MRI scan · South Korea
MRI scan in South Korea: what it costs and how it compares with waiting at home
Prices checked 26 October 2026 (Taipei time)
Short answer
South Korea providers publish MRI scans only inside bundles with other tests, so we show them but leave South Korea out of the price comparison.
- Published price
- Bundles only, not comparable
- Price is for
- one body area (for example a knee, the brain or the lower spine), without contrast unless stated
- Where
- Seoul
- Providers
- 1 (Kangbuk Samsung Hospital)
- Time there
- 1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first
- NHS England wait
- 22.0% waiting over 6 weeks (August 2026)
Published MRI scan prices in South Korea
Every row is a price the provider publishes itself, read on the date shown. We copy what the price includes and what it leaves out; where the provider does not say, the row says “not stated”. We do not use prices from brokers or medical-travel agencies.
| Provider | Published price | What the price is for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kangbuk Samsung HospitalSeoul | ₩970,000 to ₩1,000,000about £548–£565 · €654–€675 · C$1,020–C$1,060 · $732–$755 | MRI programmes: stroke (brain MRI and MRA, 970,000) or spine (lumbar and cervical MRI, 1,000,000)Bundles with other tests (X-rays, ultrasound, blood tests), not single-area scans, so not comparable with a one-area price. Undated domestic price page.Not comparable | Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Centerread 26 October 2026 |
Prices are copied as published, in the provider's currency. Conversions use the European Central Bank reference rates of 23 October 2026 and are rounded. A provider can change a price at any time: ask for a written quote.
The Kangbuk Samsung prices are from its domestic check-up page, which carries no date and does not say whether foreign patients pay the same. Severance Hospital runs an international health-care centre that takes check-up bookings from abroad and lists sedation for gastroscopy at 156,000 KRW, but we could not find its package prices (Severance).
Compared with waiting or paying at home
The official waiting figure and the self-pay price in each home country, next to the South Korea price converted to that currency. The South Korea figure does not include flights, a hotel or time off work.
| Where you live | Official wait | Pay at home | Here, converted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | 22.0% waiting over 6 weeksEngland, August 2026 | £249 to £380 | No comparable pricebefore flights and hotel |
| Canada | Median 59 days; 1 in 10 waited over 206 daysCanada (national), 2025 | C$749 to C$799 | No comparable pricebefore flights and hotel |
| Ireland | No official figure found | €310 | No comparable pricebefore flights and hotel |
| US | No national figure | $1,5302021 hospital data or a dental school | No comparable pricebefore flights and hotel |
Waits are the latest official statistics; each country measures them differently, so read the label. Home prices are published self-pay prices; for the US they are 2021 hospital medians or a dental school's estimate.
Add your flight and hotel
Put in your own flight and hotel to see the total for South Korea next to your wait and your price at home.
How it works for a visitor
- Ask for a written quoteSend the clinic your referral or reason for the MRI scan and ask for an itemised price, the date, and what happens if the result needs follow-up.
- Before you goGet your home doctor's referral letter or the question they want answered; take it with you.
- Before you goBook the scan before the flights and ask for the appointment in writing.
- Before you goCheck your travel insurance covers medical procedures abroad. Many policies do not.
- LanguageKorean; the big Seoul hospitals have international health-care centres with English-speaking coordinators.
- Entry rulesCheck the official advice for your passport before booking: UK citizens (FCDO entry requirements), Canadian citizens (travel.gc.ca), US citizens (State Department, choose the country), Irish citizens (DFA travel advice, choose the country).
- After you returnGive your doctor the report and the DICOM images. An English report saves a translation step.
- After you returnIf the report finds something, the follow-up (more tests, treatment) normally happens at home.
Can your public system pay for it?
NHS and HSE schemes do not reach South Korea. The NHS S2 route covers state treatment in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, and the HSE schemes cover the EU, EEA, the UK and Switzerland. Treatment in South Korea is paid by you or by a private insurer who agrees in advance. NHS S2 route, HSE Treatment Abroad Scheme.
When not to travel for an MRI scan
- Symptoms that need urgent care: sudden weakness, numbness, severe headache, loss of bladder or bowel control. Go to an emergency department at home.
- Anyone with a pacemaker, some implants, metal fragments or a cochlear implant until the clinic has checked them.
- A scan your home doctor has not asked for: without a referral there may be nobody at home to act on the result.
How to compare MRI scan quotes
An MRI scanner uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of soft tissue: joints, the spine, the brain, the abdomen. Prices are quoted per body area, and a scan with contrast dye (an injection) costs more.
- Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three.
- Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
- Ask for the images on a disc or a download link in DICOM format, so a doctor at home can look at the pictures, not just the report.
- Contrast scans usually need a recent kidney blood test. Some clinics ask you to bring one.
Providers on this page
We list providers because they publish a price, not because we recommend them. No clinic pays to be listed, and we have not visited any of them.
- Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul: ₩970,000 to ₩1,000,000
Related comparisons
MRI scan in South Korea: questions
How much does an MRI scan cost in South Korea?
Kangbuk Samsung Hospital publishes only bundles that include other tests, so there is no price for an MRI scan on its own that compares with other countries.
Is an MRI scan in South Korea cheaper than paying privately in the UK?
We do not have both a UK price and a comparable South Korea price for this, so we cannot say. Compare the published prices on this page with a written quote from a UK provider.
Will the NHS or HSE pay for an MRI scan in South Korea?
No. The NHS S2 route and the HSE schemes cover planned treatment in Europe only. South Korea is outside them, so you pay yourself or through a private insurer that agrees in advance.
How many days should I plan in South Korea?
1 day for the scan; add a day if the clinic wants a doctor to see you first. That is our planning estimate, not medical advice: the clinic sets the schedule, and you should ask it for one in writing.
What should I check before booking an MRI scan in South Korea?
Check that the price is for the same body area and the same type of scan. A knee is one area; the whole spine is usually two or three. Ask whether a radiologist's written report is included, in which language, and how long it takes.
Sources
- 종합건진 프로그램 (comprehensive check-up programmes). Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Total Healthcare Center, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Planned treatment: S2 funding route. NHS (nhs.uk). Read 26 October 2026.
- Treatment Abroad Scheme. Health Service Executive (HSE). Read 26 October 2026.
- Health check-up appointment (International Health Care Center). Severance Hospital, Seoul. Read 26 October 2026.
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates. European Central Bank, 23 October 2026. Read 26 October 2026.