MFDS Updates: Did You Know Korea Just Reduced Import Barriers for Personal-Use Medical Devices?
MFDS Simplifies Import Procedures for Personal-Use Medical Devices. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of Korea has officially announced a partial amendment to the Regulation on Exemption from Import Requirements for Medical Devices , simplifying the process for patients with rare and intractable diseases who regularly import personal-use medical devices with no domestic equivalent for diagnosis or treatment. ( Notification No. 2026-27 ) This amendment took effect on the date of its announcement, March 31, 2026. Key Changes Before: Patients were required to re-submit a medical certificate (or doctor's opinion) every time they reimported a medical device that had previously received an import requirement exemption. After: A medical certificate (or doctor's opinion) is required only for the initial submission. For subsequent reimports, the original documentation on file is accepted in lieu of a new submission. GCA Korea provides expert support for global compan...