Mitra KoreaHow to Get a Medical Certificate (진단서): Which Department to Visit and What to Ask the Doctor to Write
How to get a medical certificate for changing workplace, industrial accident claims, or pausing your job-search period: the steps, what to say to the doctor, how it differs from a doctor's opinion letter, and the maximum fees.
Quick summary
- Only the doctor who examined you can write a 진단서 (medical certificate). If you were examined and you ask for one, the doctor cannot refuse without a valid reason (Medical Service Act Article 17).
- A 진단서 (medical certificate) must include items set by law. A 소견서 (doctor's opinion letter) is a paper where the doctor writes their opinion. Its form and price are different at each hospital. First ask the office where you will submit the paper which one they need.
- The fee for a general medical certificate has a maximum of 20,000원. The hospital must post its fees at the reception desk.
- The most important part of a medical certificate is the box "opinion on future treatment" (향후 치료에 대한 소견). Ask the doctor to write what fits your purpose (workplace change, industrial accident, job-search period).
- For an industrial accident claim, you do not need a medical certificate. The hospital fills in the doctor's opinion (의사소견서) on the back of the 요양급여신청서 (medical care benefit application form).
When does this apply?
| Purpose | What it needs to say | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Changing workplace for health reasons | An opinion that your health will get worse if you keep doing this work, but you can do other work | Changing workplace for health reasons |
| You were hurt because the company broke safety rules | An opinion that you need 3 months or more of medical care | Same article, "Things to watch out for" |
| Industrial accident claim | Doctor's opinion on the back of the 요양급여신청서 | Industrial accident claim |
| You are sick during your job-search period | An opinion on the period when you cannot work | How to read the job seeker registration certificate |
| Proof of absence for your company | If they only need proof that you saw a doctor, a 진료확인서 (treatment confirmation) or 통원확인서 (outpatient visit confirmation) may be enough | Ask your company first |
Steps
Decide which department to visit.
- Pain in the back, neck, shoulder, knee, or wrist (muscles and bones): 정형외과 (orthopedics), 재활의학과 (rehabilitation medicine)
- If you want a doctor's opinion on the link between your work and your illness: 직업환경의학과 (occupational and environmental medicine) at a large hospital
- If you are also thinking of an industrial accident claim: an industrial accident insurance medical institution (산재보험 의료기관) (the hospital can submit the claim for you)
- If you are struggling a lot mentally (cannot sleep, feel anxious): 정신건강의학과 (psychiatry)
Get examined first. You cannot get a medical certificate without an examination. Tell the doctor since when, in what body position, and how many hours a day you work, and where and how it hurts. You can also show photos or videos of your work.
Say clearly what the paper is for. You can show the sentences below exactly as they are.
For workplace change: "일 때문에 아픕니다. 고용센터에 낼 사업장 변경용 진단서가 필요합니다. 지금 작업을 계속하면 악화되고, 다른 사업장 근무는 가능하다는 소견을 '향후 치료에 대한 소견'에 적어 주십시오." (I am sick because of my work. I need a medical certificate for a workplace change to submit to the 고용센터 (Employment Center). Please write in "opinion on future treatment" that my condition will get worse if I keep doing this work, and that I can work at a different workplace.)
For industrial accident: "일하다가 생긴 병입니다. 산재 신청을 하고 싶습니다. 요양급여신청서의 의사소견서를 써 주십시오." (This illness happened while I was working. I want to apply for industrial accident compensation. Please write the doctor's opinion on the 요양급여신청서.)
For pausing the job-search period: "고용센터에 낼 진단서입니다. 일을 할 수 없는 기간을 적어 주십시오." (This medical certificate is for the 고용센터. Please write the period when I cannot work.)
Check the fee before you receive the paper. Look at the prices posted at the reception desk.
Check the medical certificate you received. Check that the disease name, the date of diagnosis, and the opinion are correct. Take a photo of it. Give the original to the office. If needed, get one more copy.
What is the difference between a medical certificate and an opinion letter?
- 진단서 (medical certificate): It includes the items set by Article 9 of the Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act. These are: patient name, disease name and disease code, date the illness started and date of diagnosis, treatment and opinion on future treatment, hospital admission and discharge dates, hospital name, and the doctor's license number. This is the paper usually used for official offices.
- 소견서 (doctor's opinion letter): A paper where the doctor writes their opinion. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's maximum fee table has no item called "소견서". So the price is different at each hospital.
