Requisition — E-2 Employment Medical Examination
E-2 Visa Medical Check in Korea: What's Actually Tested (2026)
- Where
- MOJ-designated hospital
- Typical cost
- ₩70,000–130,000
- Result valid
- 3 months
- HIV test
- Not required
Every E-2 teacher takes an employment medical exam (채용신체검사) after arriving in Korea. Only two things about it are actually fixed by law — a basic physical and a four-substance drug screen. Almost everything else you'll read online, including the HIV test, is either hospital-specific or nine years out of date.
A guide to the E-2 medical check for English teachers in Korea, from OK Recruiting, a Korea-based recruiter (since 2006). General information, current as of 2026 — confirm your own case with the immigration contact center (1345) and with the hospital you book.
It is not a "medical deadline" — it is the registration deadline
There is no separate legal clock for the medical exam. The clock that matters is foreigner registration: under the Immigration Act (출입국관리법 §31), anyone staying in Korea longer than 90 days must register with their local immigration office within 90 days of entry. The medical certificate is a required attachment to that filing — which is why you need it done well before day 90.
In practice your real deadline is much earlier than 90 days, because you have to fit three things inside it: get the exam, wait for the certificate to be issued, and secure an immigration appointment (which is mandatory — walk-ins are refused for registration). The full registration process is covered in our Korean Residence Card (ARC) guide.
Exception: if you are changing status inside Korea (체류자격 변경) rather than entering on a new E-2, you register when the status change is granted — not on a 90-day clock.
Where you must go: a designated hospital, not just any clinic
The certificate is only accepted if it comes from a medical institution designated by the Minister of Justice (법무부장관이 지정하는 의료기관). A certificate from a non-designated hospital is rejected outright — that is a wasted fee and a wasted trip, and it is the most common avoidable mistake on this step.
A local public health center (보건소) counts only if it appears on the designated list; many cannot run the required drug panel at all. Check the current list before you book:
- Official designated-hospital list (updated regularly) — HiKorea notice + attachment
- Your school's admin staff almost always know which nearby hospital their teachers use — asking them first is usually the fastest route.
What is actually on the panel
Two tiers. The first is fixed by law and identical everywhere. The second is whatever that hospital puts on its standard employment-exam form, and it genuinely varies between facilities.
| Item | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic physical | Fixed by law | Height, weight, blood pressure, general condition; vision and hearing. |
| Drug screen — 4 substances | Fixed by law | Methamphetamine (MA), cocaine (COC), opiates (OPI), cannabis/THC. Screened by an MFDS-approved immunoassay; any positive is confirmed by GC-MS before it counts. |
| Chest X-ray (TB) | Standard form | On virtually every hospital's employment-exam form. |
| Syphilis (VDRL/RPR) | Standard form | Routinely included. |
| Blood & urine | Standard form | Typically liver function, fasting blood sugar, urinalysis. |
| HIV | Not required | Abolished for E-2 in 2017 — see below. |
Correcting a myth that is still everywhere
Korea does not HIV-test E-2 teachers. It stopped in 2017.
Mandatory HIV testing for foreign language instructors was abolished effective 3 July 2017, after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) ruled the practice discriminatory and Korea's National Human Rights Commission recommended it be dropped. The Ministry of Justice notice that governs the exam today lists exactly four required drug items — methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates and cannabis — and does not mention HIV anywhere.
Old recruiter pages, forum posts and even some hospital brochures still say otherwise. They are wrong, and an HIV-positive teacher is not barred from an E-2 visa.
What it costs
There is no government-set price — each designated hospital sets its own fee, and it is not covered by national health insurance. As a reference point, Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital publishes ₩80,000 for the foreigner (E-2) employment exam.
Do not confuse this with the ₩35,000 government fee for the residence card itself — that is a separate payment, made at immigration, in cash.
How to book it without wasting a trip
- Confirm the hospital is on the designated list (link above), or use the one your school names.
- Phone ahead and say exactly which exam you need. Reception staff deal with dozens of exam types; naming yours prevents the wrong form being issued.
- Ask two questions on that call: do you need to fast, and how many days until the certificate is ready?
- Bring your passport, a passport-sized photo or two, and the fee. Many hospitals take card, but bring cash as a fallback.
- Collect the sealed certificate and take it, unopened, to your immigration appointment.
Say this when you call the hospital
“E-2 비자 회화지도용 채용신체검사 받을 수 있나요?”
“Can I get the employment medical exam for an E-2 language-instructor visa?” — this is the phrase that gets you the right form.
Do not open the envelope. The Ministry of Justice requires documents issued by the medical institution to be submitted to immigration in sealed condition. An opened report can be rejected, and you will pay for the exam twice.
