How to Check if a Korean Clinic Is Registered for Foreign Patients

How can I check if a Korean clinic is registered to treat foreign patients? In Korea, medical institutions and facilitators that attract foreign patients are required by law to register with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the list of registered organisations can be searched on the official Medical Korea information site run by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI). So whether the clinic or agency you are talking to is registered is something you confirm from the official list, not from what they tell you. This guide explains the order in which to check, and what the word "registered" actually means and does not mean.

The register exists, and it covers two kinds of organisation

Korea has run a registration system for foreign-patient care for a number of years, and it is now set out in its own law. Two kinds of organisation must register. The first is a medical institution that carries out activities to attract foreign patients. The second is a facilitator, the company that connects patients with clinics. To register, each has to meet baseline conditions: liability insurance and specialists on staff for a clinic, and an office and financial security for a facilitator. After registration there are ongoing duties, including reporting.

Where to check

There are two official points of reference. The Ministry of Health and Welfare administers registration, and the Medical Korea site run by KHIDI has a search for registered organisations. To search, you need the clinic's official Korean name and address. The English or brand name a clinic uses abroad often differs from the name it is registered under.

A search result normally shows the organisation name, location, registration number and departments. Check that both the name and the address match the clinic you are talking to. Clinics with similar names exist.

Registration can be cancelled or renewed, so note the date you checked and look once more around the time your booking is confirmed.

Site layouts and search screens change, so this guide does not walk through them step by step. If you cannot find a clinic, ask the clinic or the facilitator for the registration number and search by that.

What registration means

• The clinic or company has been recognised by the government as eligible to attract foreign patients
• Minimum requirements such as liability insurance have been met
• There is an official channel for raising a complaint if something goes wrong
• For a facilitator, there is a registered legal entity with a number, so it is clear who is responsible

What registration does not mean

Registration is eligibility, not evaluation. The list is not a ranking, and the government is not endorsing any clinic's skill or results. Registered clinics still differ widely in experience and approach.

Registration is also held by the institution, not by the doctor. Who will actually treat you, and whether that person is a specialist in the relevant field, are separate questions to ask.

And the reverse is also true: a clinic without registration is not automatically operating illegally. Registration is an obligation for institutions that set out to attract foreign patients, and treating a foreign patient without it is not in itself prohibited. That said, if a clinic markets to foreigners and has no registration, it is reasonable to ask why.

Questions to ask at consultation

• What is the registration number, and under what name is the clinic registered?
• Who will treat me, and is that doctor a specialist in this field?
• Can I receive the treatment plan and fee details in writing beforehand?
• Who interprets, and do they have medical interpreting experience?
• If a problem arises after I go home, how do I reach the clinic?
• If an agency introduced the clinic, is the agency itself registered?

A checking order you can follow yourself

1. Get the clinic's official Korean name and address 2. Search the official register by name and address 3. Ask for the registration number and cross-check it 4. If a facilitator is involved, check its registration the same way 5. Note the date and result, and check once more before confirming your booking

Where Mediport stands

Mediport is a government-registered medical tourism facilitator in Seoul (registration A-2026-01-01-07030, Portzone Inc.). When we introduce a clinic, its registration is the first thing we check, and we will share the number and how to verify it if you ask. But registration is a starting point for us as well. Treatment is carried out by the clinic and the doctor, and outcomes differ from person to person. What we do is make sure nothing on your checklist is missed, and pass your questions to the clinic in your own language.