You may be packing for a move to Korea with a child who takes ADHD medicine daily. Or you already live there, and a teacher has asked about an ADHD evaluation. Either way, you need to know where to go, what it costs and what you can legally bring.
This column answers four questions from Korea's official sources, as of October 2026: how ADHD is evaluated and paid for, which medicines are approved, how to bring your child's medicine in, and what school and welfare laws say about foreign children. Where the pages are silent, we say so.
How is ADHD evaluated in Korea?
Korea's government mental health portal (국가정신건강정보포털), run by the National Center for Mental Health (국립정신건강센터), calls ADHD a clinical diagnosis. Its page, reviewed in May 2020, says interviews with the child and a parent, behavior observation and questionnaires matter most. It places ADHD in child psychiatry (소아정신과), so look for that kind of clinic.
A 2017 Korean ADHD guideline in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry names three core parts of an evaluation: a clinical interview, a medical exam and behavior rating scales. One scale is the K-ARS, the Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV, which parents and teachers fill in for school-age children.
The guideline calls psychological tests not essential to a diagnosis or treatment plan. If a clinic suggests a full psychological evaluation (종합심리평가), ask what it will add. Neither source describes one test that confirms ADHD.
What does health insurance cover, and can foreigners join?
Coverage criteria from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA, 건강보험심사평가원), in force since July 1, 2025, cover symptom and behavior rating scales: up to 12 at a first diagnosis and up to 6 per follow-up visit. We could not confirm whether the K-ARS or a full psychological evaluation is covered, or find an official price list, so ask the clinic.
The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 국민건강보험공단) English page says any foreigner who stays in Korea over six months must join National Health Insurance, with "the same coverage" as Korean citizens. Our column on infant screening explains enrollment. HIRA's ADHD criteria set no nationality condition, so an enrolled foreign child should be covered on the same terms. That is our reading, and neither rule says what a short-term visitor pays.
Which ADHD medicines are approved in Korea?
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS, 식품의약품안전처) runs a drug database (의약품안전나라). Our October 25, 2026 search found 16 methylphenidate listings, including Concerta OROS from Janssen Korea, Medikinet Retard and Penid, all marked as controlled psychotropic drugs. Atomoxetine, not marked as a narcotic, has 33 listings. Lilly Korea withdrew Strattera on January 22, 2025, but other makers' atomoxetine is still listed as approved.
| Medicine | In MFDS database | Insurance pays at ages |
|---|---|---|
| Extended-release methylphenidate (Concerta) | Listed | 6 to 65 |
| Immediate-release methylphenidate (Penid) | Listed | 6 to 18 |
| Atomoxetine | Listed | 6 to 65 |
| Amphetamine-based (Adderall, Vyvanse) | No product listed | Not in the criteria |
Insurance pays only within these ages, once ADHD is confirmed under DSM-5 or ICD-10 guidelines (HIRA criteria in force since September 1, 2025, checked October 2026). Outside them, the patient pays the full price.
How do you bring ADHD medicine into Korea?
Methylphenidate is a controlled drug in Korea. MFDS requires a permit from anyone entering Korea with medicine that contains a controlled substance, whatever their nationality. The rule, in place since October 23, 2009, comes from the Narcotics Control Act (마약류 관리에 관한 법률).
MFDS's English guideline (checked October 2026) asks for a passport copy, your flight booking, a valid prescription and a doctor's letter giving the diagnosis, brand and generic names, dose and quantity. If your country issues a drug export certificate for travelers, submit it. Papers must be in English or Korean, or have a notarized translation.
You apply online, and the portal has an English version. Processing takes up to 10 business days, so MFDS wants applications at least 10 business days before you enter Korea and rejects later ones. Its FAQ says nothing can speed this up, even a fee. Four more rules:
- Amount. Only enough for your trip, and never more than a 90-day supply at the highest prescribed dose. MFDS may allow up to 5 extra days' dose for delays. For stays beyond 90 days, MFDS says the rest should be prescribed in Korea.
- Carry it yourself. Keep it in your hand luggage; mailing it is prohibited.
- One person, one permit. A permit goes only to the person who takes the medicine, never to a family member. As we read it, your child needs a separate application in your child's name. We found no rule on how a parent applies for a minor, so ask MFDS.
- Transit. Changing planes without passing immigration needs no permit.
Medicines not marked as controlled follow a different rule, according to the Korean Consulate General in Atlanta (May 2026 notice) and the U.S. Embassy (May 2026 page), both checked October 2026. MFDS says it does not handle them and points to the Korea Customs Service (관세청).
| Controlled (methylphenidate) | Not marked as controlled (atomoxetine) | |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | MFDS permit, 10 business days ahead | Ask customs before you fly |
| Amount | Up to 90 days' supply | Up to 6 bottles or a 3-month supply |
| Proof | Documents listed above | Prescription, doctor's letter or pharmacy label showing personal use |
MFDS's database does not mark atomoxetine as a narcotic, but no page we read says it can be brought in without a check, so confirm with customs. The U.S. Embassy says customs at Incheon Airport makes the final call and procedures can change without notice. Before buying tickets, check the current rules with MFDS and, as its FAQ advises, your own country's embassy in Korea.
