If you are enrolled in National Health Insurance (국민건강보험), your general health checkup is free. In 2026 it covers people born in an even-numbered year, plus every employee in a non-office job. Some groups also have an age limit, shown in the first table. You have until 31 December 2026 to take it.
This is the national checkup run by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS, 국민건강보험공단). It is not a paid full body checkup package. A Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) notice sets the list of tests. Under Article 109 of the National Health Insurance Act, enrolled foreign residents are insured people too, so the rules below apply to them.
Who gets the free checkup in 2026
Rules verified October 2026 · National Health Insurance Act, Article 52 · Enforcement Decree, Article 25 · NHIS 2026 checkup notice
Article 52 of the National Health Insurance Act names who can take the general checkup (일반건강검진). The Enforcement Decree sets the cycle at least once every two years. Employees who do not work in an office take it every year. NHIS splits the two-year cycle by year of birth.
| Your insurance status | Korean name | Age | On the 2026 list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee, non-office job | 직장가입자 (비사무직) | Any age | Every year |
| Employee, office job | 직장가입자 (사무직) | Any age | Born in an even year |
| Self-employed member, head of household | 지역가입자 세대주 | Any age | Born in an even year |
| Self-employed member, other household member | 지역가입자 세대원 | 20 or older | Born in an even year |
| Dependent of an employee | 피부양자 | 20 or older | Born in an even year |
If you are an employee and due only for the general checkup, NHIS sends the list to your workplace instead of a personal notice. Ask your workplace whether you are on it.
NHIS warns that the list can change. A stay abroad, starting or leaving a job, or a loss of insurance coverage can change it. Check again before you go. Your row in the table depends on your type of enrollment.
Once you are enrolled and on the list, you do not apply for the checkup. NHIS sends a checkup notice (건강검진표), or a list to your workplace.
What the checkup includes
The Ministry of Health and Welfare notice on checkup standards (건강검진 실시기준) sets the list of tests. Everyone gets the same basic set. Some tests are added at certain ages.
| Test | Who gets it |
|---|---|
| Cholesterol, four types | Men from 24 and women from 40, every four years |
| Hepatitis B | Age 40, unless you already carry the virus or are immune |
| Hepatitis C | Age 56 |
| Lung function | Ages 56 and 66 · new in 2026 |
| Bone density | Women aged 54, 60 and 66 |
| Depression screening | Every two years from 20 to 34, then once between 35 and 39, and once in each ten-year span from 40 to 79 |
| Early psychosis screening | Ages 20 to 34, every two years |
| Lifestyle assessment | Ages 40, 50, 60 and 70 |
| Cognitive function | From 66, every two years |
| Physical function for older adults | Ages 66, 70 and 80 |
| Dental plaque test | Age 40 |
If the lung function test is on your notice, check the center first. NHIS asks people due for this new test to confirm that the center has the equipment before they visit.
How much it costs
Costs verified October 2026 · Health Checkup Standards (Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice 2026-6), Articles 12 and 14
For an insured person or a dependent, NHIS pays the full cost of the general checkup. Article 12 of the checkup standards says so. You pay nothing at the center for the tests in the standard list.
A second checkup in the same cycle. NHIS can ask you to pay back the cost of the extra checkup (Article 14).
Cancer screening. Your notice can also list cancer screening, which is a separate program. For some cancer tests, you pay 10 percent of the cost. People with lower premiums pay nothing.
A follow-up visit is also covered. Some results suggest a possible disease: high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, tuberculosis, depression, early psychosis or hepatitis C. In those cases you can visit a clinic for a confirming test. You do not pay your share for the first visit if you go by 31 March 2027. For hepatitis C, you pay at the clinic first. Then you ask NHIS to pay you back.
How to get the checkup, step by step
Step 1 — Check that you are on this year’s list
NHIS sends the checkup notice as an electronic document. If you do not open it, the notice goes by mail to your registered address. Employees are listed through their workplace. You can also check on the NHIS website under 건강모아, then 나의 건강, then 검진대상 조회. That screen needs a Korean simple authentication or certificate login.
If you lost the notice or never got one, NHIS asks you to call 1577-1000 or visit a branch office. Staff there can issue it again.
Step 2 — Find a designated checkup center and book
You can take the checkup at any designated center in Korea, wherever your address is. The center finder on the NHIS website works without a login, and the NHIS app, 건강보험 25시, has the same menu. Go to 건강모아, then 기관 찾기, then 병(의)원/검진기관 찾기, then 검진기관 찾기, and select 일반 for the general checkup. NHIS asks you to check and book ahead, because bookings at a center can close early.
Step 3 — Do not eat after 9 p.m. the night before
On the morning of the checkup, skip breakfast. NHIS also asks you to avoid water, coffee, milk, juice, cigarettes and gum. If your checkup is in the afternoon, do not eat for at least eight hours before it.
Step 4 — Bring ID and complete the questionnaire
The checkup standards accept a Korean resident registration card (주민등록증), a driver’s license or a passport. They also accept the IDs named in Article 7 of the Enforcement Rule. That article names the Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증). The center checks your status with NHIS, then gives you a health questionnaire (문진표) to complete.
Step 5 — Get your results within 15 days
The center must send your results within 15 days of the checkup, by mail or email. If a result suggests a disease, the center tells you to see a doctor for a follow-up test.
What happens if you miss 31 December
Dates verified October 2026 · NHIS general checkup page
The checkup period runs from 1 January to 31 December each year. There is one exception. If you were on last year’s list and did not go, you can ask NHIS to add you to this year’s list.
A missed year does not move to the next year by itself. You must ask NHIS during the following year.
How the result helps in other places
A checkup result can save you a separate test. NHIS lists two uses. First, it can replace part of the driver’s license check. If you had a national checkup in the two years before you apply or renew, you may not need the vision and hearing test. This applies only after NHIS has settled the center’s claim for your checkup.
Second, your checkup result can replace a pre-employment checkup (채용 신체검사). NHIS accepts either its replacement notice or your result notice for this. The replacement notice covers a checkup from the last two years. Print it from the NHIS website under 채용 건강검진 대체 통보서.
What to say at the counter
Show the Korean line on your phone, or read the romanized line aloud.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every rule and date here comes from the pages below. Rules change each year, so open the page before you act on it.