What to prepare before travelling abroad for medical or aesthetic care

Before a consultation or quote

• Relevant medical records, current medicines, allergies and the concerns you want to discuss.
• The facility’s legal name and exact site address, plus the practitioner’s name and local registration details.
• A written plan that names the procedure, device or material, number of sessions, alternatives and risks.
• A written quote showing the currency, pricing unit, inclusions, expiry date and cancellation or refund terms.
• The language used for consent, how you can obtain your records and who to contact in an urgent situation.

If the plan is not clear, ask the provider to explain it in writing before making travel arrangements. A package title alone may not identify the actual procedure or what is included.

Travel, recovery and follow-up

• Planned treatment and review dates, and the expected length of stay.
• What could require a longer stay and who will advise whether it is appropriate to travel.
• How to contact the treating team if a problem occurs and how care will be handed off after returning home.
• Whether insurance covers the planned procedure, prior conditions, complications and follow-up care.
• Whether you can obtain treatment records, medicine instructions and follow-up information in a language you understand.

CDC’s medical travel information recommends considering follow-up care and keeping medical records. It is general guidance, not an individual travel clearance. Your treating team should advise about procedure-specific recovery and travel timing.

Check official records by destination

Start with the relevant official source, then match the exact facility and practitioner: South Korea’s international-patient register, Hong Kong’s facility register, Macao’s facility and practitioner searches and Taiwan’s facility and aesthetic medicine searches. More official search portals are listed in the provider directory. Registration types differ by destination and are not interchangeable.

This checklist is general information, not a diagnosis or medical instruction. It has not received clinical review.