Medical certificate (English & Korean) cost in Korea
In Korean: 진단서 · 영문진단서 (jindanseo · yeongmun jindanseo)
For medical certificates, English medical certificate has a median price of ₩20,000 at Korean hospitals (about US$15). That is the middle of the prices reported by 2,071 hospitals, 352 of them in Seoul, to HIRA, the government’s Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, as of 23 October 2026.
Median
₩20,000
US$15
Average
₩19,599
US$15
Lowest
₩5,000
US$3.77
Highest
₩100,000
US$75
Median: half of hospitals charge less, half more. Lowest and highest are single hospitals and can include unusual cases.
Medical certificate (English & Korean) prices by type
| Type | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English medical certificate영문진단서 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,599 | ₩5,000 – ₩100,000 | 2071 |
| Medical certificate (Korean, general)진단서 (일반) | ₩20,000 | ₩17,362 | ₩0 – ₩150,000 | 3902 |
| Health certificate (Korean)진단서 (건강) | ₩20,000 | ₩18,576 | ₩0 – ₩60,000 | 1882 |
| Injury certificate — under 3 weeks to heal상해진단서 (3주 미만) | ₩100,000 | ₩92,189 | ₩1,000 – ₩150,000 | 2341 |
| Injury certificate — 3 weeks or more상해진단서 (3주 이상) | ₩150,000 | ₩142,055 | ₩50,000 – ₩200,000 | 2251 |
Hospitals: how many hospitals reported a price for that type. Prices as reported.
English medical certificate by kind of hospital
| Kind of hospital | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tertiary (university) hospitals상급종합 | ₩20,000 | ₩20,000 | ₩20,000 – ₩20,000 | 44 |
| General hospitals종합병원 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,779 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 315 |
| Hospitals병원 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,748 | ₩5,000 – ₩40,000 | 1007 |
| Dental hospitals치과병원 | ₩20,000 | ₩20,238 | ₩10,000 – ₩100,000 | 63 |
| Korean medicine hospitals한방병원 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,272 | ₩10,000 – ₩30,000 | 205 |
| Long-term care hospitals요양병원 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,012 | ₩10,000 – ₩50,000 | 339 |
University (tertiary) hospitals are the large teaching hospitals such as those of Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities. Small clinics (의원) are not in this data — see how to check a clinic’s price.
English medical certificate by region
| Region | Median | Average | Range | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul서울 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,812 | ₩5,000 – ₩100,000 | 352 |
| Gyeonggi경기 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,708 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 503 |
| Incheon인천 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,524 | ₩5,000 – ₩20,000 | 115 |
| Busan부산 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,032 | ₩5,000 – ₩20,000 | 193 |
| Daegu대구 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,429 | ₩5,000 – ₩20,000 | 110 |
| Daejeon대전 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,565 | ₩5,000 – ₩20,000 | 71 |
| Ulsan울산 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,545 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 48 |
| Sejong세종시 | ₩20,000 | ₩21,250 | ₩20,000 – ₩30,000 | 8 |
| Gangwon강원 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,818 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 56 |
| Chungbuk충북 | ₩20,000 | ₩20,300 | ₩15,000 – ₩40,000 | 51 |
| Chungnam충남 | ₩20,000 | ₩20,217 | ₩15,000 – ₩30,000 | 78 |
| Jeonbuk전북 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,609 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 66 |
| Jeonnam-Gwangju전남광주 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,302 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 173 |
| Gyeongbuk경북 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,485 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 73 |
| Gyeongnam경남 | ₩20,000 | ₩19,450 | ₩10,000 – ₩30,000 | 154 |
| Jeju제주 | ₩20,000 | ₩18,889 | ₩10,000 – ₩20,000 | 20 |
Regions with no reporting hospital are left out. Jeonnam-Gwangju is the merged Gwangju–South Jeolla region (since 1 July 2026).
What it is
A medical certificate (진단서, jindanseo) is a doctor’s written diagnosis, used for sick leave, insurance claims, school or court. Hospitals can issue it in English (영문진단서) — useful for travel insurance and employers abroad.
What the price includes
Prices are for one certificate. Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare sets a maximum fee for each type of certificate, which is why most hospitals charge the same amount.
Health insurance
Certificate fees are not covered by insurance, but some travel insurers refund them as part of a claim.
Ask at the hospital
영문진단서 발급 비용이 얼마예요?
How much is an English medical certificate? — yeongmun jindanseo balgeup biyongi eolmayeyo?
Questions
What is the legal maximum fee?
Under the Ministry’s fee rules (in force since 21 September 2017), a general medical certificate, a health certificate and an English medical certificate may cost up to ₩20,000 each, and an injury certificate up to ₩100,000 (under three weeks to heal) or ₩150,000 (three weeks or more).
Do I need a certificate for my insurance claim?
Not always. Many insurers accept a cheaper visit confirmation (통원확인서) plus receipts. See Documents for insurance claims, and ask your insurer what they accept before paying for a certificate.
About these numbers
- Source: HIRA non-covered medical fees open data (건강보험심사평가원 비급여진료비정보), items PDE010001, PDZ010000, PDZ010001, PDZ020001, PDZ020002, updated 23 October 2026.
- Covers hospitals (병원급: university, general, dental, Korean medicine and other hospitals). Small clinics (의원) report to HIRA too but are not in the open data; their prices can be lower or higher.
- Median, average, lowest and highest are HIRA’s own figures. Hospital counts are the number of hospitals listed for each item.
- US$ amounts are rough conversions at ₩1,326 = US$1 (22 Oct 2026). Your card or exchange rate will differ.
- Prices are what hospitals report, not quotes. Always ask the hospital for a written estimate.