Getting a GLP-1 prescription as a visitor
What a passport gets you, what it does not, and the parts that are decided by customs rather than by the clinic.
The short answer
Passport requiredYes, a visitor can be prescribed a GLP-1 in Korea. A Korean medical licence permits prescribing to any patient the doctor has examined in person. Visa status is not a barrier, and neither is the absence of Korean national health insurance. What it does mean is that you pay the private rate rather than the insured rate.
What is not automatic is quantity. How many weeks of medication leave the clinic with you is a clinical decision first, and a regulatory one second.
What to bring
Passport
Required for registration. No visa document or residence card is needed.
Current prescription
If you already take a GLP-1, bring the pharmacy label or prescription so the dose can be continued rather than restarted.
Medication list
Everything you take, including supplements. Interactions and contraindications are checked at consultation.
Your travel dates
Supply is planned around your departure. Tell us early rather than at the counter.
Flying home with injection pens
What we provide
- English prescription summary for airport screening
- Original pharmacy label on the box
- Itemised English receipt
- Medical certificate on request
What is on you
- Carrying pens in hand luggage, not checked baggage
- A cool pack, since pens are stored at 2 to 8 °C
- Checking your airline's medical-item policy before departure
- Checking your own country's import rules for prescription medication
Frequently asked
Do I need a Korean visa or residence card?
No. A passport is sufficient. Korean medical practice permits prescribing to any patient examined in person, regardless of visa status.
Do I need Korean national health insurance?
No, and most short-stay visitors do not have it. Without it you pay the full private rate, which is the rate published on this site.
Can someone else collect the medication for me?
No. The prescription follows an in-person examination, and the medication is dispensed to the patient.
How many weeks can I take home?
That is a clinical decision, and it is also constrained by Korean pharmacy regulation and the customs rules of your destination. Tell us your travel dates at consultation so the supply is planned around them rather than guessed.
Will customs at home let me bring it in?
Rules differ by country. Personal-use quantities with a prescription and pharmacy label are commonly permitted, but you are responsible for checking your own country's rules. We provide the documentation; we cannot guarantee another country's decision.
What documentation do you give me?
An English prescription summary, the pharmacy label, and an itemised receipt. A medical certificate is available on request.
Ask about your dose
Tell us what you take now and when you are in Seoul. We reply within one business day.