I was bound to end up in the ER in a foreign country. Through this blog, you know I love to travel. I’ve also talked about my chronic illness on the blog.

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While traveling in South Korea this past spring I finally ended up in the ER. I had had some abdominal pain for a few days leading up to my flight home, but I thought I’d be okay. Fast forward to the day of my flight and I was in so much pain I couldn’t stand up straight.

New friends I had met during the trip generously drove me to the Vievis Namuh hospital in the Gangnam area of Seoul. Can you believe I waited only 20 minutes to be seen by an ER doctor? The visit and medication I needed were so inexpensive, travel insurance wasn’t even necessary.

In the photo below, I’m waiting in the main lobby of the hospital before going to the Emergency Room area.

Long story short, I was able to stay one extra night in Seoul to rest. And I was able to get medicine that allowed me to take the long journey home.

If you ever find yourself going to the ER in a foreign country it can be very scary. Let me give you 5 tips to help you be more prepared.

Bring a current list of doctors and medications (with dosage)

I had no idea what my dosage was and had to call my pharmacy at home and my mother to try to find out for me. Don’t be like me, have a list on hand.

Include prescription drugs as well as vitamins and natural remedies that you take.

Buy travel insurance with medical insurance

In my case, the medical system in South Korea didn’t price gouge me. This may not be the case if you end up in the ER in a foreign country. Please purchase travel insurance in advance. Make sure that it includes medical insurance. Read the fine print of your policy as some policies only cover certain medical procedures.

If you’re interested in seeing what travel insurance actually covers for your specific trip, get a free travel insurance quote.

And check out my post on how I recommend purchasing travel insurance. I walk you step by step through the process.

Download a translation app

I was fortunate enough to have friends that helped translate for me. The doctor also spoke some English.

A translation app such as Offline Language Translator will help you communicate with the doctors and nurses at the hospital.

Google Lens is another great option for translating documents. I used it to translate my prescription.

Download a currency conversion app

Use a currency conversion app such as Easy Currency Converter.

This is another great app to have. You need to know how much your medicine and medical bills are.

Make sure the hospital can handle your medical problem

Some hospitals are larger than others and can handle more complex medical problems. There were a lot of hospitals in the Gangnam Seoul area due to the popularity of plastic surgery. Many weren’t general hospitals. My friends called around to several hospitals before assuring the one we went to could handle my situation.

The Vievis Namuh Hospital “is the first and the best to specialize in gastrointestinal disease in Korea, providing the expertise of a university hospital and the convenience of a private clinic” (according to their website). I was taken to exactly where I needed to be for my severe gastrointestinal issues. I would say it felt like divine intervention.

Bonus Tip: Enjoy the perks. Request a wheelchair at the airport and breeze through security.

I hope that you are never in a situation where you need to visit the ER in a foreign country. However, it is always best to be prepared for an emergency situation. So, save this post and use these tips if you’re ever in a similar situation.