Medical Visa for South Korea

South Korea's C-3-3 category is the short-term medical-tourist route for people receiving treatment in Korea, generally for stays under 90 days. Longer treatment plans may require a different status, so confirm the category with the Korean embassy or immigration office.

Route

C-3-3 Medical Tourist Visa

Typical processing

Check with the embassy; local missions publish their own processing windows

Validity

Check with the embassy and the issued visa

Permitted stay

Generally under 90 days for C-3-3

The short answer

A medical-treatment route is listed for this country

The route below is the official starting point, but your passport, treatment length, and filing location can change the result.

Who this route is for

Foreign nationals travelling to South Korea for medical examination or treatment under the short-term medical-tourist category.
A patient accompanied by a caregiver or family member who meets the mission's supporting-document rules.
Applicants with a Korean medical institution's treatment confirmation and a compliant visa filing.

Documents to prepare

Visa application form, passport, and recent passport photograph.
Treatment or appointment confirmation issued by the Korean medical institution.
Invitation or supporting letter from the registered medical-tourism facilitator or hospital, where required.
Evidence of funds for treatment and stay, plus caregiver/family relationship documents when applicable.
Any local embassy checklist items, translations, or proof of residence required for your place of application.
Check with the embassy for long-term treatment or repeat-visit cases.

Application steps

1
Confirm short- or long-term status
Ask the Korean mission whether C-3-3 is sufficient or whether a longer-term medical status is needed.
2
Obtain Korean treatment confirmation
Request the hospital's appointment/treatment letter and any facilitator documents required by the mission.
3
Submit the embassy checklist
File the application with passport, photo, financial evidence, and caregiver documentation where relevant.
4
Check the permitted stay
Verify the period of stay and entries shown on the issued visa before booking a return flight.

Check before you submit

Common rejection risks

Treatment letter or invitation is missing, expired, or issued by an entity that does not satisfy the mission's rules.
The proposed stay is longer than the C-3-3 route supports.
Funds, caregiver relationship, translations, or local residence evidence are incomplete.
The application uses a generic tourist route without disclosing the medical-treatment purpose.

Frequently asked questions

How long is C-3-3 for?

It is the short-term medical-tourist category and is generally used for stays under 90 days; the issued visa controls the actual permission.

Can a caregiver travel with the patient?

A caregiver or family member may need their own filing and relationship evidence. Confirm the current checklist with the mission.

What if treatment will take longer than 90 days?

Ask the Korean embassy or immigration office about the appropriate longer-term status before travelling.

Official source and verification

Last verified: 2026-08-19

Open the official source

Visa rules can change without notice. If a field above says “Check with the embassy” or “Check with Immigration,” treat that as an intentional unknown and confirm it before booking.

Need help organizing the next step?

We can help you turn the official checklist into a clear administrative question list. We cannot guarantee approval or provide medical advice.

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Medical disclaimer

The information on this page is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Medvoyal does not endorse any specific hospital, clinic, physician, or treatment.