ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Care in Korea: Visitor Guide

General information as of 2026-10-11, written by HOLIDAY in its own words from official sources. It is not medical advice and not an offer of treatment. Whether any treatment suits you, what it involves, its risks and its cost are decided between you and a licensed doctor, and they differ from person to person.

HOLIDAY does not diagnose, choose a doctor or a clinic for you, or promise any result. Rules, hours and arrangements below change from time to time; this guide is updated regularly and every dated statement says which day it refers to.

Otorhinolaryngology, the field of ear, nose and throat care, covers hearing and balance, ear infections, sinus and nasal problems, allergy, the voice, swallowing, and sleep-related breathing such as snoring. Cosmetic nose surgery belongs to plastic surgery, so read that guide too.

A visit usually starts with a conversation and an examination, sometimes with a small camera passed through the nose or a hearing test. Any further treatment is decided afterwards, by the doctor, with you.

Bring earlier test results, such as hearing tests (audiograms) and sinus scans, and a list of medicines, including nasal sprays and allergy medicines, and allergies. Be ready to say how long the symptoms have lasted, what makes them better or worse, whether they affect one side or both, and whether you have had ear, nose or throat surgery before.

For snoring or suspected sleep apnoea, a partner’s description of your breathing at night helps; for voice problems, a short recording of the voice may help. Ask your own doctor first if you have sudden hearing loss or severe dizziness, because these need urgent medical care wherever you are.

Typical steps are a history, a look into the ears with a lighted instrument, nasal endoscopy with a thin camera (a numbing spray is sometimes used), a throat examination and a hearing test in a sound-treated booth. A small procedure may be done under local anesthesia. A little bleeding from the nose after endoscopy or a procedure can occur; ask what to expect.

After ear or sinus surgery there are check-ups and cleaning of the area, and you are asked not to blow the nose or to avoid certain activities for a time. Ask how many days you need to stay and keep your return flexible. A hearing device needs fitting and later adjustment, so plan who will do the adjustments at home.

Ear and sinus problems can be affected by air-pressure changes during a flight, especially with a cold, blocked nose or after an ear or sinus procedure. Ask the doctor whether and when you can fly, what to do if symptoms appear on the plane, and whether a spray or decongestant is advised for take-off and landing. Never put anything into the ear to relieve pressure.

Contact the clinic for bleeding that does not stop, fever, increasing pain, discharge from the ear, or swelling of the face; seek emergency help for sudden hearing loss, severe dizziness, difficulty breathing or swallowing. Give the written summary and any test results to your ENT doctor at home.

Take your time over any procedure, and consider a second opinion before surgery. Snoring and sleep-breathing problems are often assessed with a sleep study before treatment is chosen; ask whether one is advised rather than agreeing to an operation based on a short look alone.

Be careful with devices or sprays sold on the spot, and with claims about what a product will do for hearing or breathing. Ask for the name of any device or medicine and the reason it is advised.

As of 2026-10-11: under the Act on Supporting Overseas Expansion of Medical Services and Attraction of International Patients, a medical institution that wants to attract international patients registers with the Minister of Health and Welfare. In the English text of the Act that HOLIDAY read, the conditions include at least one specialist doctor in each specialist department that seeks international patients, and medical malpractice liability insurance or membership of a medical indemnity mutual. A registration lasts three years and has to be renewed before it ends.

Registered institutions have duties towards you. They must display their registration certificate where patients can see it and tell international patients their rights. They must give patient-rights information in a foreign language, a summary of the diagnosis, the treatment methods and possible side effects, use a standard treatment agreement that includes a cost estimate, and explain how a medical-dispute procedure works. They must not charge excessive fees or use false information to attract patients, and their advertising must not mislead, for example with misleading comparison pictures.

Medical Korea, run by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), keeps a register of these institutions (checked 2026-10-11). It can be searched by type of institution, such as tertiary general hospital, general hospital, hospital, clinic, dental clinic or Korean medicine hospital, by region and by name. Each entry gives the registration number, address and the contact of the institution’s international healthcare center. It does not list departments or interpreting languages, so ask the institution those two questions directly.

