Korea's medical tourism visa (C-3-3) is linked to a formal accreditation system for 'medical tourism facilitators' (외국인 환자 유치기관). Not all hospitals and agencies that serve foreign patients have equal immigration standing — accredited 'outstanding facilitators' can sponsor visa issuance confirmations for their patients online, and their patients receive simplified documentation requirements. This guide explains how the facilitator system works from both the patient and operator perspective.
Foreign patients coming to Korea for medical treatment can enter under C-3-3 through two pathways depending on who is inviting them:
Standard facilitator: Any medical institution or facilitator agency registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) as a foreign patient recruitment organization can sponsor a C-3-3 visa. However, standard facilitators must submit full financial documentation for their patients.
Outstanding facilitator (우수 유치기관): A subset of registered facilitators who have received a Ministry of Justice 'outstanding facilitator' designation. Outstanding facilitators are identified through an annual review committee held every September–October. Their patients receive a key benefit: financial proof documents are waived. This significantly simplifies the patient's visa application.
If your Korean medical provider is an accredited outstanding facilitator:
When evaluating Korean medical providers, asking whether they hold outstanding facilitator designation is a practical question that affects your visa experience.
C-3-3 visa stay periods depend on your treatment duration:
Short treatment (under 90 days):
Long-term treatment (90 days or more):
For the 22 designated high-risk countries (including China, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, and Peru): only single-entry or double-entry visas are issued for C-3-3, regardless of treatment duration under the short-stay tier.
Foreign patients may bring companions for care and support. As of the December 2025 update to the visa manual, eligible companions include:
Companions receive the same visa type and stay period as the patient. A separate family relationship proof document is required for spouses and direct family (marriage certificate or family register). For siblings and designated caregivers, appropriate relationship documentation applies.
For patients using a standard (non-outstanding) facilitator:
For patients through an outstanding facilitator: items 4 above (financial documents) are waived. All other documents remain required.
Two-step verification:
Step 1 — Ministry of Health and Welfare registration: Check the Korea Medical Tourism website (www.visitmedicalkorea.com) or the Ministry of Health and Welfare's foreign patient facilitator registry. Registration is required to legally recruit foreign patients.
Step 2 — Ministry of Justice outstanding designation: Contact the hospital or agency directly and ask if they hold the Ministry of Justice 'outstanding facilitator' (우수 유치기관) designation. This designation is reviewed annually. You can also ask them to show you the designation certificate (valid for the current designation year).
Using a non-registered agency to arrange medical care in Korea means your C-3-3 visa cannot be sponsored through them — you would need to apply through a different route (e.g., general short-stay C-3 with medical documentation, or through the hospital directly if it has its own registration).
Need help with this?
Our specialists handle korea medical tourism: how the accredited facilitator system works cases regularly and know exactly what Korean immigration officers look for.
Find a SpecialistI'm coming to Korea for cosmetic surgery. Which visa do I need?
Cosmetic surgery qualifies as medical treatment under the C-3-3 medical tourism visa. Your Korean clinic or their associated facilitator agency can sponsor your C-3-3 Visa Issuance Confirmation. If the clinic does not have facilitator registration, ask them to connect you with a registered facilitator partner.
My treatment is expected to take 6 months. How does my visa work?
For treatment expected to exceed 90 days, you will receive a G-1 (Other Humanitarian) visa with up to 1-year stay period, rather than a C-3 short-stay. The G-1 medical patient subtype (G-1-10) covers this situation. Your Korean hospital or facilitator will apply for the appropriate CVI designating G-1 status.
Can my friend (not a family member) accompany me as a caregiver?
Yes, as of the December 2025 update to the visa manual, designated caregivers who are not family members can accompany foreign patients under C-3-3. Your Korean facilitator needs to list them on the CVI application with appropriate documentation of the caregiving role.
I'm a clinic administrator. How do we get the outstanding facilitator designation?
Your clinic must first be registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a foreign patient recruitment institution. After demonstrating a track record of legitimate foreign patient recruitment and visa compliance, apply for the outstanding facilitator review during the September–October annual evaluation period. The Ministry of Justice's immigration division runs the evaluation committee. Criteria include volume of legitimate foreign patients, visa compliance record, and quality of services provided.