In English, “medical certificate” can mean two different papers in Korea. One is the health certificate (보건증) for food workers. The other is the medical certificate (진단서) that a doctor writes after examining you. When you miss work or school because you are ill, you need the second one, or one of the smaller papers below.
A hospital can issue several papers after a visit. Some show your diagnosis, and some show only dates. This guide sorts them, gives the fee caps set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and shows what a company and a school accept.
Which paper shows your diagnosis
The papers fall into two groups. A doctor writes the first group. The hospital office issues the second group from its records, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare defines each one by what it records.
| Paper | Korean name | Shows the diagnosis | Issued by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate | 진단서 | Yes. The law requires the disease name and code | The doctor who examined you |
| Doctor’s opinion letter | 소견서 | Only if the doctor includes it | The doctor |
| Treatment confirmation | 진료확인서 | No. Personal details and a specific treatment, such as a test or medicine | Hospital office |
| Outpatient visit confirmation | 통원확인서 | No. Personal details and visit dates | Hospital office |
| Admission and discharge confirmation | 입퇴원확인서 | No. Personal details and hospital stay dates | Hospital office |
A confirmation proves that you came on those dates. It does not say what illness you had. If the paper has to show the illness, ask the doctor for a medical certificate, or for an opinion letter that states the diagnosis.
What a medical certificate must include
The content of a medical certificate is fixed by law. Article 9 of the Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act sets the items, and Form 5-2 (별지 제5호의2서식) sets the layout. These are the boxes on that form.
| Korean box | What it records |
|---|---|
| 환자의 성명 · 주민등록번호 · 주소 | Your name, registration number and address |
| 병명 — 임상적 추정 / 최종 진단 | The disease name, marked as a clinical estimate or a final diagnosis, with main and secondary conditions |
| 질병분류기호 | The disease code from the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases |
| 발병 연월일 · 진단 연월일 | The date the illness started and the date of diagnosis |
| 치료 내용 및 향후 치료에 대한 소견 | The treatment given and the doctor’s opinion on further treatment |
| 입원 · 퇴원 연월일 | Hospital admission and discharge dates, if any |
| 용도 | What the certificate is for |
| 비고 | Remarks |
| 의료기관 명칭 · 면허번호 · 성명 | The hospital, the doctor’s license number, name and signature |
The instructions printed on the form add two points. The doctor checks your identity against an official ID, and the list includes a valid passport and an Alien Registration Card. The disease name is written in Korean. If the doctor writes it in English, the Korean name goes beside it.
How to get one, step by step
Article 17 of the Medical Service Act lets only the doctor who examined you write your medical certificate. The same article says the doctor cannot refuse your request without a valid reason.
Step 1 — Ask the doctor during your visit
Make the request in the consultation room. Seoul National University Hospital, for example, asks patients to request a certificate from the doctor during the consultation. A request after the visit can mean another consultation.
Step 2 — Say what it is for
The form has a box for its purpose. Tell the doctor where you will hand it in, such as your company or your child’s school. If the paper must show the illness or the treatment period, say so now.
Step 3 — Show your ID
Bring your passport or your Alien Registration Card. For a child, the form also allows other papers, such as a student ID.
Step 4 — Pay at the desk
Collect the certificate when you pay after the consultation. The fee for the paper is separate from the consultation fee.
Step 5 — Ask for every copy at once
If both a company and a school need one, ask for two at the same visit. The second copy is capped at 1,000 KRW.
How much each paper costs
Fee caps verified October 2026 · Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2021-34
The Ministry of Health and Welfare sets a maximum fee for each certificate. A hospital chooses its own fee between zero and that cap.
| Paper | Korean name | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Medical certificate | 진단서 | 20,000 KRW |
| English medical certificate · insurance claim guide (coming soon) | 영문 진단서 | 20,000 KRW |
| Doctor’s opinion letter | 소견서 | Not on the list. Each hospital sets its own fee |
| Treatment confirmation | 진료확인서 | 3,000 KRW |
| Outpatient visit confirmation | 통원확인서 | 3,000 KRW |
| Admission and discharge confirmation | 입퇴원확인서 | 3,000 KRW |
| Extra copy of the same certificate | 제증명서 사본 | 1,000 KRW |
The caps do not include the consultation fee. The notice also requires every hospital to post its certificate fees where patients can see them. That includes the fee it sets for an opinion letter, so ask at the desk before the doctor writes one.
What your employer may ask for
Rules verified October 2026 · Ministry of Employment and Labor, 2026 model work rules, Article 41
Sick leave and the papers it needs come from your company’s work rules (취업규칙). Under Article 93 of the Labor Standards Act, a company with 10 or more regular workers must write and report these rules.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor publishes model work rules (표준 취업규칙) that companies can follow. In the 2026 model, Article 41 covers sick leave:
The ministry marks this article as optional and notes that each workplace can set it differently. Your own company’s rules decide the number of days and the paper. Ask the person in charge of personnel which paper the company accepts before you see the doctor.
What your child’s school accepts
Rules verified October 2026 · 2026 school records guidelines (학교생활기록부 기재요령), Ministry of Education and 17 provincial education offices
Elementary, middle and high schools follow the national guidelines for school records. The 2026 editions for all three levels use the same rule for an absence due to illness.
| Absence | Paper to attach to the absence report |
|---|---|
| Two days or less, and not repeated often | A parent’s statement (학부모 의견서), a prescription (처방전), a homeroom teacher’s confirmation (담임교사 확인서) or similar |
| Any other absence | A doctor’s medical certificate or opinion (의사의 진단서 또는 의견서) that records the diagnosis and the treatment period |
Hand the absence report (결석 신고서) to the school within five days, counted from the first day of absence. The principal approves it. A treatment confirmation counts only if it records the diagnosis and the treatment period, so check the paper before you leave the hospital.
Universities do not use these guidelines. A university student follows the attendance rules of that university.
What to say at the counter
A hospital runs in Korean. Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud. The first two lines are for the doctor, and the last three are for the reception desk.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every figure here comes from the pages below. Rules change, so open the page before you act on it.