The question splits cleanly on one variable: does your treatment plan involve hospitalization or a long course of care? For the treatments international visitors actually book in Myeongdong — botox, laser toning, skin boosters, single-session HIFU and RF lifting — the answer is no on both counts: the entire clinical footprint is one outpatient visit of 60-90 minutes, and Korean law does not require a medical-purpose visa to receive outpatient care during a lawful tourist stay. Passport holders from the United States, United Kingdom, most EU states, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore enter visa-free for up to 90 days (Canada up to 6 months); many visa-waiver nationalities must obtain a K-ETA electronic travel authorization online before boarding, so check k-eta.go.kr for your passport's current status, as exemption windows change.
The C-3-3 short-term medical-tourism visa serves two different populations: nationals of countries whose passports require a visa for any Korea entry, and patients whose plan genuinely is medical-stay-shaped — surgery with admission, or repeated treatment cycles that anchor the trip. The G-1-10 category sits further out again, covering long-term treatment and recuperation beyond a short-term window. Neither is designed for a tourist who spends one morning at a skin clinic between shopping and dinner.
What deserves your preparation time instead is the visit itself: a written line-item quote by messenger before you fly, a confirmed slot, and departure logistics — see booking from abroad, flying after botox, and the published price list. Immigration rules are government territory and do change — verify your nationality's current rule on the official portals (k-eta.go.kr, visa.go.kr) before booking flights; what follows maps the routes as they are commonly applied.