Registering at a hospital
Registration is where you record who you are and what hurts. It takes about five minutes.
Steps
- Go to the registration desk. It is marked "접수" or "원무과".
- Hand over your ID. Alien Registration Card or passport.
- Fill in the first-visit form. Name, date of birth, address, phone, what hurts.
- Your insurance eligibility is checked. If enrolled, you pay only your share.
- You are assigned a department and doctor.
- You receive a queue number or place in line.
Words that appear on the form
- 성명 / 이름 — name
- 생년월일 — date of birth
- 주소 — address
- 연락처 — phone number
- 증상 — symptoms
- 기왕력 / 병력 — past illnesses
- 복용 약 — current medication
- 알레르기 — allergies
- 임신 여부 — pregnancy
What you need
- Alien Registration Card (or passport)
- A phone number you can be reached on
- A Korean address
- Insurance details (if any)
Where to go
- 1577-1000 National Health Insurance Service (eligibility)
- Find a hospital www.hira.or.kr
- 1345 · 1577-1366 interpretation
Questions people ask
I don't have a Korean address. Write your dormitory address. A workplace address also works.
My name is spelled differently from my passport. Write it as in your passport. Insurance is checked by registration number.
I don't know whether I have insurance. Call 1577-1000, or ask the desk to check.
I don't have a phone number. Write the number of someone who can reach you, and tell the desk that is what you did.
Take care
Your name, date of birth and registration number must be accurate for insurance to apply. Borrowing someone else's health insurance card or name is a crime.
Related
how-to-see-doctor · nhis-card · hospital-system-overview
Source
HIRA www.hira.or.kr / National Health Insurance Service www.nhis.or.kr / As of 2026-08