Do I Need a Visa for Medical Treatment in Korea? K-ETA vs C-3-3

Whether you need a visa to come to Korea for treatment or a procedure depends on your nationality and how long you will stay. Citizens of countries that can enter Korea visa-free generally need a Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) before boarding, but citizens of 22 countries and regions, including Japan, Taiwan and the United States, are temporarily exempt from K-ETA until December 31, 2026. If your country is not on the visa-free list, or if your treatment will take longer than your visa-free stay allows, you need a visa before you leave. For a stay of 90 days or less for medical care, that is the Medical Tourism Visa (C-3-3); for 91 days or more, it is the Medical Treatment Visa (G-1-10). We checked the Ministry of Justice K-ETA website, HiKorea, the Korea Tourism Organization, guidance from Korean embassies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Korean Law Information Center directly on November 5, 2026. Country lists and temporary measures change often, so check the official websites once more before you buy your flights.

Mediport is not a medical provider, and it does not issue visas. Korean embassies and consulates and the Ministry of Justice decide whether to grant a visa or a K-ETA, and the final decision on entry is made at airport immigration. Clinics set treatment schedules and medical fees; Mediport does not set or compare fees. This guide also leaves out visa and K-ETA application fees, so please check them on each official website.

Find your case first: visa-free, K-ETA or visa

Before you leave, you will be doing one of three things. To see which one applies to your passport, look up your nationality on the K-ETA website under 'Eligible Countries.' Every country on that page can enter Korea visa-free, and the page also lists how many days citizens of each country can stay per entry.

Even within the same region, the number of days varies by country. The K-ETA website lists 90 days for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait, 30 days for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, and, for Russia, '60 consecutive days, up to 90 days within 180 days.' Mongolia, mainland China, Vietnam and Indonesia are not on the list. Citizens of countries not on the list generally need a visa first, but separate visa-free programs may apply, such as group tours or Jeju Island, so check with the Korean embassy in your country.

There is one more thing to check. The K-ETA website describes eligible travelers as 'people planning a short stay for tourism, visiting relatives, attending events or meetings, or business,' and does not mention medical treatment. If you plan to enter visa-free for a short course of treatment, it is safer to contact the Korean embassy in your country or the Immigration Contact Center (dial 1345 in Korea, +82-2-1345 from abroad) before you leave, tell them you are visiting for medical care, and confirm.

A K-ETA is not a visa

A K-ETA is a pre-travel authorization that citizens of visa-free countries get before boarding a plane or ship to Korea. The Ministry of Justice K-ETA website explains that a K-ETA is not a visa; it only meets part of the requirements for visa-free entry. Even with an approved K-ETA, an immigration officer at the airport decides at the border whether you may enter.

Here is what to know about applying for and using a K-ETA.

• When to apply: You must be approved before boarding. If you apply after boarding or after you have already entered Korea, your application may be refused or your entry may be restricted.
• Processing time: It usually takes up to 72 hours, but it can take longer when applications pile up, and there is no expedited service.
• Validity: 3 years from approval (or until your passport expires, if that comes first), and you can use it for multiple trips. Validity is not the same as how long you can stay, though. Each stay is still limited to the visa-free period for your nationality.
• When to reapply: If you are issued a new passport, apply again even if your K-ETA is still valid.
• When your plans change: If your entry or departure dates, address in Korea or companion details change, update them under 'Update Travel Information' on the website.
• Fee: It is a screening fee, so it is not refunded if your application is not approved.

You can apply for a K-ETA only through the official website (k-eta.go.kr) or the official app. The homepage warns about look-alike sites that advertise agency or rush service and charge high fees. Once your treatment date is set, apply on the day you book your flight so you have time to spare if processing is slow.

Travelers with an approved K-ETA do not need to fill in an arrival card. If you enter without a K-ETA, you need an arrival card, but you can submit an e-Arrival Card (e-arrivalcard.go.kr) instead of the paper form. The e-Arrival Card is free and can be submitted from 3 days before you arrive in Korea. If you hold a visa, you can check whether you need to submit one with the navigator on the same website. For getting from the airport to your clinic, see Incheon Airport to a Gangnam Clinic: Train, Bus or Taxi by Appointment Time.

The temporary K-ETA exemption ends December 31, 2026

To support tourism, the Ministry of Justice temporarily exempted citizens of 22 countries and regions from K-ETA starting April 1, 2023. In a notice dated December 23, 2025, it extended the exemption for another year, from January 1 to December 31, 2026 (Korea time). The countries and regions first announced in 2023 were Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan in Asia; Canada and the United States (including Guam) in the Americas; Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom in Europe; and Australia and New Zealand in Oceania. The extension notice says it applies as is to the countries currently exempt. To check whether you qualify, scan the photo page of your passport on the K-ETA application screen, and a 'K-ETA exempt' message will appear.

