A doctor’s perspective · English edition
Travelling with children: what should you prepare before one needs a doctor in Korea?
Most of the work is done at home, before anyone is unwell.
Dr. Seung Woo JangPhysician in Aesthetic Medicine5 min read · Sources includedReviewed by Dr. Kwang Yeon Kim and Dr. Seung Yeon Cha
The short answer
Travelling with children: what should you prepare before one needs a doctor in Korea?
Almost all of it is done at home. TravelHealthPro advises carrying medicines in hand luggage in their original labelled containers with a prescriber letter giving generic names, and packing extra for delays. A Korean embassy page describes personal-use medicines being allowed with proof such as a prescription, medical certificate or pharmacy label, up to six bottles or three months' supply, with controlled substances needing a permit from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before entry. The CDC advises planning where you would seek care and verifying that insurance covers a child's illness and injury abroad. The Korea Tourism Organization lists 119 for fire and medical emergencies, 1339 for infectious-disease emergencies and the 1330 travel hotline in several languages. Ask your child's prescriber to prepare the letter and a written summary before you fly.
Want to ask about this guide?
Send a message on WhatsApp. It opens with this guide’s title so the reply can start from it. Please don’t send medical records or photos.
Message on WhatsAppOpens WhatsApp. A message is not a medical consultation or diagnosis.
Before you fly: a plan for where to go.
The CDC advises families to plan where and how they would seek medical care while travelling, and to verify insurance coverage for illness and injury abroad before departure. Check the policy for your child specifically, and save the insurer's emergency number and your policy number in your phone.
Write a one-page health summary for each child: date of birth, ongoing conditions, allergies, regular medicines with generic names and doses, and a recent weight. A page you can hand over is easier than explaining all of this in a second language late at night.
CDC Yellow Book 2026Bringing your child's medicines.
The CDC advises carrying an adequate supply of medicines for children who take them for ongoing conditions. TravelHealthPro advises carrying medicines in hand luggage in their original labelled containers, with a letter from the prescriber listing generic names, and packing extra in case of delays.
Korea's rules, as published by a Korean embassy, allow medicines for personal use with proof such as a prescription, a medical certificate or a pharmacy label, up to six bottles or three months' supply. Medicines containing controlled substances need a permit from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before entry. Check with your child's prescriber whether any regular medicine falls into that group.
CDC Yellow Book 2026TravelHealthPro · UK National Travel Health Network and CentreEmbassy of the Republic of Korea in Denmark · Ministry of Foreign AffairsIn Korea: numbers and a caution about medicines.
The Korea Tourism Organization lists 119 for fire and medical emergencies, 1339 for infectious-disease emergencies, and the 1330 travel hotline, which answers in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian. It also notes that international health care centres at major hospitals are mostly open on weekdays, with limited or no weekend hours.
TravelHealthPro warns that medicines bought abroad may differ in strength or formulation even when the names look similar. Before giving your child anything bought in Korea, show the package and your child's health summary to the pharmacist or doctor, and ask them to write down the dose for your child.
Korea Tourism OrganizationTravelHealthPro · UK National Travel Health Network and CentreBefore travelling with a child
What travelers ask
The questions behind the search.
119 for fire and medical emergencies. The Korea Tourism Organization also lists 1339 for infectious-disease emergencies and 1330 for travel help in several languages.
Official guidancePersonal-use medicines are allowed with proof such as a prescription or pharmacy label, up to six bottles or three months' supply. Medicines with controlled substances need a permit before entry.
Official guidanceCheck first. Medicines bought abroad may differ in strength or formulation despite similar names. Ask a pharmacist or doctor to confirm the dose for your child.
Official guidanceCheck before you leave. The CDC advises verifying insurance coverage for illness and injury abroad before departure.
Official guidanceBring these with you
Questions to ask at your consultation
Pick the questions you want to raise, then save them or open them in text translation.
Want to ask about this guide?
Send a message on WhatsApp. It opens with this guide’s title so the reply can start from it. Please don’t send medical records or photos.
Message on WhatsAppOpens WhatsApp. A message is not a medical consultation or diagnosis.
Still unsure?
Ask this question in the community.
Other travelers and the DockieTalkie team read the board. Post your situation and link this guide.
Ask this questionMake room for understanding
Your questions. In your language.
Prepare for clinic and pharmacy conversations with DockieTalkie. Korean plus 10 other languages, with medical terminology built in.
This guide stays free to read. An account gives you access to the app.About the author
Dr. Seung Woo Jang
Physician in Aesthetic Medicine
A doctor’s perspective on what to understand and ask before choosing care in Korea.
Author profileSources & further reading
Checked September 18, 2026. Official sources describe rules and services as published; confirm current details with the provider before you rely on them.
- CDC Yellow Book 2026Traveling safely with infants and children Published 2025-12-08 · Carry an adequate supply of medicines for children with ongoing conditions; plan where and how to seek medical care while travelling; verify insurance coverage for illness and injury abroad before departure.
- Korea Tourism OrganizationEmergency situations 119 fire and medical emergencies; 1339 infectious-disease emergencies; 1330 travel hotline in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian; hospital international health care centres mostly open weekdays with limited or no weekend hours.
- TravelHealthPro · UK National Travel Health Network and CentreMedicines and travel Published 2025-10-24 · Carry medicines in hand luggage in original labelled containers, with a prescriber letter giving generic names; take extra for delays; check destination rules with its embassy; medicines bought abroad may differ in strength or formulation despite similar names.
- Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Denmark · Ministry of Foreign AffairsBringing medicines into Korea by travel Published 2023-08-31 · Proof of personal use (prescription, medical certificate or pharmacy label); up to 6 bottles or three months' supply; medicines containing controlled substances need an MFDS permit before entry, regardless of nationality.