What about Adderall, Vyvanse and other amphetamine medicines?
The official pages give no clear yes or no. Here is what they show.
- Amphetamine, dexamphetamine and lisdexamfetamine are on the same schedule of psychotropic drugs as methylphenidate (Annex 4 of the Act's Enforcement Decree), so the permit rule applies.
- MFDS's database shows no approved product with these ingredients (searched October 25, 2026). The government portal's page (reviewed 2020) says only methylphenidate, not amphetamine, is sold in Korea.
- The U.S. Embassy lists amphetamines among medicines that need MFDS approval before entry.
What we cannot tell you is whether MFDS grants a permit for them. The guideline and FAQ name no medicine as allowed or banned, and the Embassy page does not say either, so do not assume yes or no. Ask MFDS in writing before you book, and ask your own embassy in Korea. The U.S. Embassy page lists an MFDS email for questions, and MFDS's English page gives +82-43-719-1564 for English speakers.
The database also lists no dexmethylphenidate, guanfacine or viloxazine, so ask MFDS or customs about those. If MFDS says no, the guideline suggests discussing alternative medicines in Korea with your doctor. We found no rule on whether a Korean doctor can continue a prescription written abroad.
Can a foreign child get special education in Korea?
Under Korea's Special Education Act (장애인 등에 대한 특수교육법), local education officials select children eligible for special education (특수교육대상자) after a diagnosis and evaluation. The Act lists 11 types, including emotional or behavioral disorder, learning disorder and developmental delay (for infants and children under 9).
The word ADHD appears nowhere in the Act, its Enforcement Decree or the selection criteria (October 2026 versions). So the law does not say an ADHD diagnosis makes a child eligible, and we will not guess which type might fit. Selected children get an individualized education plan (개별화교육계획) each semester, written by a team that includes the guardian.
The Act itself has no clause about nationality, so it neither says foreign children qualify nor that they do not. A separate decree on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (초·중등교육법 시행령) lets the guardian of a foreign child apply to the local elementary school, but that covers enrollment, not special education selection. Ask your district office of education (교육지원청) before you assume either way.
Can a foreign family use developmental rehabilitation vouchers?
Developmental rehabilitation vouchers (발달재활서비스 바우처) help pay for services for children with disabilities. The 2026 program page of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부), checked October 2026, lists three conditions: age under 18, household income at or below 180 percent of the standard median, and registration with a visual, hearing, speech and language, intellectual, autism spectrum or brain lesion disability. A child under 9 can apply without registration if a specialist's referral and test results point to one of these.
ADHD is not one of the six types, and neither official page mentions it. A child registered under one of them who also has ADHD may qualify, but that is our reading.
Under the Child Disability Welfare Support Act (장애아동 복지지원법), a child with a disability is generally a person under 18 registered under the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act (장애인복지법). Article 32-2 of that second Act lists five cases in which foreigners and overseas Koreans can register: overseas Koreans who filed a residence report, overseas citizens registered as residents, permanent residents with alien registration, marriage migrants and recognized refugees.
The voucher pages mention no nationality or visa condition, and we found no guidance on how foreign applicants are handled. Ask the relevant welfare office before you assume either way.
The short version
- Korea's government portal and a 2017 guideline describe ADHD as a clinical diagnosis built on interviews, observation and rating scales, with psychological tests not essential.
- MFDS's database lists methylphenidate and atomoxetine but no amphetamine product. Insurance covers extended-release methylphenidate and atomoxetine at ages 6 to 65, and immediate-release methylphenidate at 6 to 18.
- Controlled medicines such as methylphenidate need an MFDS permit whatever your nationality: apply online at least 10 business days ahead, carry up to a 90-day supply by hand, and apply for each person who takes the medicine.
- No page we read says whether MFDS permits Adderall or Vyvanse ingredients. Ask MFDS and your own embassy in Korea first, and ask customs about medicines not marked as controlled.
- Korea's special education law never names ADHD and has no nationality clause. Vouchers cover six disability types, and the disability act lists five cases for foreigners to register. Confirm eligibility with the relevant office.
This column is based on MFDS's permit page, guideline, FAQ and drug database, the U.S. Embassy in Korea's controlled-substances page, HIRA's 2025 criteria, Korea's mental health portal, a 2017 ADHD guideline, Korean special education and disability laws, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 2026 voucher page and the NHIS English page, all checked October 2026. It is general information, not medical advice — talk to your child's doctor (or the relevant office) before making decisions.