What you actually pay as a visitor
Korean National Health Insurance covers residents, including foreign residents enrolled through employment or as registered long-term residents. Visitors pay the uninsured private rate. For elective and cosmetic procedures this makes no difference, because those are excluded from insurance for everyone. For medical treatment such as orthopedic surgery or cancer care, the gap between the insured and uninsured price is substantial, and it is worth asking for the uninsured price in writing at the outset.
How prices are quoted
Some procedures are quoted by unit rather than as a package, and the unit is where comparison breaks down. Device treatments such as Ulthera and Thermage are priced by shot count. Hair transplants are quoted per graft or per hair, and a graft contains one to four hairs. Convert every quote to the same unit before comparing clinics, because the cheapest headline number is frequently the smallest unit.
Deposits, refunds and currency
Clinics typically ask for a deposit of 10 to 30 percent to hold a surgical date, often payable by international transfer. Refund terms for cancellation should be in the written quote. Payment on the day is normally by card, and most clinics accept Visa and Mastercard; some quote in USD but settle in KRW at the day's rate, which adds a spread.
VAT refund for cosmetic procedures
Korea operates a VAT refund scheme for foreign patients receiving certain cosmetic medical services at designated institutions, refunding a portion of the 10 percent VAT at the airport or through the clinic. It applies to a specific list of procedures and requires the clinic to be registered for the scheme, so confirm eligibility before treatment rather than at the airport.
Claiming on your own insurance
Elective and cosmetic treatment is almost never reimbursable. Medically necessary treatment sometimes is, if you can produce documentation your insurer accepts. Ask the international center for an itemized English invoice with diagnostic codes, a medical report and proof of payment before you leave, since obtaining these after departure is considerably harder.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my foreign health insurance in Korea?
Large hospital international centers hold direct billing agreements with several global insurers such as Cigna Global and Allianz Care. Otherwise you pay up front and claim afterwards using an itemized English invoice with diagnostic codes.
Can foreign patients get a VAT refund on cosmetic surgery?
Yes, for designated cosmetic procedures at institutions registered for the scheme. The refund covers part of the 10 percent VAT and must be arranged through the clinic before or at the time of treatment.
Do Korean clinics accept credit cards?
Almost universally for Visa and Mastercard, and widely for Amex at larger hospitals. Deposits for surgical bookings are more often taken by international bank transfer.