NHIS National Health Screening (건강검진) in Korea for Foreign Residents

If you are enrolled in National Health Insurance (국민건강보험), do not treat national health screening (건강검진) as an optional extra. NHIS runs it as part of the insurance system, and NHIS says health insurance for foreigners has the same coverage as it does for Korean citizens.

This guide is about screening after you are insured. If you are not sure whether you are enrolled yet, start with the NHIS enrollment guide.

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Who The Screening Program Covers

NHIS lists these general health-checkup targets on its English health-promotion page:

• Employee-insured members
• Self-employed insured householders
• Self-employed insured subscribers age 20 or older
• Dependents age 20 or older

The Korean NHIS page gives a similar target list for general health screening: local householders, employee-insured members, household members and dependents age 20 or older, and medical-aid recipients age 20 to 64.

The practical rule is simple: if you are enrolled in NHIS, check whether NHIS has selected you as a screening target for this year. Screening timing depends on the NHIS cycle, not on your nationality.

Timing

NHIS says general health screening is conducted once every two years. Non-office workers (비사무직) are screened every year.

NHIS materials describe the common birth-year cycle this way:

• Odd birth year: odd calendar years
• Even birth year: even calendar years

Use that as a quick estimate only. Your exact status is the one shown by NHIS after authentication.

The screening period is the calendar year, January 1 to December 31. NHIS says the general health-screening period ends on December 31 each year.

General Health Checkup

NHIS says the general health checkup is fully covered by NHIS.

The Korean NHIS general-screening page lists these core items:

• Consultation and counseling
• Body measurements, including height, weight, waist circumference, and obesity index
• Vision and hearing tests
• Blood pressure
• Chest X-ray
• Blood tests, including hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, AST, ALT, gamma-GTP, serum creatinine, and e-GFR
• Urine test
• Oral screening

NHIS may add age-specific or risk-specific items. Check your current NHIS target notice rather than assuming every item applies to every person every year.

Cancer Screening

NHIS lists six cancer-screening categories:

• Stomach cancer (위암): age 40 or older, every two years
• Colorectal cancer (대장암): age 50 or older, every year, starting with a fecal occult blood test
• Liver cancer (간암): high-risk people age 40 or older, every six months
• Breast cancer (유방암): women age 40 or older, every two years
• Cervical cancer (자궁경부암): women age 20 or older, every two years
• Lung cancer (폐암): high-risk people age 54 to 74, every two years

NHIS says cancer screening is generally covered 90% by NHIS and 10% by the examinee. Colorectal and cervical cancer screenings are fully covered by NHIS.

There are exceptions and follow-up cost rules. For example, NHIS warns that skipping the first-stage fecal occult blood test and getting a colonoscopy directly can make the examinee responsible for the full cost. If NHIS marks you for cancer screening, check the target notice before booking.

How To Check And Book

NHIS says a health screening form is sent electronically. If you did not receive it or lost it, NHIS says you can request reissue through 1577-1000 or a nearby branch. The NHIS Korean page also says you can authenticate on the site and print a screening-target confirmation from Health Moa (건강모아) > My Health (나의 건강) > Screening Target Inquiry (검진대상 조회).

For cancer screening, NHIS describes the booking flow as: confirm the relevant screening institution, make a reservation, and visit the institution with an identity document.

Before the appointment, follow the fasting instructions from NHIS and the clinic. NHIS says not to eat after 9 PM on the day before the exam, and to avoid food, water, coffee, milk, cigarettes, juice, gum, and similar items on the morning of the exam. If you screen in the afternoon, NHIS says to keep at least an 8-hour fasting period.

Results And Follow-Up

NHIS says the screening institution sends the result notice within 15 days after completing the health screening, by mail or email.

If the result notice flags a suspected condition, use the follow-up instructions in the notice. NHIS lists follow-up confirmation routes for certain suspected findings after general screening, including hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, pulmonary tuberculosis, depression or early psychosis, and hepatitis C.

Help In Your Language

NHIS lists its main call center as 1577-1000. For English, Chinese, Uzbek, and Vietnamese consultation, NHIS says to call 1577-1000 extension 6 or 033-811-2000.

Call NHIS if you need to confirm:

• Whether you are a screening target this year
• Whether you should bring a specific identity document
• Which screening institution is available near you
• Whether a cancer-screening item applies to your age or risk category

For help finding English-speaking medical staff, see Seoulstart's guide to finding English-speaking doctors in Korea, or browse Seoulstart's healthcare directory for English-speaking clinics and hospitals by district.

FAQ

Can foreign residents use NHIS health screening?

Yes, if you are enrolled in NHIS and selected as a screening target. NHIS says health insurance for foreigners has the same coverage as it does for Korean citizens. Enrollment timing is separate, so check the NHIS enrollment guide if you are not yet insured.

How often is the general health checkup?

NHIS says general health screening is conducted once every two years, while non-office workers are screened every year. NHIS materials also describe the common birth-year cycle: odd birth years in odd years, even birth years in even years.

What does the general health checkup cost?

NHIS states that the general health checkup is fully covered by NHIS.

Which cancer screenings are included?

NHIS lists stomach, colorectal, liver, breast, cervical, and lung cancer screenings. Each has its own age or risk criteria.

What do cancer screenings cost?

NHIS says cancer screening is generally covered 90% by NHIS and 10% by the examinee. Colorectal and cervical cancer screenings are fully covered by NHIS.

How do I check or book?

Use the NHIS site or app to check whether you are a target for this year, then confirm a screening institution and make a reservation. NHIS says you can request a reissued screening form by calling 1577-1000 or a nearby branch if you lost or did not receive it.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-nhis-health-screening-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{NHIS National Health Screening (건강검진) in Korea for Foreign Residents}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-nhis-health-screening-guide},
  note = {Last updated June 6, 2026}
}