Skip to content

Medical Costs and Insurance in Korea for Visitors (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 20, 2026

Illustration of receipts, documents, a bank card and a calculator

Summary

Short-term visitors are generally not covered by Korean National Health Insurance, so you pay the bill yourself at the desk and claim from your travel insurer. As of October 2026, NHIS says foreigners who stay in Korea for six months or more must enrol. Ask for a receipt, an itemized bill and, if your insurer needs it, a medical certificate, and keep every receipt and prescription.

At a glance

Visitors
Generally not covered
Foreign residents
Six months or more
At the clinic
Pay at the desk
Insurer papers
Receipt, itemized bill, certificate
Certificates
Certificates may cost a fee
NHIS English line
033-811-2000

Korean for this

  • 진료비 영수증 주세요

    jillyobi yeongsujeung juseyo

    A receipt for the medical bill, please

  • 진료비 세부내역서도 주세요

    jillyobi sebunaeyeokseodo juseyo

    The itemized bill too, please

  • 진단서 받을 수 있어요?

    jindanseo badeul su isseoyo?

    Can I get a medical certificate?

All Korean phrases

Details

Korea's national health insurance keeps medical bills low for people who are enrolled in it. If you are visiting for a short time, you are generally not one of them. This guide explains why, who is covered, how paying works, and which papers to collect so your travel insurer can reimburse you. It gives no prices for treatment, because fees depend on the provider and your condition. It is not insurance or medical advice.

Before you start

  • Read your travel insurance policy. Check whether it covers outpatient care and emergency treatment, and note the insurer's assistance number and the claim deadline.
  • Keep your policy number and passport with you.
  • Carry a card that works abroad and some cash. Ask at reception how you can pay before treatment, because the sources we read do not say which cards clinics accept.
  • Know the Korean words for the papers you need (see Step 3).

Step by step

Step 1 — Understand who is covered

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) says foreigners and overseas Koreans who stay in Korea for six months or more must enrol in its scheme, as of 16 July 2019. Six months or more is the threshold, and a short-term visit does not meet it. The NHIS list of eligible visa types covers statuses such as D, E, F and H, plus G-1-6 for humanitarian status. Short-term visit statuses are not on that list.

Who When coverage starts (as of October 2026)
Short-term visitors Generally not covered
Most foreign residents After six months of stay
Holders of E-9, F-5 and F-6, and some students (D-2, D-4-3) From the date of entry, or alien registration if later

Employees can ask for an exemption if they hold equivalent insurance abroad or through an employer. Dependents generally need six months of residence too, but a spouse and children under 10 of an insured person can be registered regardless of residence (KOTRA guide, data as of 2024).

Questions about eligibility: NHIS has an English consultant line, 033-811-2000, and a general call center, 1577-1000.

Step 2 — Expect to pay at the desk

At a clinic, hospital or pharmacy you pay when you are treated: Pay at the desk after the consultation, and pay for the medicine at the pharmacy. For emergencies, the 119 ambulance is free, but treatment at the emergency room is not. See emergency room and 119.

Private ambulances charge a fee, and mild cases at large emergency centers cost more for insured patients. We found no official statement on how that surcharge applies to visitors, so ask the cashier.

Step 3 — Collect the papers for your claim

Receipt, itemized bill, certificate: ask for all three before you leave, if your insurer needs them.

  • 진료비 영수증jillyobi yeongsujeungMedical bill receipt: the proof you paid.
  • 진료비 세부내역서jillyobi sebunaeyeokseodoItemized bill: the list of each service and its cost.
  • 진단서jindanseoMedical certificate: the doctor's written diagnosis, if your insurer needs it.
  • The prescription (처방전cheobangjeonPrescription) and the pharmacy receipt.

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

Certificates may cost a fee. Under the Medical Service Act the Ministry of Health and Welfare sets a ceiling for each type of certificate, and a hospital must post its fees where patients can see them. Amounts have changed over time, so ask the hospital for the current fee. Itemized bills and receipts matter because insurers often want both.

Step 4 — Keep and send everything

Photograph each paper, keep the originals, and note the dates. Ask your insurer whether it needs the documents in English or translated. If the hospital has an international healthcare center, it may issue English papers (see medical interpretation).

What you may pay for

Item Notes (as of October 2026)
Consultation and tests You pay in full as an uninsured visitor
Medicine Paid at the pharmacy
119 ambulance Free in emergencies
Private ambulance Fee, ask first
Medical certificates Fee up to a ceiling set by the ministry
Interpretation Ask the provider; availability varies

Common problems

  • Expecting Korean insurance to cover you. Short stays are generally not covered.
  • Paying without asking for papers. Ask at the desk before you leave.
  • Credit-card slip only. Your insurer may ask for the itemized bill, not just a card slip.
  • Not knowing the insurer's rules. Some policies need a call before treatment or a claim within a deadline. Read yours before you travel.
  • Mixing up the numbers. 119 is for emergencies. NHIS handles insurance questions.

Questions and answers

Can a tourist join Korean health insurance?

The NHIS rule applies to foreigners who stay for six months or more, and the eligible visa list does not include short-term visit statuses. Ask NHIS on 033-811-2000 if your case is unusual.

I will live in Korea for a year. Do I have to join?

Foreigners who stay for six months or more must enrol, and most start paying after six months. Some statuses start on the entry date. Check with NHIS.

Is there a tax refund on medical services for visitors?

We did not find an official source that covers this in 2026 for ordinary treatment, so we do not give guidance on it. Ask the provider and the tax authority if it matters to you.

Can I get the bill in English?

Some providers issue English documents. Ask at reception, and check what your insurer accepts.

Official sources (6)

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

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

Next stepGetting Medical Help in Your Language in Korea (2026)

Related guides

Something out of date? Tell us