đŠē Types of Medical Facilities
Clinic
Small neighborhood clinics â for colds, minor injuries, prescriptions. Fast, cheap (~âŠ3,000â8,000 with NHI). Always try here first.
Hospital
Mid-size hospitals (30â100 beds). For more serious conditions. Specialist doctors available. Some English spoken.
General Hospital
Large multi-department hospitals. Best for complex conditions. Usually have international clinics for foreigners.
Pharmacy
Green cross sign. Open late, even 24h in some areas. Pharmacist will recommend OTC medicine. No appointment needed.
Dental Clinic
Excellent quality, affordable even without insurance. Cleaning, fillings and routine work covered partly by NHI.
Eye Clinic
Glasses, contacts and laser surgery (LASIK) â Korea is world-famous for affordable, high-quality eye surgery.
đī¸ National Health Insurance (NHI)
Korea's National Health Insurance (ęĩë¯ŧęą´ę°ëŗ´í, NHI) covers all legal residents â including foreigners staying 6+ months. It significantly reduces medical costs (typically covering 60â80% of fees).
Automatic enrollment (employed)
If you work for a Korean company, your employer automatically enrolls you and pays 50% of your premium. You pay the other 50% from your salary. No action needed.
Self-enrollment (self-employed / long stay)
Visit your nearest NHIS (ęĩë¯ŧęą´ę°ëŗ´íęŗĩë¨) office or apply at nhis.or.kr. Bring ARC + passport + proof of address. Takes about 30 minutes.
Pay your monthly premium
Monthly premium for foreigners: ~âŠ79,000â150,000 depending on income. Can be paid via bank auto-transfer (ėëė´ė˛´) â set it up and forget it.
Use your insurance card at clinics
Show your ARC at the reception â your NHI is linked to it. You pay only the copay portion (usually âŠ2,000â10,000 for a basic clinic visit).
đ° Medical Costs With vs Without Insurance
| Treatment | Without NHI | With NHI |
|---|---|---|
| Clinic visit (cold, flu) | âŠ30,000â50,000 | âŠ3,000â8,000 |
| Prescription (3 days) | âŠ15,000â30,000 | âŠ3,000â7,000 |
| Blood test | âŠ50,000â100,000 | âŠ10,000â20,000 |
| X-ray | âŠ50,000â80,000 | âŠ10,000â20,000 |
| Dental cleaning | âŠ60,000â80,000 | âŠ20,000â30,000 |
| Hospital admission (per day) | âŠ200,000+ | âŠ40,000â80,000 |
đĨ Foreigner-Friendly Hospitals in Seoul
International Clinics & English-Speaking Hospitals
- Severance Hospital (ė ė´) â International Health Care Center, full English service
- Samsung Medical Center (ę°ë¨) â International Clinic, multi-language support
- Asan Medical Center (ę°ë) â Large international department
- Seoul National University Hospital â International Healthcare Center
- Korea University Anam Hospital â English-speaking doctors
- Search "foreigner friendly hospital" on Naver Maps for clinics near you
đ Using a Pharmacy
How Pharmacies Work
- Look for the green cross (ėŊęĩ) sign â pharmacies are everywhere
- You need a doctor's prescription (ė˛ë°Šė , cheo-bang-jeon) for most medicines
- OTC medications (ę°ę¸°ėŊ cold medicine, ëíĩėŊ headache medicine, ėíė digestive) are available without prescription
- Tell the pharmacist your symptoms â they'll recommend what to buy
- 24-hour pharmacies exist in major areas â search 24ė ėŊęĩ on Naver Maps
đ¨ Emergency Numbers
đ Ambulance / Fire
Call 119 for medical emergencies and fire. Available 24/7. Some operators speak basic English. Give your location in Korean if possible.
đŽ Police
Call 112 for police assistance. Interpretation service available in multiple languages â tell them your language when connected.
âī¸ Foreign Resident Support
Korea Immigration Information Center. English/Chinese/Japanese support. For non-emergency help with medical, legal, or living issues as a foreigner.