- 진료확인서 (treatment confirmation) and 통원확인서 (outpatient visit confirmation): These only prove that you saw a doctor on that day. They may not include a disease name or opinion.
If you first ask the 고용센터 or the 근로복지공단 (Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service) which paper they want, you can save money and time.
Cost (maximum amounts)
These are the maximum amounts set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare notice "Standards on Certificate Fee Items and Amounts of Medical Institutions" (in force from 2017-09-21, still current). Hospitals cannot charge more than these amounts, and they must post them at the reception desk.
| Document | Maximum |
|---|---|
| General medical certificate (일반진단서) | 20,000원 |
| General medical certificate in English (영문 일반진단서) | 20,000원 |
| Injury certificate (상해진단서), less than 3 weeks | 100,000원 |
| Injury certificate (상해진단서), 3 weeks or more | 150,000원 |
| Treatment confirmation (진료확인서) | 3,000원 |
| Outpatient visit confirmation (통원확인서) | 3,000원 |
| Admission and discharge confirmation (입원퇴원확인서) | 3,000원 |
The fees for the examination and tests are separate. The 소견서 is not in the maximum fee table, so check the price posted at the hospital.
What to bring
- 외국인등록증 (Alien Registration Card) (or passport)
- A note about where it hurts and what work you do (a Korean sentence card)
- Photos or videos of your work (if you have them)
- Earlier test results or medical records (if you have them)
Things to watch out for
- You often do not need an "English" medical certificate. For Korean offices, a Korean medical certificate is enough.
- An MRI is not required for a medical certificate. If the doctor can make a diagnosis by examining you, you can get a medical certificate. If you have nerve symptoms and the doctor recommends an MRI, ask before the test: "건강보험이 되나요?" (Is this covered by health insurance?). For details, see the questions section in Changing workplace for health reasons.
- If you were hurt because the company broke safety rules, the "medical care period" in the medical certificate is important. If the injury or illness needs 3 months or more of medical care, it can count as a reason that is the employer's fault (it does not count toward your number of workplace changes). In this case, apply before 4 months pass from the day you return to the workplace.
- If you get sick during your job-search period, get a medical certificate right away and submit it to the 고용센터. While you cannot apply or get permission because of a work-related injury, illness, pregnancy, childbirth, etc., the period is counted from the day that reason ends (Foreign Workers Employment Act Article 25(3)). If you submit it late, it may not help.
- Do not ask the doctor to write things that are not true. The best way is to explain your real symptoms and work in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Q. The doctor says they will not write a medical certificate. A. If the doctor examined you and you ask for a medical certificate, they cannot refuse without a valid reason (Medical Service Act Article 17(3)). But if the doctor cannot confirm the illness through the examination, you may not get the opinion you want. You can explain your symptoms and work in more detail, or see a doctor again at 재활의학과 (rehabilitation medicine) or 직업환경의학과 (occupational and environmental medicine).
Q. The X-ray is normal. Can I still get a medical certificate? A. Yes, you can. Problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves often do not show on an X-ray. The doctor can make a diagnosis from the examination and your symptoms.
Q. They say the medical certificate costs 50,000원. Is that right? A. The maximum for a general medical certificate is 20,000원. An injury certificate has a higher maximum, and a 소견서 is not in the maximum fee table. Check what kind of paper it is, and look at the price posted at the reception desk. If they charge more than the posted price, keep the receipt and call 1345 to ask where you should go for help.
Q. Do I need a medical certificate for an industrial accident claim too? A. According to the 근로복지공단, when you give the 요양급여신청서 to the hospital, the hospital writes the doctor's opinion on the back. If you put your seal or signature in the authorization box of the form, the industrial accident insurance medical institution can submit it for you. For questions, call the 근로복지공단 at 1588-0075.
Q. It is hard for me to explain in Korean. A. Show the sentence cards above. For phone calls or appointments with a hospital, see When phone calls in Korean are hard. For interpreting inside the hospital, ask the 원무과 (hospital administration office) of a large hospital: "외국인 진료 지원이 있나요" (Do you have support for foreign patients?).
Where to get help
- 근로복지공단 1588-0075 (industrial accident claims, doctor's opinion)
- Foreign Workforce Counseling Center (외국인력상담센터) 1577-0071 (advice on reasons for workplace change, many languages including Nepali, 365 days, 09:00~18:00)
- 고용노동부 (Ministry of Employment and Labor) Customer Counseling Center 1350
- Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터) 1345 (Nepali on weekdays 09:00~18:00)
- How to use a hospital: Hospital guide