Across plastic surgery in Korea, prices are set clinic by clinic for each operation, and the lowest fee listed here starts from ₩1,200,000 before VAT. Cosmetic operations sit outside national health insurance, so residents and visitors alike pay the whole fee themselves. A typical quote bundles the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, the operating room, routine medicines and early review visits, while tests, garments or an overnight stay may appear as separate lines. The table below shows current listed fees from 6 clinics, all before VAT, and 10% VAT is added at payment. The final amount is fixed only after an in-person consultation.
Prices
Plastic surgery cost in Korea
Prices below come from the listed clinics' own price lists, before VAT. 10% VAT is added at payment.
Non-incisional (buried) double eyelid
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $873₩1,200,000 + VATCompare clinicsMedial epicanthoplasty
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $873₩1,200,000 + VATCompare clinicsLateral/lower/upper canthoplasty
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $873₩1,200,000 + VATCompare clinicsEpicanthoplasty — medial or upper (each)
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $945₩1,300,000 + VATCompare clinicsNon-incisional (buried suture) double eyelid
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $1,164₩1,600,000 + VATCompare clinicsPartial-incision double eyelid
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $1,309₩1,800,000 + VATCompare clinicsIncisional double eyelid surgery
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $1,455₩2,000,000 + VATCompare clinicsDouble eyelid — buried (non-incisional)
Price at 1 listed clinic · approx. $1,455From ₩2,000,000 + VATCompare clinicsPrice factors
What changes the price
- Operation and anesthesia type: a short eyelid procedure under local anesthesia and facial bone surgery under general anesthesia differ in operating time, staff and recovery monitoring, and the plastic surgery cost in Korea follows that gap.
- Technique choice: a more elaborate technique does not automatically give a better outcome. In a randomized trial of 50 patients published in European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology in 2024, Alsakka and colleagues found no statistically significant difference in breathing or appearance scores between dorsal preservation and conventional hump reduction of the nose, so ask why a given technique is proposed for your case.
- Implants and grafts: silicone, your own cartilage or fat, and donor tissue each carry different material costs, and harvesting tissue adds a second surgical site to the bill and recovery.
- Health insurance status: cosmetic work is not covered, and a visitor without Korean insurance also pays in full for parts that might be covered for a resident, such as repair of a blocked nasal airway.
- VAT: cosmetic surgery is subject to Korean value-added tax, so listed fees are before VAT and 10% VAT is added at payment; check which basis each quote uses.
- Fee disclosure rules: Korean medical law expects clinics to tell patients the fee for services outside national health insurance before treatment, so an itemized written quote is a normal request.
- Stay and aftercare: an inpatient night, garments, extra reviews and scar care may be bundled or charged per item.
- Revision terms: some clinics include a correction within a set period, others charge again; the conditions belong in the quote.
Compare
How the options compare
| Quote type | What it bundles | Who it suits | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Itemized quote | Surgeon, anesthesia, tests, medicines and garments priced line by line | Visitors comparing several clinics in detail | Which lines could change on the day of surgery? |
| All-in package | Operation, anesthesia, review visits and stitch removal as one figure | Short trips with a single operation | What is excluded, and are blood tests extra? |
| Multi-area plan | Two or more neighboring areas in one operating session | Patients with one trip and related goals | What is the total time under anesthesia? |
| Staged plan | Main operation now, refinement on a later visit | People spreading recovery over two trips | Is the second stage priced today or when it happens? |
| Revision quote | Correction of an earlier operation, often with scar tissue or grafts | Patients unhappy with previous surgery | Are earlier operative notes or scans needed first? |
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Dorsal preservation rhinoplasty versus dorsal hump reduction: a randomized prospective study, functional and aesthetic outcomesEuropean Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology · 2024 · doi:10.1007/s00405-024-08546-8
Randomized trial of 50 primary rhinoplasty patients that found no statistically significant difference in functional or aesthetic outcomes between dorsal preservation and conventional dorsal hump reduction.
FAQ
Questions about Plastic surgery in Korea
Why is the final bill one tenth higher than the listed fee?
Because cosmetic surgery in Korea is subject to value-added tax, and 10% VAT is added at payment on top of fees listed before VAT. Clinic menus and the table on this page show the pre-tax figure so that clinics can be compared on the same basis. When you receive a written quote, check whether its total already includes VAT. Asking for the tax line to be shown separately avoids surprises at the payment desk.
Does Korean national health insurance pay for any part of cosmetic surgery?
No, cosmetic operations are outside national health insurance, and visitors without Korean coverage pay every line of the bill themselves. Some functional procedures, such as correcting a drooping eyelid that blocks vision, can be partly covered for enrolled residents. A foreign visitor normally pays the full fee even for those parts. Private travel or medical insurance from home rarely covers elective cosmetic surgery, so read the policy wording before relying on it.
Is a much lower quote a warning sign?
Not always, but a low figure deserves questions about what is missing and who will operate. Some quotes leave out anesthesia, blood tests, garments or review visits, which then appear on the final bill. Others assume a simpler technique than the one discussed at consultation. Compare quotes line by line, confirm the surgeon's name and specialty, and treat any pressure to pay on the same day as a reason to slow down.
Can I get a written fee estimate before flying to Korea?
Yes, many clinics give a provisional estimate from photos and an online consultation, but the binding figure comes after an in-person examination. The surgeon may change the plan once they see your skin, bone structure or earlier scars, and the fee follows the plan. Ask for the estimate to name the operation, technique and what is included. Keep it, because it gives you a reference point when the final quote arrives.
How do Korean surgical clinics usually take payment?
Most accept major international credit cards, bank transfer and cash, and many ask for a deposit to hold the surgery date. Card payments may carry a foreign transaction charge from your own bank. Deposit terms, including whether it is refundable if the surgeon advises against the operation, differ between clinics and should be written down. Always get an itemized receipt, since it supports any later insurance or dispute claim.
Who pays if a complication needs treatment after I return home?
That depends on the written complication policy, so ask before surgery whether the clinic covers corrections and under what conditions. Treatment abroad by a local doctor is usually paid by you, and home insurance often excludes problems caused by elective surgery. Some clinics offer remote reviews or partial coverage for a return visit. Keep all operative notes and receipts, because a doctor at home will need them to plan care.
Can the fee change on the day of surgery?
It can if the plan changes, for example when the surgeon finds the need for an extra graft or a different approach. A clear quote states which items are fixed and which depend on findings during the operation. Ask the surgeon to explain possible add-ons at consultation and to note them in the consent form. Agreeing on this beforehand prevents a hurried decision while you are being prepared for anesthesia.