Before bringing overseas medical records to a Korean hospital, ask the receiving team which documents, dates, languages, and image formats it needs. List what you already have, including written reports and scan data as separate items. Follow that hospital’s submission and registration instructions; language requirements and the timing of record review differ between providers.
List your records before arranging translation
Start with the history relevant to the consultation you are requesting. Record the document’s issuing provider, date, original language, and what form you have available. List any records that are missing or still pending, and ask the receiving team which ones it needs.
This preparation table is for your own notes:
| Material available | Details to record | Question for the receiving team |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical letter or treatment summary | Issuer, dates, language, and the care it describes | Which period and parts of the history are needed? |
| Laboratory or pathology report | Test date, report language, and whether the result is final | Is this report sufficient, or are further materials requested? |
| Imaging study | Study type, date, written report, and image-data medium | Which files or physical media can the hospital receive and register? |
| Medication information | Names and dosage information already recorded by your provider | Which details or original labels should accompany the list? |
| Translation | The original document it accompanies, language, and completion status | Is this translation acceptable, and is anything further required? |
Keep each translation with its original record. If older records may explain an important part of your history, ask whether the receiving clinician needs them as well as recent material.
Use the receiving hospital’s language requirements
These official instructions, checked on 28 October 2026, set different preparation requirements:
| Provider and published pathway | Requirement to prepare for |
|---|---|
| SNUH international outpatient services | Records brought for the appointment must be in Korean or English |
| National Cancer Center international referral | Medical records must be in English; the intake list includes a medical letter, pathology material, imaging and reviews, and medication information |
| Samsung Medical Center outpatient preparation | Relevant records and test results from the past three months, applicable pathology slides with reports, and a doctor’s statement completed and printed in English |
Samsung’s three-month preparation window is not a universal expiry date for older records. The National Cancer Center example concerns its international cancer-referral process. Follow the instructions for the hospital and service you plan to use.
Before ordering a translation, confirm which documents or pages need it and whether the hospital specifies who should prepare or certify it. Preserve the source document’s dates and identifiers. Treat any unclear clinical wording as a question to resolve with the issuing or receiving team rather than changing the information yourself.
Prepare image data and registration separately
A written scan report describes findings, while the image data is another item on the receiving team’s preparation list. National Cancer Center’s referral page specifically requests MRI, CT, or ultrasound image files and their reviews. Ask what medium or transfer method is accepted for the studies you hold.
SNUH’s outpatient guide asks patients bringing radiological images to arrive 30 minutes before the appointment so the centre can help register them. This is an SNUH preparation instruction; confirm the registration point and arrival time for your own appointment.
Check whether the hospital needs pathology slides or other physical material. Ask for handling and delivery instructions for those items before arranging a transfer.
Confirm receipt, review, and the appointment stage
Ask what happens after you submit the records. National Cancer Center’s page asks for medical history before the first appointment is scheduled and an estimate is made, with electronic copies submitted through its instructed channels. After sending files, check that the team has received them, whether anything is missing, and when review and scheduling will take place.
Keep a short status note:
Requested records: [items, dates, and confirmed language]
Submission: [official channel and date sent]
Hospital response: [received / more material requested / review completed]
Still to arrange: [translations, image registration, physical materials, or appointment confirmation]
The first appointment-message guide helps you make the initial enquiry without treating it as a confirmed booking. This website does not receive your records.
After a Korean consultation, use the record-copy guide for documents to take onward. If you need a new statement from the Korean clinician for another institution, the certificate and doctor’s-note guide explains how to clarify its purpose and contents.
This guide organizes incoming-record preparation. The receiving hospital must confirm the materials, language, format, review process, and appointment arrangements for your visit.