Korea, South Health Clearance

Complete the Health Clearance either through the Tang Center or via a Private Provider. Choose one set of instructions; do not complete both. You may complete the health clearance at Tang whether you have SHIP or private insurance.

Korea University

All students must submit the Incoming Exchange/Visiting Students Health Certificate Form (see the KU Online Application linked in your UCEAP Portal). Students must upload their completed Health Certificate form to their KU Online Application. The examination must be completed within 2 months from the start of the KU application period and the form must be signed by a healthcare professional (physician/doctor only). The health form must be completed between February and April for Fall and Year programs, and must be completed between August and October for the Spring program.

Students who are assigned on-campus housing will be required to take a tuberculosis test (x-ray, blood test, or skin test) dating after July 1st for fall semester and January 1st for spring semester. The certificate must be issued in Korean or English only. The TB test result should be submitted to the dormitory upon check-in. 

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, KAIST 

All students, whether living on or off-campus, must submit an Incoming Exchange/Visiting Students KAIST Certificate of Health Form. The KAIST ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services) team will send out the KAIST Health Certificate form and detailed instructions to students. The form must be completed within 3 months prior to the program start date and can be submitted to KAIST in advance of departure. All students must submit their Certificate of Health form to the Health Management Office at healthmanager@kaist.ac.kr. Students must submit their results as a jpg or pdf file, and name and student ID must be provided. 

Students who are assigned on-campus housing will be required to submit a tuberculosis test in addition to the KAIST Certificate of Health form. The KAIST Student Life Team will send out detailed instructions to students in advance of the dormitory application date. The test must be done within 3 months of the program start date and must include a chest X-ray, which is used to screen for tuberculosis. The “Chest X-ray Certificate for dormitory moving in” form can be found at the KAIST Clinic Pappalardo Center website. Students who will live in the on-campus dorms must submit their official health check results and TB test results to KAIST through the KAIST website.

Complete the Health Clearance either through the Tang Center or via a Private Provider. Choose one set of instructions; do not complete both. You may complete the health clearance at Tang whether you have SHIP or private insurance.

Summer Global Internships, Seoul: The CIEE Physician's Medical Report is not required for students studying in CIEE programs through UCEAP. Please proceed with the UCEAP Health Clearance process.

Yonsei University: TB test results on a medical report are required for students who will live in the on-campus dorms, and students must submit TB test results upon arrival in order to check into their dorm. The test must be done within 2 months of the dorm move-in date. There is no actual form (students can refer to the UCEAP Yonsei Housing Instructions in their UCEAP Portal). 

This is a requirement for the host institution dorms, not for your UCEAP Health Clearance. Please proceed with your health clearance process, then arrange for a TB test appointment if needed, either through Tang or a private provider, within 60 days of your program start.

Seoul National University: Chest X-ray for TB, and Measles Vaccination reports are required for students who will live in the on-campus Gwanak Residence Halls or Global Residence Halls. Students must submit the chest x-ray and measles report upon arrival to check into the dorm. The tests must be done within 6 months of the dorm move-in date. There is no actual form (students can refer to the SNU Housing Instructions in their UCEAP Portal). The tests can be written in Korean or English, and must include the doctor’s signature, official seal of hospital, issue date, and hospital address.

This is a requirement for the host institution residence halls, not for your UCEAP Health Clearance. Please proceed with your health clearance process, then arrange for a TB test and measles vaccination appointment if needed, either through Tang or a private provider, within six months of your program start.

TB Skin Test

A Tuberculosis skin test is strongly recommended before travel if a student has not had one within two years.

Seasonal Flu

Influenza is one of the most common ailments for UCEAP students. Students are frequently in crowded places and regularly take crowded public transportation. The UCEAP Physician Consultant recommends flu vaccination for all students and strongly recommends it for those who will be abroad during the fall or winter with any chronic medical condition.

Bacterial Meningitis

Students planning to live in dormitories should be vaccinated against Meningococcal disease.

Measles

Measles remains a common disease in many parts of the world, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, and Africa. Students who have not been vaccinated are at risk of getting the disease and spreading it to others.

Allergies

UCEAP advises students with certain medical conditions to wear a medical alert ID bracelet or pendant at all times while abroad. Such conditions may include diabetes, asthma, serious (anaphylactic) allergies, or any condition that could have severe consequences if they are unable to communicate during a health emergency.

Prescription Medications

Although medications in amounts clearly related to personal use for the expected duration of a trip (30 days) are rarely inspected or questioned, local Customs officials can be suspicious of medications, particularly if students are traveling with large amounts. In some countries, drugs that are legal and readily available in the US are considered illegal, require a prescription, or arouse the suspicions of local officials or customs and immigration authorities.

 

Prescribed medication regimens are important to student's health and well-being. Students should never abruptly discontinue their medication, especially abroad.

 

UCEAP cannot maintain a list of prescribed (or over-the-counter) medications and their legality in the different countries. It is the student’s responsibility to get this information before departure.

 

Students must:

- Keep medicines in their original, labeled, pharmacy packaging when possible. The label should include the student’s name. 

- Obtain and carry a letter from the prescribing physician on letterhead, appropriately signed and dated, stating diagnosis, treatment, and medication regimen, including the generic name.

- Review medication regulations on the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) website and official government sites if they take medications containing controlled substances (including amphetamine-based medications). Excerpted national statutes for most countries can be found on the INCB website. 

 

Students with diabetes and those who use injectable medications should obtain and carry at all times a doctor’s letter explaining the need to carry needles and syringes. According to some students’ reports, their US health practitioners have assumed that doctors abroad can prescribe the same medications commonly prescribed in the US. This is not always the case. Students should research whether their medications are legal and locally available in their program country.

Mailing Medications Abroad

Many countries have strict laws about mailing medications. Students, and their parents, have found out the hard way that their medications, including oral contraceptives and vitamins, are stopped by host country's customs officials. Additionally, the US Post Office restricts using the US postal system to mail medications. Prescription medications can only be mailed by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registered entities. Similar regulations may apply to over-the-counter medications.

 

Do not mail any type of pharmaceuticals to other countries.

General Immunizations

If you are planning travel to areas outside your EAP program country which may have additional health requirements/immunizations, you may get these immunizations from the Tang Travel Clinic, or from your own doctor or health maintenance organization.
Many common immunizations are given as a series of vaccinations that may take months to complete, so begin the process as early as possible. Planning ahead may also allow for a wider range of vaccine options and reduced cost to you.

Additional Immunizations

If you complete your health clearance with a private provider, but then find you need to get an immunization from the Tang Center which was not available from your private provider, you must complete Individual Travel Clinic Consultation at the Tang Center and we encourage you to do set up this appointment as soon as possible. This rule applies to the Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever vaccines and may apply to malaria prophylactics, typhoid vaccine and others. If you have SHIP Insurance, then SHIP covers:

- The cost of the Travel Consultation.
- Immunizations that are part of the domestic series at 100%, such as influenza, HPV, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough), Hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella).
- Immunizations unique to travel at 100%, such as Japanese encephalitis and typhoid (injectable).