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.
Reviewed against
James Chae, 행정사 (Korean Licensed Administrative Attorney). License No. 220-06-06463 · 대한행정사회 (Korean Administrative Agents Association). Reviewed against the HiKorea 사증·체류업무 자격별 안내 매뉴얼 and cross-checked with Ministry of Justice issuances.
Last reviewed
April 22, 2026
Source references
Filing caution
Requirements can change by nationality, local immigration office, and filing channel. Confirm exact requirements with HiKorea, the responsible Korean consulate, or a licensed immigration specialist before filing.
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 with medical documentation, or through the hospital directly if it has its own registration).
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Status of Sojourn Change (체류자격 변경)
A status of sojourn change allows a foreigner already in South Korea to switch from one visa category to another without leaving the country — for example, from a D-2 student visa to an E-7 skilled worker visa upon graduation and employment.
I'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.
Written by James Chae — Co-Founder, Expert Sapiens
Platform expertise: Immigration consulting & visa services · Reviewed April 2026