For a routine hospital visit in Korea without an ARC, ask whether the provider can register your appointment using your passport and what other information it needs. Some hospital guides list a passport as an identification option; others list a passport and ARC together. Confirm the requirements for your visit before travelling, and check insurance arrangements separately.
Check the identification accepted for your appointment
ARC is commonly used to refer to a foreign registration card. These examples show the wording on three providers’ international-patient pages, checked on 28 October 2026:
| Provider’s published instructions | Question if you have no ARC |
|---|---|
| Seoul National University Hospital asks first-time visitors to bring an ARC or passport for identification | Can you register my particular appointment with my passport, and is any additional information needed? |
| Samsung Medical Center lists a passport or foreign registration card as photo ID | Which document should I bring for this appointment? |
| Konkuk University Medical Center lists a passport and ARC in its identification instructions | As I cannot provide both, what registration instructions apply to my situation? |
The difference between “or” and “and” matters. Check your provider’s wording and ask about any document you cannot supply. These examples do not guarantee that every hospital or department accepts the same alternative.
Separate identification from insurance checks
Accepted identification does not confirm insurance coverage. Check which benefits apply to you and the planned care separately.
For example, SNUH’s outpatient page discusses insurance arrangements separately from identification. If you intend to use NHIS or private insurance, ask which information the team needs to verify your coverage. If you will pay yourself, ask for the self-pay registration and payment instructions.
Keep the two replies separate in your notes:
- Identification: which document and information the hospital has confirmed for registration.
- Payment or insurance: what additional checks or paperwork it has requested for the way you intend to pay.
Use the hospital’s current instructions for the appointment and check coverage questions with NHIS or your insurer as appropriate.
Explain why the ARC is unavailable
Give the team enough context to answer the registration question:
| Your situation | What to explain and ask |
|---|---|
| You are visiting Korea and have no ARC | Explain that you are a visitor and ask what identification is accepted for this visit |
| You live in Korea but do not have the physical card available | Explain whether it has not yet been issued, is lost, or is otherwise unavailable; ask what verification process applies |
| You intend to use NHIS | Ask how identity and insurance eligibility will be checked for this appointment when the card is unavailable |
| You intend to use private insurance | Ask about identification and the insurer-related paperwork as separate requirements |
Ask whether you need an original document and what can be submitted before the visit. Do not assume that a photograph, copy, or another substitute will be accepted because it worked for someone else.
Confirm the documents before travelling
Use a few specific questions to finish the enquiry:
- Can this appointment be registered with the identification I have available?
- Do you need an original document at check-in, and is anything needed beforehand?
- What separate information is required for my intended payment or insurance route?
- Which patient name or existing patient number should I use in the appointment request?
Keep the appointment confirmation and the staff’s document instructions together. Having an accepted ID document does not itself confirm an appointment or same-day availability. The first-message guide helps you organize the enquiry without placing identity-document images into a public post. For the wider sequence from first contact through the visit, use the first-visit guide for foreigners in Korea.
This guide covers routine registration questions. It does not guarantee document acceptance or determine an individual’s insurance entitlement.