Medical treatment in South Korea

Dermatology, plastic surgery, dentistry and vision correction in South Korea, mostly in Seoul and Busan. Health check-ups and orthopaedics are offered too. Before you travel you can have an online consultation, and accommodation can be arranged for your stay.

In South Korea, accommodation is arranged for you for the length of your stay. You can also have an online consultation before you travel.

Airport transfers, an interpreter, a personal coordinator, visa support and aftercare are not among the services there. Think about language before you go: the assistant asks which language you are most comfortable communicating in, and your answer is part of your request for offers. Before you confirm an offer, read what it covers, including whether there is any follow-up after treatment.

Most treatment in South Korea takes place in Seoul and Busan, with some in Incheon. Incheon lies just west of Seoul and is home to the country's main international airport. Busan is on the south-east coast, and a high-speed train links it with Seoul.

You do not need to name a city before you ask for offers. Each offer shows where your treatment takes place, so you know the city before you confirm an offer and choose which airport to fly into. How long you stay depends on your procedure, and your clinic confirms the dates in its offer.

Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, handles most international flights to South Korea. Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Gimhae International Airport in Busan also have international flights, mainly within Asia. From Europe it is a long-haul flight, direct from some cities or with one connection.

A transfer is not among the services in South Korea, and your offer shows whether the clinic includes one. Once you confirm an offer, you add your flight to your roadmap and can then book the transfer yourself or ask Medbook to arrange it. Incheon Airport is also linked to Seoul by rail and by airport buses.

South Korea is on GMT+9 all year and does not use summer time. From Europe that is a difference of several hours, so keep it in mind when you plan your arrival and your first appointment.

Whether you need a visa for South Korea depends on your citizenship, the purpose of your trip and how long you stay. Depending on your passport, you may need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation before you travel. The official visa link on this page opens the Korea Visa Portal, where you can check the rules that apply to you. The portal can be switched to English.

Visa support is not among the services in South Korea, so if you need a visa, apply for it yourself in good time. Pack your passport, your medical records and scans, a list of the medications you take and your offer.

In skin and aesthetic medicine, every procedure in Medbook's catalogue is offered in South Korea, from injectables and laser treatments to care for skin conditions. Plastic surgery covers face and body procedures such as rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, facelifts, breast augmentation and liposuction. Dental care includes implants, veneers, crowns, braces and gum treatment, and eye care covers laser eye surgery, lens implants and cataract surgery. Every kind of health check-up in the catalogue is offered as well, and so is hair restoration, including hair transplants.

A smaller choice of procedures is offered in orthopaedics, spine surgery, women's health, ear, nose and throat, and rehabilitation. Open an area to see exactly which procedures are available in South Korea. If you know the area but not the exact procedure, choose "Not sure yet" under it when you describe your case.