E-2 Visa Medical Exam in Korea for Native English Teachers

Visa and Immigration Guide (7/15) | Embark Recruiting
Published Dec 4, 2025

Visa and Immigration Guide (7/15)

E-2 Visa Medical Examination Process


Teachers must also register with their local Office of Education within 15 days of their start date. Before registering with the immigration office, all teachers must complete a “Medical Examination” (Health Check) at a hospital designated by the Ministry of Justice. This examination is necessary for obtaining your Registration Card (RC) and for legally working as a teacher. We recommend booking your appointment in advance. Most hospitals allow you to make a reservation by filling out a form on their website or calling directly.

 

A list and pdf of the recommended E2 Health Check hospitals by Korean Immigration is attached at the end of this blog post. 
 

 Note: Make sure to request 2 official copies of your Medical Examination Results:
  • One for Immigration (Residence Card)
  • One for the Office of Education to report your job

 


Before Your Medical Exam


General Required Documents (check your specific hospital)

  • Original Passport (valid for at least 6 months, recommended 13 months)
  • 2 Official Passport-sized Photos (3.5 x 4.5 cm/See Photo Guide)


Exam Service fee: 70,000 ~ 200,000 KRW (varies by hospital)*
*The fee is typically paid by the teachers. Discuss with your school about payment/reimbursement.

 

Health & Exam Guidelines
  • Do not eat food or drink for 8-12 hours before the exam (fasting required)
  • Avoid greasy foods, alcohol, and excessive exercise for 2–3 days prior.
  • Avoid cold medicine or caffeine 1 week before the exam
  • Bring glasses/contacts if needed for vision tests

Medication Considerations

  • Certain prescription drugs may cause false positives in drug tests
  • Consult your doctor before coming if you take medications (e.g., antithrombotics, anticoagulants, diabetes medications).
  • Avoid certain medications (like Metformin for CT scans) as instructed
  • Diabetic medication and insulin should not be taken on the day of the exam

For women, avoid taking the exam during your menstrual cycle (if possible). Inform the hospital staff if you are pregnant or have any medical conditions.

 

 

E-2 Medical Examination


Exam Details:

  • Physical Examination: Mark Height/Weight/Blood Pressure, Vision & Hearing Tests
  • Chest X-ray: Check for tuberculosis or other lung conditions
  • Urine Test: Urinalysis and microscopy to assess kidney health (urinary tract health issues)
  • Blood Test: Hemoglobin, SGOT/SGPT (Liver Function Test), FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar), VDRL-qal. (Test for syphilis), HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)*
  • Drug Screening/Narcotics Test: Cocaine, Opiates, Cannabinoids, Methoxyphenamine
    • Although HIV screening has not been mandatory since 2017, it is still commonly tested.
Note: South Korea has zero tolerance for illegal drugs, including marijuana (THC).

Exam Duration: About 30 minutes to 2 hours (timing may vary)
Exam Results: Typically processed within 3–4 business days and provided in sealed envelopes. These must remain sealed.

 

Note: Do not open the sealed medical report; opening it may lead to rejection by immigration.

 


After Your Medical Exam


Please ask for two copies of the result: One for the immigration office and another for the Ministry of Education. It usually costs 1,000 KRW for an additional copy. You will be contacted by the hospital once your results are processed (within 3-4 business days). 

 

 

 

 

 

Hospitals List

 

We have provided the most recent list of government-designated hospitals from the Hi-Korea website. Please refer to the PDF attachment titled “Gov. Designated Hospitals_(2025.11.30.)” at the bottom of this article. 

 

The attachment is a list of hospitals throughout Korea that provide the E2 health checkup service. The list is in Korean, so please use a translator if needed.

 

지역: Region

의료기관명: Name of Hospital/Clinic

의료기관주소:  (Hospital/Clinic) Address

전화번호: Phone Number

 

 

Source: Hi Korea

 

E-2 Hospitals with 24-Hour Processing Time 

 

If you’re short on time and located in Seoul, these hospitals offer a one-day (within 24 hours) turnaround for your exam results.


1. Gayang St. Mary's Medical Center (가양성모내과의원)


Address: 4F, 3 Hwagok-ro 68-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (07548)
Number: 02-2668-5050

Cost: 70,000 KRW total (for 1 copy of the results). 3,000 KRW per extra copy. (2 copies of results = 73,000KRW)
Processing Time for Results: 1 day
Required Items: Passport, 1 passport-style photo per copy of results (2 copies = 2 photos)
Fasting Requirements: 8-hour fast is required.

Naver maps: https://naver.me/502MZ4Nu


2. Songpa Best Internal Medicine Clinic (송파베스트내과의원)
Address: 2F, Unit 208-212, Building C, 128 Beobwon-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul (05854)
Number: 02-6213-5200

Reservation: No reservation needed. Saturday health checkup possible, but the teacher will receive the result on Monday if he/she visit on the weekend.
Cost: 75,000 KRW + 1,000 KRW per extra copy of the result
Processing Time for Results: Next day. (Go in the morning, and can get results the next day morning)
Required Items: Passport, 2 passport-style photos 
Fasting Requirements: 8-hour fast is required

Naver maps: https://naver.me/FqWtL8aO

 

3. Seoul Samsung Internal Medicine (삼성내과의원 동대문)
Address: 4th Floor, Dapsimni Newtown County Avenue, 80 Sagajeong-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (02541)
Number: 02-2243-3338

Reservation: No reservation needed
Cost: 100,000 KRW
Processing Time for Results: Next day (Go in the morning. Can get results the next day). Same-day possible if the test is done right when the hospital opens, with 5,000KRW additional charge. 
Required Items: Passport, 2 passport-style photos  
Fasting Requirements: 8-hour fast is required (not even water). 

 

 

If you have more time, we also recommend that teachers visit large university hospitals (대학교병원), as they often have dedicated English-speaking staff or international clinics (국제진료센터). However, please keep in mind that the hospital fees may be higher. Since the E-2 medical exam is typically paid out of pocket, some teachers may prefer smaller hospitals.

 

 

Notable University Hospitals (Approved E-2 Visa Hospitals)


Severance Hospitals (Yonsei University)

  • Yongin Severance Hospital

  • Wonju Severance Christian Hospital

  • The Sinchon branch of this hospital also provides an E2 health check but it is over 200,000 KRW (which is very expensive).

 

Seoul National University Hospitals

  • Seoul National University Hospital (Main Branch)
  • SNU Bundang Hospital

 

Chung-Ang University Hospital

 

Hanyang University Hospitals

  • Hanyang University Medical Center (Seoul)
  • Hanyang University Guri Hospital

 

Catholic University of Korea Hospitals

  • Bucheon St. Mary’s Hospital
  • St. Vincent’s Hospital (Suwon)
  • Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital
  • Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital
  • Busan St. Mary's Hospital

 

 

 

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