Getting a receipt for travel insurance at a Korean pharmacy

What insurers usually ask for

Most travel policies reimburse medicine bought for an illness or injury that started on the trip, but only with paperwork. The usual set is proof of what you paid, proof of what it was for, and for prescription medicines the prescription itself. A card slip alone is usually not enough, because it shows an amount and a shop name and nothing else. Over-the-counter purchases are sometimes covered too, but many policies exclude or cap them; check yours before assuming.

• Itemised receipt from the pharmacy showing date, pharmacy name, items and amounts
• For prescription medicines: a copy of the prescription, or a document from the clinic stating the diagnosis
• For the doctor’s visit itself: the clinic’s receipt and, if your insurer asks, a medical certificate (진단서) or a simpler doctor’s note (소견서)

Ask for the documents at the moment you pay. Going back a week later works at a big hospital pharmacy but is a favour at a small one.

At the pharmacy: what to say

For a dispensed prescription the pharmacy can print an itemised statement (약제비 계산서·영수증) listing each medicine, quantity and price, with the pharmacy’s name, address, registration number and stamp. That is the document insurers want. For an over-the-counter purchase you get the card terminal receipt; ask the pharmacist to write the product names on it and stamp it, or to print a simple receipt with the items listed.

The pharmacy keeps the original prescription once it has been filled. If you want a copy, ask before handing it over, or take a photo of it. Some clinics print two copies; the second is yours.

At the clinic or hospital

• Ask for the receipt (진료비 영수증) at the payment desk, and the detailed bill (진료비 세부내역서) alongside it. The detailed bill lists each charge
• A medical certificate (진단서) is a formal document with the diagnosis and costs extra, often tens of thousands of won. A doctor’s note (소견서) or a treatment confirmation (진료확인서) is cheaper and is enough for many insurers. Check your policy before paying for the formal one
• Larger hospitals can issue these in English on request. Small clinics usually issue them in Korean; insurers generally accept Korean documents with the amounts and dates legible, but ask yours

Paying

Pay by card if you can; the card statement is a second piece of evidence and documents the exchange rate for you. Receipts are in Korean won, and most insurers convert at the rate on the date of purchase, so keep the statement page showing the converted amount. If you pay cash, make sure the receipt shows the pharmacy name and business number, which the printed receipt does.

• Photograph every receipt and prescription the same day. Thermal paper fades
• Make sure the prescription and receipt carry your passport name. If a clinic registered a different spelling, ask them to correct it before you leave

Common problems

• The receipt shows only a total. Go back and ask for the itemised statement; a pharmacy that filled a prescription can always print one
• The purchase was over the counter. Some policies exclude it. Keep the receipt anyway and let the insurer decide
• You lost the receipt. Hospital pharmacies keep records and can reprint with your passport; small pharmacies often can too if you paid by card and remember the date

How prescriptions work in Korea

Phrases to show at the counter