What should a foreigner prepare before a doctor's visit in Korea?
Bring your residence card (ARC) or passport, which the clinic uses to register you and check your insurance, a short written list of your symptoms, and the names of any medicines you take and anything you are allergic to. Then decide in advance how you will talk to the doctor: a friend, a hospital coordinator, or a medical interpreter on your phone such as Verata.
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Documents
- Your residence card (ARC) or passport. Reception registers you with it.
- If you are in Korea's National Health Insurance, the clinic finds you by your registration number. If you are not sure whether you are covered, ask at reception before the consultation.
- If you are a visitor with travel insurance, keep the policy at hand and ask the clinic for the receipts and documents your insurer needs.
Your symptoms, written down
- When it started, where it hurts, and how it has changed.
- Numbers: temperature, how many days, how often.
- What you have already taken or tried.
- Long-term conditions, past operations, and pregnancy, if relevant.
Medicines and allergies
Take a photo of the box or label of every medicine you take. Brand names differ between countries; the active ingredient does not, and that is what the doctor needs. Write down any allergies, especially to medicines.
How you will talk to the doctor
Decide before you go: a friend who speaks Korean, the coordinator of a hospital international clinic, a public interpretation line, or a medical interpreter on your phone. If you use Verata, open it before you go into the consultation room, so you are not setting it up while the doctor waits. One tap shows the doctor a short explanation in Korean.
After the visit
In Korea a clinic usually gives you a prescription to take to a pharmacy. Check the dose and how long to take it with the doctor before you leave, and again with the pharmacist.
Short answers
Do I need an appointment at a Korean clinic?
Local clinics usually see walk-in patients in order of arrival. Large university hospitals generally expect an appointment, often with a referral from a local clinic.
What if I do not know the name of my medicine?
Show the doctor a photo of the box or the label. The active ingredient matters more than the brand.
Can I use Verata if the clinic has never heard of it?
Yes. It runs on your own phone, and a button shows the doctor a short explanation in Korean.
Verata is machine interpreting: not a certified interpreter and not medical advice. Repeat every dose, date and amount back to the doctor. During the beta the text of each conversation is kept for 30 days and then deleted. How long data is kept