If you were treated at a hospital or clinic while traveling in Korea, collect the paperwork for your insurance claim before you fly home. This guide covers what each document is, where to get it and how to ask for it.
Confirm documents and claim method
Keep the receipt and proof of payment
Itemized statement, certificate, etc.
Submit within your insurer's deadline
The key is to collect your documents before you leave Korea.
Before or right after treatment, call your insurer's emergency assistance line and confirm which documents you need and how to claim. Some policies require you to contact them in advance for costly care such as hospitalization or surgery.
Visitors without Korean national health insurance usually pay the full bill themselves first. Direct payment from the insurer to the hospital is only possible when the two have an arrangement, so check with your insurer.
Besides the receipt you get when you pay, the itemized statement and medical certificate often have to be requested separately. Get the documents your insurer asks for, from the table below, at the hospital and pharmacy.
Submit the documents the way your insurer specifies. The claim deadline and whether originals or copies are accepted differ by policy, so check your policy wording.
Insurers ask for different documents. These are the ones you can get from Korean hospitals and pharmacies.
| Document | Korean name | What it shows | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical bill / receipt | 진료비 계산서·영수증 | The basic proof: the total amount you paid and the date of treatment. | Payment desk (when you pay) |
| Itemized statement | 진료비 세부내역서 | A breakdown of costs by item, such as tests, procedures and medication. It often has to be requested separately from the receipt. | Payment desk or administration office (on request) |
| Medical certificate (diagnosis) | 진단서 | States the diagnosis and the doctor's opinion. It is written by the doctor who treated you, and there is an issuing fee. | Certificate desk or the department |
| Certificate of treatment / outpatient visit | 진료확인서·통원확인서 | Confirms that you were treated and on which dates. | Certificate desk |
| Certificate of hospitalization | 입퇴원확인서 | Confirms the period of your hospital stay (if you were admitted). | Certificate desk |
| Prescription (patient copy) | 처방전(환자보관용) | Lists the names and doses of the prescribed medicine. Ask for the patient copy in addition to the one you hand to the pharmacy. | Hospital (after the consultation) |
| Pharmacy receipt | 약국 영수증 | Proof of what you paid for medicine at the pharmacy. | Pharmacy |
| Medical records / test results | 의무기록 사본·검사 결과지 | Submitted when the insurer asks for more. Identity verification is required to issue them. | Medical records desk |
| Proof of payment | 카드 전표 등 결제 증빙 | Shows that you paid the bill yourself, for example a card slip. | When you pay |
Desk names and procedures differ by the size of the hospital.
The hospital's own instructions come first
You can simply show these sentences to the staff
Go through this once more before heading to the airport.
Documents are hard to get again once you are home