Using your home country's insurance

Always collect the receipt and medical certificate — reissuing them later is awkward.

The principles

• Korean hospitals run on the Korean health insurance system. Home-country insurance rarely applies directly at a Korean hospital.
• Usually you pay first, gather documents, and claim from your home insurer.
• If you have travel insurance, contact the insurer to confirm the procedure.
• If you are eligible for Korean health insurance, enrolment is the rule. See nhis-mandatory-enrollment.

Documents you need

1. The medical bill with itemised amounts. See hospital-bill-understand.
2. The detailed statement of charges
3. A medical certificate or doctor's note — diagnosis and treatment. See medical-certificate.
4. Admission/discharge confirmation if you were admitted
5. Prescriptions and pharmacy receipts
6. Request English documents in advance if needed — there may be a fee.

The process

1. Contact your insurer before treatment to confirm what they need.
2. Ask the hospital whether English documents can be issued.
3. After treatment, obtain all documents at once.
4. Keep copies and submit the originals to the insurer.
5. Check whether translation or an apostille is required. See apostille-documents.

Where to go

• Your insurer (home country or travel insurance)
• The hospital's administration desk (documents)
• 1577-1000 National Health Insurance Service
• 1345 interpretation support
• Your embassy (guidance on document certification)

Questions people ask

Can my home insurance be used directly in Korea? Rarely. Usually you pay first and claim afterwards. Check with your insurer in advance.

Can I join Korean health insurance? Depending on your status and length of stay, you may be required to. Check with 1577-1000. See nhis-foreigners-overview.

My documents are only in Korean. English issuance or translation may be needed. Check with both hospital and insurer. See document-translation-notary.

Is there a claim deadline? Every insurer has one. Check right after treatment and claim promptly.

Take care

Collect every document at once when you are discharged. Reissuing later costs time and fees. Original receipts submitted to an insurer may not come back, so always keep a copy or photograph.

Related

nhis-foreigners-overview · hospital-bill-understand · medical-certificate · private-insurance · medical-cost-without-insurance

Source

National Health Insurance Service www.nhis.or.kr / As of 2026-08