Hospital in Korea for Foreigners: Where to Go, Interpreters

When you get sick in Korea, the first obstacle is usually language rather than finding the building. This guide goes in order: where to go, what to bring to reception, and how to explain your symptoms. The step that saves the most wasted trips for foreigners using a hospital in Korea is learning, before you are ill, which routes to an interpreter are open to you.

First, decide where to go

Korean medical facilities have different roles by size. The usual advice is a neighbourhood clinic for a cold or minor pain, and a hospital or general hospital when you need tests or admission.

• Neighbourhood clinic → many accept walk-ins for colds, minor injuries and repeat prescriptions. Starting here is usually the fastest
• Hospital or general hospital → for tests, surgery or admission. If a clinic doctor sends you on, they write a referral letter
• Tertiary hospital (large university hospital) → generally described as a place you go with a referral. Going without one can raise your consultation cost, so call ahead and ask
• Emergency room, 119 → for emergencies such as difficulty breathing, confusion or a serious injury. Do not pick a hospital in that moment; call 119
• Public health centre → a public office for vaccinations and basic health advice. What foreigners can use differs by area, so ask that centre

If you do not know which department you need, tell the reception desk your symptoms or show them on a translation app. Departments differ by hospital, and reception staff can often point you to the right one.

What to bring to reception

Reception checks your identity. Showing your alien registration card and confirming health insurance is common, and our health insurance article explains that since May 2024 hospitals must verify identity before using insurance eligibility.

• Alien registration card and passport → for identity. If you do not have a card yet, bring your passport and ask the hospital first
• Health insurance status → if you are enrolled you pay your share, otherwise you may have to pay the full fee. Check enrolment and premiums with the National Health Insurance Service (1577-1000)
• Medicines you take and allergies → a photo of the medicine name or package is more accurate than describing it
• Medical history and records → if you were treated in your home country, bring a diagnosis in English or a medication list

When you cannot communicate: ways to get an interpreter

There is more than one route to an interpreter. Which are open depends on where you live, the hospital and your status, so it is better to know two or three before you are ill.

• Ask the hospital directly → some large hospitals have a foreign-patient desk or interpreter staff. When you book, say your language and ask whether interpreting is available
• 1345 Immigration Contact Center → the Ministry of Justice's foreign-language information line. Ask the agent directly whether they can help with an interpreted call
• Danuri Call Center 1577-1366 → a line for marriage migrants and multicultural families with living information and interpreting support
• Family centres (multicultural family support centres) → many offer interpretation and translation to marriage migrants. Whether they go to the hospital with you differs by centre
• Local government foreign-resident centres → some areas run medical interpreting support. Who qualifies, how many times and how to apply differ, so ask the foreign-resident desk at your city or district office
• Translation apps → fine as a backup in the consulting room, but for a diagnosis or surgery explanation a human interpreter is safer

If you call 119 in an emergency, say your language first, then repeat your address or a nearby landmark slowly. Interpreting languages can vary by area and time, so even without an interpreter, the address and symptoms come first.

What to say in the consulting room and at the pharmacy

Short, key facts are more accurate than a long explanation. Writing them down beforehand helps when you are nervous.

• Since when, where, and how much it hurts → write the date and the area, or show a photo
• Medicines, allergies and pregnancy → these directly affect the prescription, so never leave them out
• Consent forms and surgery explanations → do not sign what you do not understand; ask for an interpreter
• Do not use your child as interpreter → a young child relaying a diagnosis is easily wrong and it is a burden on them
• When you get a prescription → it has a validity period, so check the date written on it and go to a pharmacy promptly. At the pharmacy, ask again for the medicine name, when to take it and side effects

When the visit ends, ask them to write down the next appointment, how to take the medicine, and which symptoms mean you should come back. Words heard while unwell are hard to remember at home.

It also comes up in the interview

Knowing where to ask for help appears in the daily-life questions of the naturalization interview. Here are examples from the practice questions we compiled. The interview is in Korean.

다문화가족 생활정보와 통역 상담을 제공하는 다누리콜센터 번호는 무엇입니까? — 1577-1366

외국인종합안내센터의 대표 전화번호는 무엇입니까? — 1345

Knowing the numbers is not enough; in the interview you have to say them aloud in one go. Our service lets you hear these questions in an interviewer's voice and practise answering aloud.

This article is not medical advice or legal advice. In an emergency call 119 first. Interpreting support and health insurance rules vary by region and change over time, so before using them, check current guidance with the 1345 Immigration Contact Center, Danuri Call Center 1577-1366, the National Health Insurance Service 1577-1000, or your nearest family centre or city/district office.