When we checked the notices on the K-ETA website on November 5, 2026, there was no notice extending the exemption into 2027 or later. If you are coming in January or later, it makes sense to plan around this date.

• Entering by December 31, 2026: If your nationality is on the list, you can enter without a K-ETA. You still fill in an arrival card.
• Entering on or after January 1, 2027: Check the notices on the K-ETA website again before you leave. If there is no extension notice, you need an approved K-ETA before boarding.
• You can apply even if you are exempt: If you want the conveniences of an approved K-ETA, such as skipping the arrival card, you can apply, and a fee applies.

If your treatment dates fall in early January, check the notices twice: when you buy your flights and again just before you leave.

When you need a Medical Tourism Visa (C-3-3) and what to prepare

According to the Korea Tourism Organization's medical tourism visa guide, the Medical Tourism Visa (C-3-3) is issued to foreign nationals invited by a medical institution or a registered foreign patient facilitator to receive treatment or recuperative care at a specific medical institution, for a stay of 90 days or less. If treatment takes 91 days or more, the Medical Treatment Visa (G-1-10) applies, with a period of stay set within one year. Those who can invite you are medical institutions and foreign patient facilitators registered under Korea's Medical Service Act, and the inviting party can apply online for a Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance on the Korea Visa Portal (visa.go.kr). The same guide explains that if your visa is issued as an e-visa, you do not need to visit an embassy in person. Ask the inviting clinic or facilitator whether they can apply for the e-visa on your behalf.

Required documents vary slightly by country and embassy. Taking the C-3-3 patient document list posted by the Korean Embassy in Qatar in September 2026 as an example, they fall into three groups.

The same embassy says visa processing can take more than 20 working days, and if you need treatment urgently, it asks for a document from the Korean hospital explaining why the treatment is urgent. Processing times differ by embassy, so once your treatment date is set, get the document list and processing time for your nationality from the website of the Korean embassy in your country or its visa application center first. Since many of the documents come from the hospital, when you confirm your booking, also ask, 'By when can I get the documents for my visa?'

Even if you are from a visa-free country, consider a medical visa before you leave if your treatment and follow-up checks may not be finished within your visa-free period. The Korea Tourism Organization guide explains that even if you were issued a tourist or other visitor visa for treatment of 90 days or less, you must change your status of stay if you need to stay longer.

When a family member or companion comes with you

The Medical Tourism Visa (C-3-3) and the Medical Treatment Visa (G-1-10) are also issued to family members or caregivers who need to come along to look after the patient. According to the Korean Embassy in Qatar's C-3-3 guidance for companions, the Korean hospital's invitation letter must include the companion's name along with the patient's details, and family members must submit a document showing the relationship, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate. Companions also prepare their own passport, application form, photo, and round-trip flight and accommodation reservations.

If your companion has a different nationality from yours, the requirements change too. The patient may need a visa while the companion can enter visa-free, or the other way around. Check each person against the table above. The K-ETA website lists people aged 17 or younger or 65 or older on the date of entry as exempt from applying for a K-ETA, so a child or older parent traveling with you may not need one. The visa-free period of stay still applies the same way, though. When you apply for a K-ETA, you also enter details of the people traveling with you, and the website warns that if one person submits false information, everyone who applied together may face the same restriction.

For how to decide whether to bring someone, and what a companion does in the consultation room and during recovery, see Coming Alone, or Bringing Someone.

When treatment runs longer: extending your stay

If your appointment is pushed back or your doctor wants to monitor you longer, you may need to stay beyond your original plan. Article 25 of Korea's Immigration Act requires foreign nationals who want to stay past their permitted period to obtain permission to extend their period of stay from the Minister of Justice before that period ends. According to HiKorea, you can apply for an extension from 4 months before your stay expires up to the expiry date itself, and if you apply after the expiry date, a fine is imposed. You or a representative apply at the immigration office with jurisdiction over your address, and you must be in Korea on the day of the application.

If it looks like your schedule may stretch, take these steps.

An extension requires permission, so applying does not mean it will always be granted. When you first plan your trip, check that your last follow-up date falls within the period you can stay, and leave a few days of buffer so you are less rushed.

What Mediport does

Mediport is a government-registered foreign patient facilitator in Seoul (registration number A-2026-01-01-07030, Portzone Co., Ltd.). We do not issue visas or promise any screening outcome. When you prepare for your visit, we look at your nationality and planned length of stay together, point you to where on the official websites you can confirm whether you fall under visa-free entry, K-ETA or a visa, and, at the booking stage, ask the clinic with you, in a language you are comfortable with, which visa documents you need and when they can be issued. We also check with you whether your treatment dates fit within the period you can stay. Korean embassies and consulates and the Ministry of Justice decide on visas and entry, and the clinic sets your treatment schedule.