Itemized receipts: what the rules say and do not say

Cosmetic-purpose surgery and the treatment of its after-effects are not covered by Korean national health insurance (NHI), so the clinic sets the price. The receipt rules we found are written for NHI members. For them, the clinic must issue a 진료비 계산서·영수증 (medical bill and receipt) and, on request, an itemized breakdown (세부산정내역, sebu sanjeong naeyeok). The breakdown shows the unit price, the count and the total for each covered and non-covered item.

We found no rule that explicitly gives tourists outside NHI the same itemized receipt. Registered institutions do have to give a foreign patient a treatment contract with the estimated fees. That is an estimate before treatment, not a receipt. So ask for an itemized receipt when you pay.

An itemized receipt helps you compare clinics and check the bill. Ask that it lists each item, the amount (areas, units, cc or shots), the price, VAT and the date.

Your records

View and copy. A patient may ask to view, or to get copies of, all or part of their own medical records. This includes amended entries and the original entries. The clinic may not refuse without just cause (Medical Service Act art. 21(1)).
A representative can collect them. A person you name can get your records if they bring your written consent and proof that they may act for you (art. 21(3)).
Certificates. A doctor who examined you may not refuse, without just cause, to issue a diagnosis certificate or another certificate (art. 17(3)).
Language. The law gives you a right to copies. It does not say the copies come in English. The official fee table lists an English general diagnosis certificate, written by the doctor in English. Ask the clinic before treatment what it can provide in English and at what price.
Retention. How long a clinic must keep records is set in other rules. We did not check it, so ask for copies before you go home.

Certificate fees and caps

The Ministry of Health and Welfare publishes a table of certificate items and the highest fee a clinic may charge for each (Notice 2021-34). Clinics must post the certificate fees they charge (Medical Service Act art. 45(2)). The caps work like this:

A clinic sets its fee between zero and the cap. The caps do not include consultation or test fees.
General diagnosis certificate: the English version has the same cap as the Korean version.
Simple confirmations: the outpatient confirmation (통원확인서), the treatment confirmation (진료확인서) and the admission or discharge confirmation have a much lower cap.
Copies of records: capped per page, with a lower cap per page from the sixth page. Copies of images on film, CD or DVD have their own caps, and a re-issued copy of a certificate has its own low cap.
Other names and formats: a certificate with another name or format than those in the table, for example an insurer's own claim form, is priced by the clinic. A "소견서" (doctor's opinion letter) is not among the items we found in the table either, so the clinic presumably sets that price. Ask the price in advance.

We left the amounts out of this page because the Ministry reviews the table on a three-year cycle. The amounts are in the notice on law.go.kr.

Papers for your insurer and your doctor at home

Your insurer decides what it accepts. Ask your insurer before you travel which documents it needs. Whether a policy pays for cosmetic procedures, or for their complications, depends on the policy.
Records for your own doctor. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises medical tourists to get copies of all records from the treating facility before returning home, to request them in English, and to share them with clinicians at home.
Product details. Ask the clinic to list the products used and how much: the toxin or filler brand, units or cc, and the device, tip and shots. This helps a doctor at home. See how Korean clinics quote prices.

Checklist before you leave the clinic

An itemized receipt with the date, the clinic's name, each item, the amount, the price, VAT and the payment method.
A copy of the signed treatment contract, the estimated fees and any consent forms.
The certificates you need, with the language and the price confirmed beforehand.
Copies of your records, in English if the clinic can provide them.
A written list of the products and amounts used.
If someone else will collect documents for you: your written consent and proof of their authority.

FAQ

Can I get an itemized receipt from a Korean clinic?

Ask for one when you pay. For members of Korean national health insurance, clinics must issue a bill and receipt and, on request, an itemized breakdown with unit price, count and total per item. We found no rule that explicitly gives the same right to tourists outside insurance, so request it at the desk and check that it lists each item and the VAT.

Can I get copies of my medical records from a Korean clinic?

Yes. The Medical Service Act lets a patient ask to view, or to get copies of, all or part of their own records, and a clinic may not refuse without just cause. The law does not say copies come in English, so ask what the clinic can provide in English and at what price. Ask before you go home.

How much do medical certificates cost in Korea?

Each clinic sets its fee from zero up to a cap that the Ministry of Health and Welfare publishes for each certificate type, and clinics must post their certificate fees. A certificate in another name or format, such as an insurer's own claim form, is priced by the clinic. Ask the price in advance. The caps are in the Ministry's notice on law.go.kr.

Can I get a diagnosis certificate in English?

The official fee table includes a general diagnosis certificate that the doctor writes in English, with the same cap as the Korean version. A doctor who examined you may not refuse to issue a certificate without just cause. Ask the clinic whether it issues English certificates, what it charges and how long it takes.

Can someone else collect my records for me?

Yes. A representative you name can obtain your records if they bring your written consent and proof that they may act for you, under article 21 of the Medical Service Act. Agree the paperwork with the clinic before you leave, and ask which documents it wants to see.

Sources

Statutes and notices were read on law.go.kr on 29 October 2026. The fee-cap notice is reviewed every three years, so confirm the current table on the official site.

Receipts and medical records at Korean clinics: what to ask for