Korea expands fast-track visas to spread medical tourism beyond Seoul

Korea is expanding certified medical tourism facilitators to 112 agencies from Oct. 1 to spread the benefits of foreign patient spending beyond Seoul. The Ministry of Justice added 22 institutions to its Outstanding Facilitator for Foreign Patients program. The move follows a record 2.01 million foreign patient visits in 2025, which generated an estimated 22.8 trillion won in economic impact.

The expanded program will include 89 medical facilities and 23 private agencies with official approval.

Nonmetropolitan representation increased from 14 to 22 after evaluation criteria were revised and regional bonus points were added.

Medical visas issued through certified channels rose 40 percent year-on-year to 9,804 between October 2025 and August 2026.

Certified agencies made up 1.6 percent of the 6,698 registered medical tourism providers but accounted for about 310,000 foreign patients, or 15 percent of the national total.

The new designations will remain valid for one year through Sept. 30, 2027.

Published Sep 21, 2026 3:43 pm KST

Korea is expanding its roster of government-certified medical tourism facilitators to 112 agencies starting Oct. 1, seeking to channel a record-breaking surge in foreign patient visits into regional economies beyond the capital.

The Ministry of Justice said Monday that it added 22 institutions to its "Outstanding Facilitator for Foreign Patients" program, reflecting a concerted effort to broaden the economic benefits of K-medical tourism across the country.

The policy shift comes after foreign patient visits to Korea topped 2 million for the first time in 2025, according to the Industrial Research Institute. Those 2.01 million medical tourists generated an estimated 22.8 trillion won ($17 billion) in total economic impact. On average, medical visitors spent 6.73 million won per trip, compared to 2.57 million won spent by conventional tourists.

Under the expanded program, 89 medical facilities and 23 private agencies hold the official seal of approval. While 90 of these entities remain in the greater Seoul area, the government boosted nonmetropolitan representation from 14 to 22 by revising evaluation criteria to lower performance thresholds for provincial institutions and granting regional bonus points.

"By expanding certified facilitators, we aim to increase high-value medical tourists whose spending extends from treatment to lodging and retail," said acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo. "We will actively develop visa policies that spread the economic dividends of medical tourism into provincial areas to support balanced national development."

Certified institutions enjoy major administrative perks, including three-day electronic visa processing, financial documentation waivers for patients and broader visa eligibility for accompanying caregivers. Between October 2025 and August 2026, medical visas (C-3-3) issued through certified channels jumped 40 percent year-on-year to 9,804.

Although certified agencies represent just 1.6 percent of the nation's 6,698 registered medical tourism providers, they accounted for roughly 310,000 foreign patients — or 15 percent of the national total.

Dermatology and plastic surgery clinics dominate the list among specialty practices, driven by global demand for K-beauty procedures. However, provincial general hospitals and specialized clinics in regions like Busan, Daegu and South Jeolla Province are poised to capture a larger share of visitors under the updated program.

The new designations will remain valid for one year, through Sept. 30, 2027.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

韩国自10月1日起将认证医疗旅游服务机构数量扩大至112家，旨在将外国患者在韩国的医疗消费惠及首尔以外的地区。司法部在其“外国患者优秀服务机构”项目中新增了22家机构。此举是基于2025年韩国外国患者就诊量预计将达到创纪录的201万人次，并有望带来22.8万亿韩元的经济效益。

扩大后的计划将包括 89 家医疗机构和 23 家获得官方批准的私人机构。

在评估标准修订并增加区域加分后，非都市地区的代表人数从 14 人增加到 22 人。

2025 年 10 月至 2026 年 8 月期间，通过认证渠道签发的医疗签证数量同比增长 40%，达到 9,804 个。

获得认证的机构占 6,698 家注册医疗旅游服务机构的 1.6%，但接待的外国患者约有 31 万，占全国总数的 15%。

新的称号有效期为一年，至 2027 年 9 月 30 日止。

发布于2026年9月21日下午3:43（韩国标准时间）

从 10 月 1 日起，韩国将政府认证的医疗旅游服务机构数量扩大到 112 家，旨在引导创纪录的外国患者就诊量向首都以外的地区经济体转移。

韩国司法部周一表示，已将 22 家机构纳入其“外国患者优秀服务机构”计划，这反映出韩国为扩大韩国医疗旅游在全国范围内的经济效益而做出的共同努力。

据韩国产业技术综合研究所预测，2025年赴韩就医的外国患者人数将首次突破200万，此后韩国政府出台了新的政策。这201万医疗游客预计将为韩国带来22.8万亿韩元（约合170亿美元）的经济效益。医疗游客平均每次就医消费673万韩元，而普通游客的平均消费为257万韩元。

在扩大后的计划下，共有89家医疗机构和23家私营机构获得了官方认可。虽然其中90家仍位于首尔都市圈，但政府通过修改评估标准，降低了省级机构的绩效门槛并给予地区加分，将非首尔地区的机构数量从14家增加到22家。

“通过扩大认证医疗旅游服务机构的数量，我们旨在吸引更多高价值医疗游客，他们的消费涵盖治疗、住宿和购物等各个方面，”法务部代部长李镇洙表示，“我们将积极制定签证政策，将医疗旅游的经济效益惠及地方各省，以支持国家均衡发展。”

获得认证的机构享有诸多行政优势，包括三天内即可完成电子签证办理、患者无需提交财务文件以及陪同医护人员的签证申请资格范围更广。2025年10月至2026年8月期间，通过认证渠道签发的医疗签证（C-3-3）数量同比增长40%，达到9,804份。

尽管获得认证的机构仅占全国 6,698 家注册医疗旅游服务机构的 1.6%，但它们接待的外国患者约有 31 万，占全国总数的 15%。

受全球对韩式美容手术需求的推动，皮肤科和整形外科诊所在专科诊所中占据主导地位。然而，釜山、大邱和全罗南道等地区的省级综合医院和专科诊所有望在新规下吸引更多患者。

新的称号有效期为一年，至 2027 年 9 月 30 日止。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。