, not routine check-ups. Keep receipts and ask the clinic for the documents your insurer needs.
Need this looked at in Seoul?
Check-ups, scaling and whitening, with fees shown before we start.
Dr. Kang is a board-certified Integrated Dentistry specialist trained at Yonsei, Harvard and Columbia. He treats every patient at the Gongdeok clinic himself.
About Dr. KangHow we write these guides: each guide is written from questions our patients ask, reviewed by Dr. Kang, and updated when guidance changes. It is general information, not a diagnosis. For advice about your own teeth, please book a check-up.
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