Expat Family Hospitals in Korea: Why You Need a Referral Letter, Plus International Clinic Phone Numbers
Bottom line: Walk into a tertiary hospital like Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) for outpatient care without a referral letter from a primary clinic, and National Health Insurance won't cover that visit — you pay the full bill yourself. When an expat family needs a doctor for the first time, booking through an English-speaking international clinic from the start saves money.
If you didn't know: The legal patient co-pay for outpatient care at a tertiary hospital is 60% (as of April 2026). Without a referral letter from a primary-care clinic, that 60% rate disappears entirely and you're charged 100% of the insurance-schedule price — in other words, no insurance benefit at all. Submitting the referral letter afterward doesn't apply retroactively to the visit you already paid for.
Seoul National University Hospital International Healthcare Center (Jongno-gu, Seoul) · Booking phone 02-2072-2890 / 02-2072-0505 (from abroad +82-2-2072-2890) · 24-hour emergency consultation 0130-484-0505 · Email ihs@snuh.org · Consultation hours weekdays 9:00–17:30, Saturday 9:00–13:00; clinic hours weekdays 9:00–15:30, Saturday 9:00–11:30 (closed public holidays) · Walking in without an appointment means waiting or being rebooked for another day.
SNUH's official guidance says the International Healthcare Center takes bookings online, by phone, email, or fax, and that insured patients need a referral letter at booking. Both SNUH and Hanyang University Hospital's official pages state that without this letter you can still be treated, but you pay 100% of the insurance-schedule price yourself, and that rate doesn't apply retroactively once you submit the letter later. As of April 2026, the statutory outpatient co-pay schedule is 30% at clinics, 40% at hospitals, 50% at general hospitals, and 60% at tertiary hospitals like SNUH — and that 60% only applies with a valid referral. The official page does not mention any extra fee specific to using the International Healthcare Center itself, beyond the treatment cost. This was checked on Seoul National University Hospital's official International Healthcare Center page on 2026-11-03.
This article summarizes official guidance and is not legal, medical, or financial advice.
Journey stage: Skip the referral letter and you'll pay the full, uninsured rate at your next tertiary-hospital visit too · Verified 2026-11-03
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