🇰🇷 Medical exam and health certificate for the South Korea Working Holiday

Volare Editorial | October 10, 2026

For applicants to the South Korea Working Holiday Visa (H-1), demonstrating an optimal state of health is a determining factor for the approval of the file. However, this requirement generates a lot of confusion, as there is a fundamental distinction between a general health medical certificate and the specific tuberculosis tests that the Korean government requires only for certain nationalities.

Below, we break down the current medical regulations processed by the Korea Visa Application Centers (KVAC) and the consular sections of the MOFA, so you can present the exact document and avoid bureaucratic rejections.

Summary Board General Rule by Nationalities

For the vast majority of Spanish-speaking and Western countries, the requirement is limited to a basic clinical check-up, without the need for complex imaging studies.

Region or Nationality	Main Medical Requirement	Tuberculosis Rule
🌎 America, Europe and Oceania (Argentina, Chile, Spain, USA, Canada, UK, etc.)	General Medical Certificate. Must be original, signed and stamped by a registered doctor.	Exempt. As they do not belong to Korea's list of high-risk countries, they are NOT required to have an official chest X-ray or strict tuberculosis test.
🌏 East Asia (Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong)	Certificate of Good Health. Issued by a certified local hospital or clinic.	Exempt. A standard medical opinion confirming general physical fitness is sufficient.
🇧🇷 Brazil Exception	Subject to Reciprocity. In principle it is mandatory, but it is usually exempted under the principle of diplomatic reciprocity.	Exempt. If the certificate is required, it must only confirm general health.

Summary Board Document Technical Requirements

It is not enough for your trusted doctor to write an informal note. For your certificate to be valid in Seoul's centralized system, it must meet non-negotiable technical specifications.

Certificate Element	Strict Consular Specification
📅 Maximum Validity	The document must have a maximum antiquity of 3 months at the exact moment of application at the consulate or KVAC center.
📝 Explicit Declaration	The text must literally and explicitly state that the applicant "is in good general health to travel and reside abroad".
🩺 Signature and Registration	It is vital that the doctor's stamp is completely legible and visibly contains their professional registration number.
🗣️ Mandatory Language	Regardless of your country of origin, the certificate must be written in or have an official translation into English or Korean.

Clarification on the Mental Health clause

Many applicants read about "Mental Illness" requirements and believe they must undergo psychological evaluations. In standard consular practice for the H-1 visa, the mental health clause is usually a requirement associated with the coverage of your mandatory medical insurance policy or a simple declarative question on the Application Form, and not necessarily an exhaustive test that your clinical doctor must include in the general health certificate.

Master your paperwork with Working Holiday Visa Quest

Ensuring that your certificate does not expire before your appointment, finding a doctor to write it in English, and understanding your insurance rules can be stressful. That is why we invite you to register for Working Holiday Visa Quest, our interactive platform that transforms this process into a gamified adventure. With the help of Avi, your virtual copilot, you will have time calculators so your certificates do not expire and total control of your consular checklist.

More Information at Volare

A certificate without the proper stamp or in the incorrect language is grounds for automatic visa delay. To obtain templates of what this document should look like in English and ensure the success of your folder, we invite you to consult our Official South Korea Working Holiday Visa Guide on our web portal.