A guide to treatment in South Korea in 2025

Compared to the previous few years, the number of people who went to Korea for medical treatment has increased.

The geopolitical situation has changed somewhat, but many have realized that postponing planned trips is no longer worth it.

By the beginning of 2025 We note the growth of customers who travel for the purpose of recovery and health check. Many people have not been through the usual Check-up for several years and this year decided to visit South Korea for this purpose.

So what do you need to go to Korea for medical treatment in 2025?

• 1/ Determine the purpose of the trip – whether it will be an examination or whether you need specific treatment.
• 2/ Decide if you will do everything yourself or if you will need help organizing a trip.

            If you decide to go yourself, then be prepared to figure out all the pitfalls of Korean medicine yourself, the logistics that are difficult in the current conditions, and also be prepared to be that payments with Russian cards are almost impossible and you will need to solve this issue yourself.

            In order for the trip to go as smoothly as possible, I recommend choosing a medical tourism operator for organizing the trip, which will help solve all the above issues, especially since it will practically not affect your total expenses, and in some cases it will even help you save money.

• 3/ Choose a clinic from more than a hundred ready to receive you and prepare a plan for doctors' appointments and examinations.

In 2024 in the South  A strike of doctors (more precisely, residents) broke out in Korea, this situation greatly affected the timing of acceptance and passage of all examinations and treatment.  The strike continues in 2025. 

Therefore, the usual way of choosing a clinic has already stopped working and additional criteria have appeared, such as directions "on the foot", optimal travel times, and planning periods.

The staff of our service (Hospitals-travel.tu) always knows the current situation in almost every clinic and if you are limited in dates, they will help you choose the best option in your case.

• 4/ Choose a flight route.

There are no direct flights from Russia to South Korea in 2025, so the logistics are most optimal via China.

From most cities of the Far Eastern region and Siberia, Moscow, there are direct flights to the main transit cities of China (Beijing, Shanghai), as well as other smaller cities (Harbin, Dalian), but also having the opportunity to pick up connecting flights to the country of morning freshness.

The number of transit flights in 2025 has increased compared to last year.  And their cost has become more pleasant.

So in April 2025, we can arrange a very convenient round-trip flight from Vladivostok to Seoul, including luggage, with a 3-7-hour connection in Beijing costing less than 25,000 (twenty-five thousand).  rubles'.

We have already sent a huge number of people through almost all possible airports in China, and we can prompt and warn you about those points that are important to know before traveling so as not to encounter transit problems.

During transit, China has also improved conditions, now traveling through China to a third country, you can stay in this country for up to 10 days without obtaining a visa.

We can use other countries for transit, so from Ulan-Ude or Irkutsk, our patients fly to South Korea for treatment with a connection in Ulaanbaatar. 

And patients from Kazakhstan and Mongolia can use direct flights.

• 5/ Prepare all documents for crossing the border.

Previously visa-free South Korea now requires a KETA (electronic entry permit).

For Russians, the period of stay in the country under this permit is possible for 60 days, and for residents of Kazakhstan for 30 days.. There is also the possibility of an extension for another 1 month, but for this you need to cross the border (that is, leave for 1-2 days). And you can use the next 60 days again only 180 days after the first arrival date.

The K-ETA is issued mainly for 3 years, but sometimes, when, for example, the passport dates do not allow it, it is issued before the passport expiration date. 

We also recommend that you make sure that you have confirmation of appointments or an invitation from the hospital, so that the border guard understands the purpose of your visit to the country and you can cross the border without unnecessary questions.

The purchase of return tickets and even, in some cases, a visa to China is a necessity for crossing the border.

If you need information support in these matters, our staff will come to your aid.

• 6/ Plan your stay in the country (transfer, hotel, translator).

There are also some surprises here, some of the booking systems have stopped working, for Russians, some work, but require prepayment with cards issued outside the Russian Federation.

We have a large number of partners in South Korea who help to resolve these issues at very pleasant prices.

• 7/ Decide how to pay for treatment and make purchases.

This is one of the most pressing issues.  Often, the amount that can be spent in cash is equivalent to 10,000 (ten thousand) dollars per person, which is not always enough to receive full treatment.

Throughout 2024, our patients used plastic cards with the union pay payment system, but by the end of the year, this system had practically stopped working.

Once again, we are looking for ways to help our patients pay for treatment. But since we have branches and representative offices abroad, we can most often help in this matter.

PS : The difficulties of medical treatment trips to Korea in 2025 Of course, this stops some people, but often making a decision in favor of a trip is vital and the only right one.

Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

The service team Hospitals-Travel.ru