Whether you need a pre-employment medical check (채용신체검사서) depends on who hires you and which visa you hold. A hagwon (학원) that hires you to teach a foreign language must collect one before it hires you. The paper has to be issued within one month of your hiring date and include a drug test. E-2 holders also attach one when they register as a foreign resident. The exception is a teacher selected by the Ministry of Education or a provincial education office for an elementary or secondary school.
For other employers, no law sets this paper as a general requirement. Two rules do require it: the Hagwon Act and Annex 5-2 of the Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act. This guide follows both rules, explains each box on the official form, and shows the fee cap set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Who has to submit a pre-employment medical check
Rules verified October 2026 · Hagwon Act Article 13-2 · Enforcement Rule of the Immigration Act, Annex 5-2
The two rules work separately. The Hagwon Act puts the duty on the hagwon: it must receive and check your documents before it hires you. The immigration annex puts the duty on you: you attach the paper to your own application.
| Situation | Rule | Pre-employment medical check |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching a foreign language at a hagwon (학원) | Hagwon Act, Article 13-2 | Required. Issued within one month, with cannabis and drug test results |
| Foreign resident registration on E-2 (회화지도) | Annex 5-2 | Required. From a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice, with drug test results |
| E-2 teacher selected by the Ministry of Education or an education office for an elementary or secondary school | Annex 5-2 | Not required at registration |
| Changing to E-2, or adding E-2 teaching as an extra activity, for any other institution | Annex 5-2 | Required |
| Foreign resident registration on D-3 (기술연수) | Annex 5-2 | Required |
| Foreign resident registration on E-6 (예술흥행) | Annex 5-2 | Required only for performers at hotel facilities, entertainment establishments and similar venues |
| Any other employer | No general rule | Not set by law |
The third row decides a lot of cases. It covers teachers selected through the Ministry of Education or an education office to teach at an elementary or secondary school. For them, the E-2 rows of the annex do not list this paper at registration or at any other step.
Under Article 23 of the Hagwon Act, a hagwon that hires a foreign instructor without this check faces a fine of up to 3 million KRW. The fine falls on the hagwon, not on you.
Which paper each work visa submits at registration
The immigration annex does not use one paper for every work visa. It names three different documents, and Hi Korea publishes a form for each of them.
| Visa | Paper | Korean name |
|---|---|---|
| D-3 Industrial trainee | Pre-employment medical check | 채용신체검사서 |
| E-2 Foreign language instructor | Pre-employment medical check with drug test results | 채용신체검사서 |
| E-6 Arts and entertainment (performers at hotel and entertainment venues) | Pre-employment medical check | 채용신체검사서 |
| E-8 Seasonal worker | Drug test confirmation | 마약검사확인서 |
| E-9 Non-professional employment | Drug test confirmation | 마약검사확인서 |
| E-10 Crew employment | Health certificate and drug test confirmation | 건강진단서 · 마약검사확인서 |
| H-2 Work and visit | Health certificate | 건강진단서 |
Find the row for your own visa before you book anything. An E-9 worker who follows an E-2 guide ends up asking the hospital for the wrong paper. Hi Korea’s guide also makes a tuberculosis test part of the D-3, E-2, E-6, E-10 and H-2 checks.
What the check covers
Hi Korea publishes the form used for E-2. The top line carries the hospital’s Ministry of Justice designation number (채용신체검사의료기관지정 번호). A 3 cm by 4 cm photo box sits beside your name. The examination boxes fall into five groups.
| Group | Korean boxes | What they record |
|---|---|---|
| Measurements | 신장 · 체중 · 흉위 · 혈압 | Height, weight, chest circumference, blood pressure |
| Eyes and ears | (교정)시력 · 색신(색각) · (교정)청력 · 안질환 · 이비인후질환 | Vision and hearing (with correction), color vision, eye disease, ear, nose and throat disease |
| Body systems | 치아 · 호흡기 · 간 · 신경 · 소화기 · 피부 · 순환기 · 정신 · 비뇨기 질환 | Teeth and nine body systems, including mental health |
| Lab tests | 혈청검사(매독) · 흉부X선 검사(결핵) | Blood test for syphilis, chest X-ray for tuberculosis |
| Drug test | 마약검사: 필로폰 · 코카인 · 아편 · 대마 · 기타 | Methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates, cannabis, and other |
The result box has three outcomes: pass (합격), fail (불합격) and decision on hold (판정보류). A hold comes with a box for the reason and for whether a closer examination is needed.
The drug test method is set by Ministry of Justice Notice No. 2017-116. The first test uses a diagnostic reagent approved by the food and drug authority. A positive result goes on to a confirmation test with equipment such as GC-MS. The hagwon rule adds one more condition. The paper must not record a fail for a positive drug test or for a risk to public health.
When the paper has to be dated
Rules verified October 2026 · Hagwon Act Enforcement Rule Article 10-2 · Immigration Act Article 31
The two rules set different deadlines.
An examination taken months ahead does not help a hagwon hire. The paper has to fall inside the one-month window.
Where to take it and what it costs
Fee cap verified October 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2021-34
The immigration annex requires a hospital designated by the Minister of Justice. Hi Korea publishes that list in its notice on designated hospitals. The list dated 30 September 2026 names 1,125 institutions, including 242 in Seoul and 351 in Gyeonggi. Hi Korea adds two instructions: examination items differ by hospital, so call before you visit, and hand in the paper in its sealed envelope.
The hagwon rule words its requirement in its own way: a medical institution designated by the Minister of Education in consultation with the Minister of Justice.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare caps what a hospital may charge for this certificate. For most certificates the cap covers the paper only. For a pre-employment medical certificate, it also covers the basic tests, but not the drug test.
| Item | Cap | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-employment medical certificate for hiring a worker (채용신체검사서) | 30,000 KRW | Body measurements, general blood test, urine test and chest X-ray |
| Drug test and tests for specific conditions | Not covered by the cap | Excluded from the 30,000 KRW cap |
| Copy of a certificate (제증명서 사본) | 1,000 KRW | Extra copies issued at the same time count as copies |
So the cap is not your total. Ask for the drug test price when you call.
How to get it, step by step
Step 1 — Pick a hospital from the designated list
Open the Hi Korea notice on designated hospitals. The list is sorted by province, then by address, with a phone number for each hospital.
Step 2 — Call and name your visa
Items differ by hospital, so confirm that the hospital issues the paper for your visa. Hi Korea uses a different form for E-2, for E-8, E-9 and E-10, and for H-2.
Step 3 — Take the examination
The examination covers the five groups on the form, from measurements to the drug test. A positive first drug test goes on to a confirmation test.
Step 4 — Collect the sealed paper and any copies
Collect the certificate in its sealed envelope. Ask for every copy you need at the same visit. Each one is capped at 1,000 KRW.
Step 5 — Hand it in
Give one to the hagwon inside its one-month window. Attach one to your foreign resident registration at the immigration office, still sealed.
What other employers are required to do
Outside hagwons and the visa categories above, no law requires a pre-employment medical check from every new worker. One rule comes close. Article 130 (2) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires a pre-placement health examination (배치전건강진단). It applies to workers who will be placed in work with harmful agents listed by ministerial ordinance. The employer arranges it at a designated special health examination institution.
Food work uses a different paper: the health certificate (보건증) under the Food Sanitation Act.
If an employer asks for a health paper without naming the form, ask which one it wants. The papers on this page and the food health certificate are separate documents.
What to say at the counter
A hospital reception desk runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.