# Korea foreign-patient registration

> Registration identifies a defined recruitment activity and entity; KAHF is an additional assessment scheme.

Choose the credential and compare the source fields that identify the institution, scope and period.

Written by the Pyojiilgi Care Quality Study Group editorial team on October 29, 2026. Canonical address: https://accreditedhospitalguide.org/topics/foreign-patient-registration.

## What does foreign-patient registration concern?

It concerns the recruitment activity and applicants defined by the legislation.

Separate the treating medical institution from a recruitment business. Each has its own requirements and record, even when a brochure mentions them together.

**Credential, authority and scope**

| Credential | Body | Scope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Domestic accreditation | MOHW; delegated work by KOIHA | Quality and patient-safety standards |
| KAHF | MOHW / KHIDI / KOIHA | Foreign-patient service and patient-safety systems |
| Recruitment registration | Competent provincial or metropolitan governor | Registration requirements |
| JCI | Joint Commission International | Named program and listed facilities |

## Who counts for foreign-patient registration?

The definition includes insurance and resident conditions, not nationality alone.

Article 2 and the Enforcement Rule’s resident exceptions set the scope. Preserve the G-1 exception within the foreign-registration category.

## Who handles foreign-patient registration?

The entity registers with the competent provincial or metropolitan governor.

MedicalKorea supplies the information-system route. The registration authority and the portal operator have different roles in reading the record.

## What requirements apply to foreign-patient registration?

Medical institutions have specialist and liability-cover requirements with stated exceptions.

Recruitment businesses have separate guarantee-insurance, capital and office requirements. The required medical cover must continue during the registration term.

## How long is foreign-patient registration?

The ordinary term is three years, read with renewal and Article 14(5).

KAHF accreditation, conditional accreditation or reaccreditation can trigger deemed renewal. Its period-ceiling sentence must retain the conditional exception.

## How does KAHF relate to foreign-patient registration?

Eligible registered medical institutions apply for the foreign-patient service assessment.

Hospital-level applicants need domestic accreditation, including conditional accreditation, under the official explanation. KAHF does not follow automatically from registration.

## Where is foreign-patient registration checked?

Use MedicalKorea’s name or official business-number lookup and compare the entity category.

Read dates and changes in the appropriate registration record. Questions about an unclear entity or period can be directed to the competent authority with the document details.

**Fields to compare with an official record**

| Field | Question |
| --- | --- |
| Scheme and issuer | Which assessment or registration? |
| Name, type and location | Which institution or facility? |
| Grade or decision | What result is stated? |
| Stated period and checking date | Which period and observation? |

## What else do people ask about foreign-patient registration?

### What does foreign-patient registration concern?

It concerns the recruitment activity and applicants defined by the legislation.

### Who counts for foreign-patient registration?

The definition includes insurance and resident conditions, not nationality alone.

### Who handles foreign-patient registration?

The entity registers with the competent provincial or metropolitan governor.

### What requirements apply to foreign-patient registration?

Medical institutions have specialist and liability-cover requirements with stated exceptions.

### How long is foreign-patient registration?

The ordinary term is three years, read with renewal and Article 14(5).

## Where do these numbers come from?

- [Legislation on overseas healthcare and foreign-patient recruitment](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsInfoP.do?lsiSeq=279693) - National Law Information Center
- [Enforcement Rule on foreign-patient recruitment](https://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsInfoP.do?lsiSeq=286197) - National Law Information Center
- [Foreign-patient recruitment registration](https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/korp/intro/registration.do) - Korea Health Industry Development Institute
- [KAHF evaluation and accreditation](https://www.koiha.or.kr/web/kr/assessment/accKahfStatus.do) - Korea Institute for Healthcare Accreditation