Q&A Frequently Asked Questions

If you entered Korea through a medical tour but have to extend your stay due to a medical treatment, you need to issue documents proving your reason for a longer stay, such as a statement issued by a medical institution for the competent immigration/foreigner office, as well as a medical certificate. You will need details of expenses incurred during your stay in Korea, treatment and sojourn. You must apply for an extension of period or change your status by submitting documents proving your ability to finance expenses.

You can use the medical interpretation under the Medical Korea Support Center. Professional interpreters in 10 languages ​​including English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Arabic are available.

You can also get help from medical tourism support centers in various cities and regions.

When a foreign patient passes away during a medical treatment, the bereaved family is contacted to inform and allow them to enter the country. If you are unable to enter the country, you will receive a power of attorney for the bereaved family and proceed with administrative procedures and body disposal.

The incubator must actively cooperate with the medical institution and the bereaved family so that the bereaved family can understand the cause of the patient’s death in detail.

According to the current medical law, a medical certificate cannot be issued with exception of it being issued by a doctor who has directly examined the patient. Violation of this rule may result in imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of not more than 10 million won.

Therefore, if a foreign patient requests for an issuance of a medical certification after they have returned to their respective countries after their treatment, the medical institution will not be able to fulfill this request.

Among the patients (497,464 patients) who have visited Korean medical institutions in 2019, 11,226 patients were cancer patients; an increase of 45.0% compared to 2018. Among the top 10 major cancers treatments, demands for breast cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer treatments have been increasing at a higher rate than the average annual increase rate (5.5%) over the past five years.

The person who signed the contract will not be able to cancel the contract but the person who paid the down payment will have the sole right to cancel the contract by giving up on the down payment.

The legal requirement of a surgery reservation confirmation is to pay for a reservation deposit. If a foreign patient signs a surgical contract and pays the reservation deposit, he/she must give up the entire down payment without justifiable reasons.

* Cancellation up to 3 days prior to the expected date of arrival in Korea 80% of the reservation fee