Study Abroad in South Korea: Insurance, Visa, Costs

Study abroad in South Korea: no EHIC cover, student visa rules, living costs and travel advice with official sources. Last updated October 2026.

Study abroad in South Korea: the European Health Insurance Card is not valid there, and there is no uniform coordination law with Germany for health insurance. For study you need a visa. Sogang University names the D-2 visa for exchange students, and the Korean government portal Study in Korea puts living costs at about 750,000 to 1,000,000 won per month.

Study abroad in South Korea at a glance

Item	Details (as of October 2026)	Source
Health insurance	The EHIC is not valid, no uniform coordination law for health insurance	European Commission, DVKA
Visa	Required for study; example Sogang University: D-2 visa before entry	German Federal Foreign Office, Sogang University
Local health insurance	Contributions to the Korean NHIS for stays over six months	German Federal Foreign Office
Living costs	About 750,000 to 1,000,000 won per month	Study in Korea
Auslands-BAföG (German study abroad grant)	Possible, responsible office: Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim	German Student Services (DSW)

All details are general information, not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative.

How are you insured in South Korea?

EHIC and social security agreement

South Korea is not part of the EU or the EEA. The European Health Insurance Card is not valid there, as the European Commission limits it to the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. According to the German liaison body for health insurance abroad (DVKA, as of 5 August 2026), there is no uniform coordination law with Korea for health, long-term care and accident insurance. No agreement secures benefits in kind from your German insurer in Korea.

For statutorily insured students this means you pay treatment costs in the host country yourself at first, or through insurance taken out locally or abroad. According to the Federal Government Commissioner for Patients, German cover does not apply outside the EU, and a private travel health policy is advised for full cover in case of illness. Whether your German insurance continues during the semester depends on your enrolment and your insurer, so get it confirmed in writing. If you have private insurance, see Health insurance during a semester abroad (in German) and, for countries outside the EU, Private health insurance for students outside the EU (in German).

Healthcare and Korean health insurance

The German Federal Foreign Office rates medical care as European standard but notes that English-speaking doctors are often scarce outside international hospital departments. For stays of more than six months, contributions to the Korean health insurance (National Health Insurance Service) are due. Whether this applies to your exchange semester and how the contributions relate to your German cover is something to clarify before you leave with the host university and your insurer.

Private travel health insurance and repatriation

The German Federal Foreign Office strongly advises travel health and repatriation insurance for the whole stay. The federal portal names higher co-payments abroad and repatriation costs as a residual risk that private travel health insurance can cover. What you need depends on your contract, your university and the length of your stay. For background, see Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and Work and Travel (in German).

Do you need a visa for South Korea?

Yes, for study. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, Germans can enter visa-free for stays under 90 days without employment, but study requires a visa. German citizens need no Korean travel authorisation (K-ETA) until 31 December 2026, according to the Office. Since February 2025, an online arrival card can also be submitted up to three days before entry.

Sogang University names the D-2 visa (study) for its exchange students. It must be applied for at the Korean embassy or consulate before entry, after you have received your acceptance. The university lists the following documents, and the mission may ask for more:

Passport
Visa application form from the embassy or consulate
Letter of Acceptance and Certificate of Admission from the university
Proof of your latest academic results
Bank balance certificate and letter of sponsorship
One passport photo (3.5 by 4.5 cm, taken within six months, white background) and the visa fee

As financial proof, Sogang University names more than 6,000 US dollars for one semester and more than 10,000 US dollars for two semesters. The visa fee there is 50 US dollars for a single entry and 80 US dollars for multiple entries. The page carries no date and applies to this university, so ask your host university and the mission about amounts and documents.

According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for South Korea (page as of 25 October 2026). It names tensions with North Korea that can change the situation at short notice and points to severe penalties for drug offences. Read the current travel and safety advice before you leave.

What does a semester in South Korea cost?

Tuition fees

Which fees apply at the Korean host university depends on your university’s exchange agreement. We name no general amount because no official body sets one. Ask your university and the host university before you accept a place.

Living costs

The Korean government portal Study in Korea cites monthly living costs of about 750,000 to 1,000,000 won. Of this, 500,000 to 700,000 won goes on accommodation, which varies with dormitory occupancy and meals, and 200,000 to 300,000 won on food. The monthly estimates carry no date. Convert the amounts into euros at the current exchange rate.

Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG

South Korea is not on the European Commission’s list of Erasmus+ programme countries. Whether your university offers funding for South Korea depends on the partner institution and your university’s programmes, so ask your international office. For more on the programme, see Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).

Auslands-BAföG, the German study abroad grant, is available for part of a degree abroad. According to the German Student Services, the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim (Office for Educational Funding Abroad) is responsible for South Korea. According to the leaflet (as of January 2026), you need a permanent residence in Germany, funding starts at the earliest in the month of application, and you should apply online about six months before you start. It includes a one-off travel allowance, a health insurance supplement and tuition fees of up to 5,600 euros for a maximum of one year, and for study outside the EU and Switzerland possibly a monthly foreign-country supplement. Details are in Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amount and supplements (in German).

Worked example: For a five-month semester at 750,000 to 1,000,000 won per month, living costs come to 3,750,000 to 5,000,000 won. At Sogang University, a visa fee of 50 US dollars (single entry) is added. Flights, travel health insurance and your home university semester fee are not included. The total is a guide, not a commitment.

Steps before you leave

After admission, collect the documents from your host university and apply for the D-2 visa in good time before entry at the Korean mission.
Clarify whether you must pay into the Korean health insurance during your stay.
Plan for the financial proof that your host university and the mission require.
Ask your insurer to confirm in writing how you are insured during your semester abroad before you sign the learning agreement.
Take out travel health and repatriation insurance if your cover does not include repatriation and treatment that can wait.
If you receive funding, submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the responsible office (the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim (Office for Educational Funding Abroad)) about six months before you start.
Ask your international office about funding and the host university fees.

Frequently asked questions

Does my EHIC work in South Korea?

No. The card is valid only in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. There is no uniform coordination law with Korea for health insurance.

Do I need a visa for South Korea?

For study, yes. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, stays under 90 days without employment are visa-free.

Do I have to pay into Korean health insurance?

According to the German Federal Foreign Office, contributions to the National Health Insurance Service are due for stays of more than six months. Ask your host university how this is handled for exchange students.

How much does it cost to live in South Korea per month?

Study in Korea cites about 750,000 to 1,000,000 won per month, of which 500,000 to 700,000 won is for accommodation.

Is there a travel warning for South Korea?

No, according to the German Federal Foreign Office there is none (as of 25 October 2026). Check the current page before you leave.

Who handles Auslands-BAföG for South Korea?

The Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim (Office for Educational Funding Abroad).

Sources

Sources accessed on 25 October 2026 unless stated otherwise.

Related guides

You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.

Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.