Registration means an institution has met the legal conditions to serve international patients. It is not a ranking, a quality grade or a recommendation, and it says nothing about whether a treatment suits you. A separate accreditation program also exists, so if you read “registered” or “accredited”, ask which one is meant.

As of 2026-10-11: the same Act lets a business that is not a medical institution register to attract international patients. In the English text HOLIDAY read, it must hold the insurance prescribed by the ministry, meet a minimum capital requirement and have an office in Korea. Attracting international patients without being registered is an offense, and Medical Korea’s own material says the system exists to keep illegal brokers out. Medical Korea also has a list of registered agencies.

Before you deal with an agency, ask for its registration certificate and number, the exact name of the institution and the doctor who will treat you, and a written contract that shows what you pay the agency and what you pay the institution. Pay into an account in the name of the institution or the registered business, never to a private person, and keep every receipt.

Many hospitals employ their own coordinators who take bookings, interpret, escort you between departments and pass on questions. A coordinator is not a doctor: ask who is allowed to answer medical questions, and put every medical question to the doctor, with an interpreter if needed. A friend, a salesperson or an agent should not be your only source when the subject is risks and consent.

As of 2026-10-11: many nationalities can enter Korea for a short stay without a visa, and the permitted number of days depends on the nationality. If your nationality is visa-free and your treatment and recovery fit within that period, you can usually enter on the ordinary short-stay basis; some nationalities must also obtain K-ETA authorization first (see the Entry guide). Check your own nationality’s rule before booking, because it decides whether you need a medical visa at all.

As of 2026-10-11, Medical Korea describes two medical-tourism visas. C-3-3 is the short-term one, for up to 90 days. G-1-10 is the long-term one, for up to one year, for people who will be treated or recuperate as inpatients at specialized medical institutions or rehabilitation facilities for 91 days or more. Within the short-term category, simple procedures, including cosmetic and plastic surgery, are listed for a treatment and travel period of 90 days or less. The patient’s immediate family, such as a spouse who helps with care or the patient’s children, may accompany the patient on a companion visa.

Two ways to apply, both at a Korean embassy or consulate. Direct application by the patient: (1) consult and book with the institution, (2) receive the reservation documents, (3) go to the consulate and apply, (4) receive the visa. Documents usually include the visa application form, a copy of the passport, a diagnosis document, a document from the Korean institution confirming the treatment or recuperation appointment, a statement of financial support, any other document the consulate asks for, and proof of the family relationship for companions.

Application through an institution or agency: the institution issues an invitation, applies online for a visa issuance certificate through the HUNET system, and the patient submits that certificate at the consulate. Documents usually include the confirmation application, a passport copy, one photograph, a document from the institution confirming the medical purpose and proof of the family relationship for companions. An invitation from an institution does not by itself mean a visa will be granted; the consulate decides.

If treatment runs longer than your permitted stay, tell the institution early: extending a stay or changing status is handled by the immigration service, and the Foreigner Information Center, 1345, can say where to go. See also the Visa guide and the Medical travel guide.

As of 2026-10-11: Medical Korea’s hospital profiles carry an interpretation field that lists the languages a hospital offers, among them Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, English, Mongolian, Russian and Arabic, depending on the hospital. Ask the institution exactly which language, who interprets (a staff interpreter, a coordinator, a phone interpreter), whether the interpreter will be present for the examination, the explanation of risks and the consent, and whether interpreting is included or charged separately.

Consent is your decision. Ask for the consent form in your language before the day, with time to read it. Read every line, ask what each risk means in practice, and do not sign something you cannot read or have not understood. You can decide not to go ahead, and you can ask to stop. Keep a copy of everything you sign, and write down the questions you asked and the answers.

The Medical Korea Information Centers in Seoul (Seoul Station) and at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 give consultation in English, Chinese and Japanese, and Russian at Incheon. As of 2026-10-11 the Seoul center is open daily 09:00 to 18:00 and the Incheon Airport center daily 09:00 to 21:00; the Medical Call hotline is 1577-7129 (+82-1577-7129 from abroad), daily 09:00 to 18:00. Hours can change, so use them as a guide on the day you plan to call.

