Korea’s easing its immigration rules to welcome more medical tourists
Korea is setting its sights on streamlining immigration processes to welcome a growing number of global patients seeking medical treatments and cosmetic procedures.
The past year saw a 70% increase in medical tourists, with 248,000 visitors compared to 146,000 the previous year, as pandemic restrictions eased worldwide.
Prior to the pandemic in 2019, a staggering 497,000 medical tourists traveled to Korea.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare has ambitious plans to increase this number by 26% annually, aiming to reach 700,000 medical tourists by 2027.
To achieve this, the government will authorize over 50 medical institutions to apply for e-visas for patients, up from the current 27.
Additionally, the government will broaden the definition of guardians for international patients to include siblings, as opposed to only recognizing spouses or parents as guardians or protectors.
The government is also exploring ways to combine medical tourism with the burgeoning wellness tourism industry.
