Planning a trip to Korea for surgery or treatment — timeline, stay length and checklist

Most problems international patients run into in Korea are planning problems: a flight booked before the surgeon has confirmed the plan, a stay too short for stitch removal, or nobody to help after landing. This guide lays out a realistic timeline so the medical part goes smoothly.

The order that works

1. Consult first, then book flights. Use chat or a video consultation to confirm the procedure, the doctor, the price and the recommended stay. Only then book travel.
2. Fix the surgery date with the clinic. Confirm the date in the app and ask what to do in the week before (no alcohol, stop certain supplements, fasting time).
3. Book accommodation near the clinic. For the first days after surgery you will want a short taxi ride, not a long commute.
4. Arrive at least one day early. Pre-operative tests and the in-person consultation usually happen the day before or the morning of surgery.
5. Stay for the post-operative checks. Stitch removal and the first check-ups happen within the first one to two weeks.
6. Arrange follow-up after you return. Ask how the clinic handles remote follow-up questions and photos.

How long to stay, by procedure type

These are typical minimum stays clinics recommend; your surgeon may advise differently.

• Botox, fillers, skin boosters, laser treatments: 1–3 days. Same-day procedures, minimal downtime.
• Thread lift, non-incisional double eyelid, fat dissolving injections: 3–5 days.
• Incisional double eyelid, ptosis correction, epicanthoplasty: 7 days (stitches out around day 5–7).
• Rhinoplasty: 7–10 days (splint and stitches removed around day 7).
• Facelift, neck lift, forehead lift: 10–14 days.
• Breast augmentation, liposuction, fat grafting: 7–14 days depending on the extent.
• Facial contouring (jaw, cheekbone, chin), two-jaw surgery: 14 days or more; some clinics ask you to stay longer for swelling management and checks.
• Hair transplant: 3–5 days; scabs fall off around day 10 and you can travel earlier if the clinic agrees.
• LASIK / SMILE: 2–3 days; lens implantation about a week.
• Dental implants: two visits are common — placement, then the crown after the implant has healed for 3–6 months; some cases allow immediate loading.

Entry requirements

Requirements change, so check the official sources for your passport before you book. Depending on your nationality you may need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation, or you may be exempt. If you plan to stay longer for recovery or treatment, tell the clinic; some clinics can issue documents supporting a medical-purpose visit.

What to bring

• Passport, the clinic's booking confirmation in the app, and travel insurance details
• A list of medications, allergies and previous surgeries (the clinic will ask)
• Comfortable front-opening clothes, a hat and sunglasses for after facial surgery
• Enough cash or a card that works internationally; clinics quote in Korean won

Where to stay

Most cosmetic clinics are in Gangnam (Apgujeong, Sinsa, Cheongdam, Gangnam Station area) with others in Hongdae, Myeongdong and Jamsil. Hotels and serviced apartments within a few kilometres of your clinic make daily check-ups easy. Some clinics offer a recovery room for the first night after surgery under anaesthesia.

Getting around after surgery

Taxis are easy to hail with the Kakao T app and accept cards. Pharmacies are everywhere and most prescriptions from the clinic are filled next door. Keep the clinic's number and your coordinator's chat open in the app in case you need help.

Follow-up after you go home

Ask the clinic before you leave: which symptoms are normal, which need a message, and how to send photos for a remote check. Clinics on Mimi answer follow-up questions in the same chat thread with interpretation, so you are not left without contact once you land at home.