South Korea
Medical treatment in South Korea: published prices for visitors
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
A long flight from Europe and North America, so it fits best when you are already visiting. Seoul hospitals run large check-up centres.
- Procedures with a price
- 3 of 5
- Cities
- Seoul
- Currency
- KRW
- Language
- Korean; the big Seoul hospitals have international health-care centres with English-speaking coordinators.
- NHS / HSE schemes
- Not covered
Prices in South Korea by procedure
Each range covers only prices that match the procedure's unit (for example one MRI area, or one eye). Open a procedure for every line and what it includes.
| Procedure | Providers | In GBP | In USD | UK private, for comparison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI scan in South Korea | Kangbuk Samsung Hospital | no comparable price | no comparable price | about £249 to £380 |
| Colonoscopy in South Korea | Kangbuk Samsung Hospital | about £311 | about $415 | about £1,890 to £3,510 |
| Health check-up in South Korea | Kangbuk Samsung Hospital | about £395 to £1,210 | about $529 to $1,620 | about £385 to £1,120 |
Not listed: cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles. We did not find a published price in South Korea that we could verify.
The Kangbuk Samsung prices are from its domestic check-up page, which carries no date and does not say whether foreign patients pay the same. Severance Hospital runs an international health-care centre that takes check-up bookings from abroad and lists sedation for gastroscopy at 156,000 KRW, but we could not find its package prices (Severance).
Add your flight and hotel
Pick where you live and add a flight to South Korea to see the whole trip next to your wait at home.
Entry rules
We link to the official advice rather than restating it, because entry rules change. Check the page for your passport before you book:
- UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements)
- Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca)
- US citizens (State Department, choose the country)
- Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country)
Can you claim the cost back?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach South Korea. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in South Korea is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
Planning a medical trip to South Korea
- Ask each clinic for a written, itemised quote and the appointment in writing before booking flights.
- Check that your travel insurance covers planned medical treatment; many policies exclude it.
- Ask for reports in English and images in a format your doctor at home can open. See how to bring your results home.
- Know who to contact if you have a problem after you fly home, and tell your own doctor before you go.
Other countries
All 8 countries we compare, or start from a procedure: MRI scans, colonoscopies, health check-ups, cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements, IVF cycles.
Treatment in South Korea: questions
What treatments have published prices in South Korea?
We found prices we could check for MRI scans, colonoscopies and health check-ups. We have no verified price for cataract operations, laser eye operations, dental implants, veneers, hair transplants, hip replacements, knee replacements and IVF cycles yet.
Is it safe to have treatment in South Korea?
We cannot judge the safety of a clinic, and listing a price is not a recommendation. Ask the clinic about the doctor's qualifications, how complications are handled, and who looks after you when you are home, and talk to your own doctor first.
Do I need a visa for medical treatment in South Korea?
It depends on your passport and how long you stay. Use the official pages linked on this page: the FCDO for UK citizens, travel.gc.ca for Canadians, the State Department for US citizens and the Department of Foreign Affairs for Irish citizens.
Can I claim the cost back from the NHS or HSE?
No public scheme in the UK or Ireland covers planned treatment in South Korea.
What language do clinics in South Korea use?
Korean; the big Seoul hospitals have international health-care centres with English-speaking coordinators.
Sources
- 종합건진 프로그램 (comprehensive check-up programmes). Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Center, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Health check-up appointment (International Health Care Center). Severance Hospital, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.