How a request usually works: you contact the international healthcare center of the institution (its contact is on the Medical Korea register) or a registered agency, send your records and your questions, and receive a reply. If photos or scans are requested, send only what is needed, ask how they are stored and that they are not used for marketing. A reply before an in-person examination is preliminary. A doctor who has not examined you cannot give a final plan, and a firm quote without an examination is a warning sign.

Ask for a written, itemized estimate. It should say what is included (consultation, tests, imaging, anesthesia, procedure, hospital stay, medicines, follow-up visits, interpreting, tax) and what is not, how long the estimate is valid, and what happens to the cost if the plan changes after the examination or if a complication needs more care. Under the Act, a registered institution’s standard treatment agreement is to include a cost estimate. Ask for deposit, cancellation and refund terms in writing before you pay anything.

Payment and receipts: pay at the institution’s counter or into an account in the institution’s own name, by a method that leaves a record, and ask for an itemized receipt and statement at each payment. Keep card slips. Ask for a diagnosis certificate, a copy of your records, prescriptions and a medical-expense statement, since your insurer or tax office at home may ask for them. If something on the bill does not match the estimate, ask for it to be explained before you pay.

The tax refund for shopping purchases (see the Tax refund guide) is a different system from medical fees, and a shopping refund slip does not apply to a hospital bill.

As of 2026-10-11: a special tax arrangement began in April 2016 that let foreign visitors reclaim value-added tax on cosmetic and plastic procedures at designated institutions. It was set to run until 31 December 2025. Reports say it was not extended and that bills to bring it back were still under review in the National Assembly and had not become law. Because the position can change, do not assume that a refund will be available on your treatment date: ask the institution to state in writing, on your estimate, whether tax is included and whether any refund applies to you.

For other kinds of treatment, the official material HOLIDAY read describes no separate refund arrangement for visitors. Treat the amount you are quoted as your cost unless the institution tells you otherwise in writing.

HOLIDAY is not an insurance agency. This guide does not sell, name, price or recommend any insurance product and makes no promise about what any policy covers. It only describes how the systems work, so that you can ask the right questions of your own insurer.

Two different kinds of insurance exist here, and the institution’s is not yours. As of 2026-10-11, a registered institution must carry medical malpractice liability insurance or belong to a medical indemnity mutual. That relates to the institution’s liability; it is not a policy that pays your own medical bills, travel costs or lost time.

Korea’s public health insurance is built around residents. As of 2026-10-11, the National Health Insurance Service’s English guide says foreigners registered with the immigration office who work at a covered workplace are enrolled compulsorily, and that foreigners and overseas Koreans who have stayed more than six months with a qualifying residence status are enrolled as regional subscribers. A short tourist or medical visit is not among the groups it describes. Plan to be billed as a visitor, and ask the institution to confirm in writing how you will be billed.

Your own cover: travel insurance and home health insurance often do not pay for treatment that was planned before the trip, or for complications that follow it. Before you book, ask your insurer in writing whether treatment abroad that you arranged in advance is covered, whether complications and an extended stay are covered, whether emergency transport home is covered, and what it needs from you for a claim. Read the Travel insurance guide.

Emergency: sudden severe pain, heavy bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain, signs of a stroke, a severe allergic reaction, fainting or a rapidly worsening condition after treatment. Call 119 for an ambulance (112 for police) from any phone; say your language, your location and what happened, and the operator can bring in an interpreter. Do not wait for the treating clinic to call back and do not try to travel on your own. The ambulance crew decides which hospital to go to; tell them about your treatment, allergies and medicines.

Not an emergency but worrying (mild swelling you were told to expect, a question about a dressing, a medicine query): call the after-hours contact the institution gave you. If you cannot reach anyone in a reasonable time, or the symptoms get worse, treat it as urgent. For interpretation help with a non-emergency question, the Korea Travel Helpline, 1330, run by the Korea Tourism Organization, can help in several languages; it is not an emergency line. A pharmacy can help with a minor problem such as a mild headache.