Results: timing and how long they last
- Turnaround varies by hospital — roughly one to seven business days. There is no official standard. A positive first-pass drug screen triggers a confirmatory GC-MS test, which adds time.
- Validity: 3 months from the date of issue. HiKorea applies a three-month validity to documents submitted for foreigner registration — so a certificate taken shortly after you land will still be good when you file.
- Keep copies. You may be asked for the result by your immigration office and, in some cases, by the education office.
Two health items that happen before you fly
The medical exam itself is done in Korea, not at the consulate. But two health-related items can appear at the visa stage, and both are easy to miss — check them against the full E-2 document requirements before you book your consulate appointment:
A self-declared health statement
Most Korean consulates ask E-2 applicants to sign a short health statement as part of the visa application — a self-declaration, not a test. The exact form differs by post, so use the checklist published by the consulate you are actually applying to.
A TB certificate — South African applicants only
Applicants from countries on Korea's tuberculosis high-risk list must submit a TB certificate (결푅진단서) from a designated clinic when applying for a visa of 90 days or longer. Of the seven E-2-eligible countries, only South Africa is on that list. Applicants from the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand are not affected. The certificate is valid for three months from issue.
The drug rules teachers actually get caught by
- Prescription medication can trigger a positive. If you take anything regularly — including ADHD medication, codeine-based painkillers or some cold remedies — talk to your doctor before you travel and bring documentation. A first-pass positive is confirmed by lab testing, so a legitimate prescription can be sorted out, but it is far easier with paperwork in hand.
- Cannabis is illegal for Koreans and residents even where it is legal abroad. Korea prosecutes citizens and residents for use committed overseas, and THC stays detectable long after use. A positive result on this exam ends the job and can end the visa.
- Korea's approach here is genuinely zero-tolerance. This is not a formality to be casual about.
Frequently asked questions
Do E-2 teachers still have to take an HIV test in Korea?
No. Mandatory HIV testing for E-2 foreign language instructors was abolished effective 3 July 2017, following a UN CERD ruling and a National Human Rights Commission recommendation. The Ministry of Justice notice governing the employment medical exam requires screening for four drugs — methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates and cannabis — and does not include HIV. Many older guides still say otherwise; they are out of date.
What tests are actually required for the E-2 medical check?
Only two things are fixed by law: a basic physical examination and a drug screen for methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates and cannabis (screened by immunoassay, with any positive confirmed by GC-MS). A chest X-ray for tuberculosis, a syphilis test, and routine blood and urine tests appear on virtually every hospital's standard employment-exam form, but the exact panel varies by facility — phone ahead and confirm.
How much does the E-2 medical check cost?
Typically ₩70,000–₩130,000. There is no government-set price and it is not covered by national health insurance, so each designated hospital sets its own fee — Seoul Metropolitan Children's Hospital, for example, publishes ₩80,000. This is separate from the ₩35,000 government fee for the residence card, which is paid in cash at immigration.
Where do I have to take the medical exam?
At a medical institution designated by the Ministry of Justice. A certificate from a non-designated hospital will be rejected. A public health center (보건소) qualifies only if it is on the designated list, and many cannot run the required drug panel. The current list is published on HiKorea; your school's admin staff usually know the hospital local teachers use.
When do I need to complete the medical check?
There is no separate deadline for the exam itself. The deadline that matters is foreigner registration: under Immigration Act §31 you must register within 90 days of entering Korea, and the sealed medical certificate is a required attachment. In practice, book the exam in your first weeks — you also need an immigration appointment, which must be reserved in advance.
How long are the results valid, and can I open the envelope?
Results are valid for three months from the date of issue, and turnaround is usually one to seven business days depending on the hospital. Do not open the envelope: the Ministry of Justice requires documents issued by the medical institution to be submitted to immigration in sealed condition, and an opened report can be rejected.
Sources: foreigner registration within 90 days — 출입국관리법 §31 via law.go.kr; required drug panel (MA/COC/OPI/THC), designated-institution rule and the sealed-submission instruction — Ministry of Justice notice no. 2017-116 and the HiKorea designated-hospital notice; document validity of 3 months and mandatory visit reservation — HiKorea; abolition of mandatory HIV testing for E-2 teachers, effective 3 July 2017, following the UN CERD ruling. As of 2026.
Note: exam panels, fees and turnaround differ between designated hospitals, and immigration offices differ in what they ask for. This is general information — confirm your own case with the hospital and with the immigration contact center (1345).
Where this fits in your first weeks: From First Class to First Week: a 7-step arrival checklist.