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How to See a Doctor in Korea as a Visitor: Step by Step (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 20, 2026

Illustration of a calm clinic waiting room with chairs and a reception desk

Summary

For everyday illness in Korea, go to a clinic (의원, uiwon) and choose the department that matches your problem, for example internal medicine (내과, naegwa). Bring your passport to register at reception (접수, jeopsu). As a short-term visitor you generally pay the full bill at the desk, then take any prescription to a pharmacy. Ask for the receipt and an itemized bill for your travel insurer. In an emergency, call 119.

At a glance

Everyday illness
Start at a clinic
Bring
Your passport
Payment
Pay at the desk
Prescription
Take it to a pharmacy
For your insurer
Receipt and itemized bill
Emergency
Call 119

Step by step

How to see a doctor in Korea

Step 1 of 10 · Find a clinic

1Search the right department

Search a department such as 내과 (internal medicine) in your map app

내과naegwaInternal medicine

Read all steps as text

  1. 1. Search the right department

    Search a department such as 내과 (internal medicine) in your map app

    Korean you will see: 내과 = Internal medicine

  2. 2. Check the opening hours

    Check the hours before you go; some clinics close for lunch

    Korean you will see: 진료시간 = Consultation hours

  3. 3. Go to reception

    Say it is your first visit and show your passport

    Korean you will see: 접수 = Reception

  4. 4. Explain your symptoms

    Say what hurts, or show the Korean on your phone

    Korean you will see: 배가 아파요 = My stomach hurts

  5. 5. Wait for your name

    Wait until your name is called or shown on the screen

    Korean you will see: 대기 = Waiting

  6. 6. See the doctor

    Go into the consultation room when you are called

    Korean you will see: 진료실 = Consultation room

  7. 7. Pay at the desk

    Pay at the payment desk after the consultation

    Korean you will see: 수납 = Payment

  8. 8. Take the prescription

    Take the prescription to a nearby pharmacy

    Korean you will see: 처방전 = Prescription

  9. 9. Get your medicine

    Hand it to the pharmacist, pay and ask how to take it

    Korean you will see: 약국 = Pharmacy

  10. 10. Ask for insurance papers

    Before you leave, ask for a receipt and an itemized bill

    Korean you will see: 진료비 영수증 주세요 = A receipt for the medical bill, please

Korean for this

  • 처음 왔어요

    cheoeum wasseoyo

    It's my first visit

  • 여기가 아파요

    yeogiga apayo

    It hurts here

  • 진료비 영수증 주세요

    jillyobi yeongsujeung juseyo

    A receipt for the medical bill, please

  • 외국인도 진료받을 수 있어요?

    oegugindo jillyobadeul su isseoyo?

    Can foreigners be seen here?

  • 영어 하는 의사 선생님 계세요?

    yeongeo haneun uisa seonsaengnim gyeseyo?

    Is there a doctor who speaks English?

  • 어제부터 아팠어요

    eojebuteo apasseoyo

    It started yesterday

All Korean phrases

Details

Start at a clinic for everyday illness. Seeing a doctor in Korea is a short routine: find the right department, register, explain what is wrong, wait, see the doctor, pay, and take any prescription to a pharmacy. This guide follows that order, with the Korean words you will see on signs. It is practical information, not medical advice. If it could be an emergency, call 119 and read the emergency room guide.

Before you start

  • Your passport. Clinics and hospitals ask for ID when you register.
  • Travel insurance details, with the insurer's assistance number. Short-term visitors are generally not covered by Korean national health insurance, so you pay at the desk. See medical costs and insurance.
  • A list of your medicines by ingredient name, your allergies and your conditions.
  • A translation app. See medical interpretation.
  • A card that works abroad, and some cash.

Useful phrases to save or show:

  • 처음 왔어요cheoeum wasseoyoIt's my first visit
  • 영어 하는 의사 선생님 계세요?yeongeo haneun uisa seonsaengnim gyeseyo?Is there a doctor who speaks English?
  • 약 알레르기가 있어요yak allereugiga isseoyoI'm allergic to some medicines

Clinic, hospital or general hospital

The Medical Service Act sorts medical institutions by size and purpose:

  • 의원uiwonClinic — Treats mainly outpatients. The usual first stop for everyday illness.
  • 병원byeongwonHospital — Treats mainly inpatients; at least 30 beds.
  • 종합병원jonghap byeongwonGeneral hospital — At least 100 beds and at least 7 specialized departments (9 above 300 beds). A large hospital with many specialists.
  • 상급종합병원sanggeup jonghap byeongwonTertiary hospital — A general hospital designated by the Minister of Health and Welfare, with at least 20 specialized departments. Serious or complex disease.

Referral rules. An Invest KOREA (KOTRA) guide says a patient who wants treatment at a tertiary hospital should bring a referral from a clinic or secondary hospital. Without one, the initial medical expenses may be higher. Emergency patients, childbirth, hemophilia, dentistry, rehabilitation medicine and family medicine are exempt. The guide describes the rule for insured patients, and we found no separate official rule for visitors. Ask the hospital before you go.