Back home, the same rule applies: describe your treatment to the emergency doctor, show your discharge papers and medicine list, and ask your own doctor to contact the institution in Korea if needed. See the Emergency & SOS guide.

Before you leave the institution, ask for: a discharge summary or treatment summary (in English if possible), the procedure or operation report if there was one, test results, imaging as files on a disc or drive and not only printed reports, a medicine list with the generic names and doses, details of any implant or device used, written home-care instructions, the date and place of any follow-up, and a named after-hours contact. Ask whether the summary can be sent to your own doctor directly.

Flying: ask the doctor whether and when you can take a long flight, because it depends on the treatment and on you; follow that advice, not a general rule. After some treatments, long periods of sitting, cabin pressure and dry air matter. Move and drink water as advised, allow extra time at the airport, keep medicines and records in your cabin bag, and tell the airline if you need assistance. An airline may have its own rules or ask for a doctor’s letter, so ask it early.

Medicines and customs: as of 2026-10-11, Korea Customs lists drugs and medicines that may be misused or abused among the goods to declare, and narcotics among restricted goods. Keep your own medicines in their original packaging with the prescription or a doctor’s letter, declare anything that needs declaring when you arrive, and remember that your home country has its own rules for bringing medicines, herbal products and implants or devices back in. Ask the institution for a letter that names what you carry.

Follow-up at home: book your own doctor’s visit before you leave, give them the records, and ask the institution in Korea whether it offers remote follow-up, who answers questions after you leave, and whether that is charged. Know in advance who pays for a complication that appears at home; get the answer in writing.

Your basic rights as a patient: to have the diagnosis, the treatment, the possible side effects and the alternatives explained in a language you understand; to receive a written cost estimate; to get a second opinion; to refuse or stop; to ask for a copy of your records; and to be told the exact institution and doctor before you pay. Registered institutions are required by the Act to give patient-rights information in a foreign language and to explain how a medical dispute is handled.

Step 1, the institution: raise the problem with its international healthcare center in writing and keep a copy. Step 2, the Medical Korea Information Centers in Seoul and at Incheon Airport: as of 2026-10-11 they give consultation on complaints about using Korean medical institutions, on medical complaints and disputes (including support for taking a case to the dispute agency below) and on illegal brokerage, in English, Chinese and Japanese, and Russian at Incheon.

Step 3, the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency: a public body set up under the Act on Remedies for Injuries from Medical Malpractice and Mediation of Medical Disputes, in force since April 2012. As of 2026-10-11, its counseling is free: by phone on weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 18:00 (1670-2545), and through its internet form at any hour with a reply by the next business day. Mediation is started by a party to the dispute; a mediation committee investigates and drafts a settlement plan, and an agreement reached has the effect of a court settlement. If both sides agree in writing to be bound, the agency can arbitrate, and an arbitration award has the effect of a final judgment. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced in 2012 a counseling line with three-way interpretation in 18 languages for foreign patients.

Keep a clear record from the first day: names, dates, what you were told, photographs of the area if relevant, receipts, the estimate and the signed forms. Disputes are easier to settle with documents than with memories. Acting early matters, so do not wait for months before you raise a concern.

This guide is general information, not medical advice and not an offer of treatment. HOLIDAY does not choose a doctor or a treatment for you. Always follow your doctor’s advice. HOLIDAY is not an insurance agency and does not sell or recommend insurance.

Last updated: 11 October 2026. Figures are as of the date shown.

Source: Medical Korea · Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korea Legislation Research Institute · Medical Korea Information Center · Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency · National Health Insurance Service · Korea Customs Service · Checked 11 Oct 2026

Written by HOLIDAY in its own words from official public information. This is not an official publication of the Korea Tourism Organization or any government body.

HOLIDAY refreshes this article regularly as fares, hours and event dates change.