Step by step

Step 1 — Search the right department

In a map app, search for the department name. See map apps. Common ones:

  • 내과naegwaInternal medicine
  • 가정의학과gajeong uihakgwaFamily medicine
  • 이비인후과ibiinhugwaEar, nose and throat
  • 정형외과jeonghyeongoegwaOrthopedics
  • 소아청소년과soa cheongsonyeongwaPediatrics
  • 피부과pibugwaDermatology
  • 안과angwaEye clinic
  • 치과chigwaDentist
  • 산부인과sanbuingwaObstetrics and gynecology

If you are unsure, go to reception and describe your symptoms. The staff can tell you which department fits.

The government's E-Gen site (e-gen.or.kr) lists open emergency rooms and pharmacies. For clinics and hospitals, use a map app.

Step 2 — Check the opening hours

Look for 진료시간jillyo siganConsultation hours on the sign or the map listing. Hours differ between clinics, so check lunch breaks and weekend hours before you go. Many pharmacies close on Sundays and holidays; see pharmacy and hospital.

Step 3 — Go to reception

Find 접수jeopsuReception. Say 처음 왔어요cheoeum wasseoyoIt's my first visit and show your passport. You may be asked to fill in a form. Ask whether an English form or an interpreter is available, or use the phrase for an English-speaking doctor above.

Step 4 — Explain your symptoms

Say or show where it hurts and since when:

  • 여기가 아파요yeogiga apayoIt hurts here (point to the place)
  • 배가 아파요baega apayoMy stomach hurts
  • 어제부터 아팠어요eojebuteo apasseoyoIt started yesterday
  • 어지러워요eojireowoyoI feel dizzy
  • 기침이 나요gichimi nayoI have a cough
  • 임신 중이에요imsin jungieyoI'm pregnant

Show your allergy and medicine list at this point.

Step 5 — Wait for your name

Wait until your name is called or shown on the screen. You can ask 얼마나 기다려야 해요?eolmana gidaryeoya haeyo?How long do I have to wait?

Step 6 — See the doctor

Go into the 진료실jillyosilConsultation room when you are called. Tell the doctor your symptoms, the medicines you take and your allergies. Ask the doctor to write down the diagnosis and the medicine names.

Step 7 — Pay at the desk

Pay at 수납sunapPayment after the consultation. Without Korean national health insurance, you pay the full fee and claim it back from your travel insurer. Ask for your papers at this desk, before you leave (Step 10).

Step 8 — Take the prescription

Take it to a pharmacy. Doctors in Korea write prescriptions and pharmacists dispense them, so a 처방전cheobangjeonPrescription is filled at a pharmacy, not at the clinic desk. Ask 처방전 주세요cheobangjeon juseyoThe prescription, please if you are not handed one and the doctor said you need medicine.

Step 9 — Get your medicine at a pharmacy

Go to a 약국yakgukPharmacy, hand over the prescription, pay, and ask 이 약 어떻게 먹어요?i yak eotteoke meogeoyo?How do I take this medicine? Keep the pharmacy receipt for your insurer too. For night and holiday pharmacies, see pharmacy and hospital.

Step 10 — Ask for your papers

Receipt and itemized bill: ask for both before you leave. Ask for a certificate too if your insurer needs a diagnosis.

  • 진료비 영수증 주세요jillyobi yeongsujeung juseyoA receipt for the medical bill, please
  • 진료비 세부내역서도 주세요jillyobi sebunaeyeokseodo juseyoThe itemized bill too, please
  • 진단서 받을 수 있어요?jindanseo badeul su isseoyo?Can I get a medical certificate?

A certificate may cost a fee. The Ministry of Health and Welfare sets a ceiling by item, and hospitals must post their fees where patients can see them. Details are in medical costs and insurance.

Common problems

  • Arriving without ID. Take your passport. Staff need it to register you.
  • Going to a tertiary hospital for a minor problem. The referral rule can raise your costs, and a clinic can treat everyday illness.
  • Leaving without papers. Asking from abroad later is much harder.
  • Not understanding the instructions. Ask the doctor or pharmacist to write the medicine name and dose, and use an interpreter. See medical interpretation.
  • Expecting to get medicine at the desk. Doctors prescribe and pharmacists dispense, so plan a stop at a pharmacy.

Questions and answers

Do I need an appointment?

We found no official rule that visitors need one for clinics. Ask the clinic or hospital before you go, especially for a large hospital.

Can foreigners see a doctor in Korea?

Yes. You can ask 외국인도 진료받을 수 있어요?oegugindo jillyobadeul su isseoyo?Can foreigners be seen here? if unsure. You pay the bill yourself unless you are insured in Korea.

What if I cannot speak Korean?

Call the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline for help in several languages. Call 119 and say "English please" in an emergency. See medical interpretation.

Official sources (8)

Last checked October 20, 2026Next check due January 18, 2027

Rules can change. Confirm on the official site before you travel.

Next stepEmergency Room in Korea: When to Call 119, Costs, What to Bring

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