Health Checkups in Korea: What NHIS Covers and Who Is Eligible (2026)

Health checkups in Korea are provided free or at a reduced cost through the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). NHIS covers the employee insured, the self-employed insured, and their dependents, including foreigners and overseas Koreans who hold qualifying visa types. If you are enrolled in NHIS as an employee, a self-employed subscriber, or a dependent, you qualify for the same checkup program as Korean nationals, based on your age and your insured status. That applies whether you hold Korean nationality or are a foreigner enrolled through a workplace or on your own.

This guide explains which checkups the NHIS provides, who meets the eligibility rules for the general checkup and the cancer checkups, and how foreigners who are enrolled in NHIS, whether through a workplace or as self-employed subscribers, are covered. It also covers the other health promotion services NHIS runs alongside the checkup program, and what to check before you rely on any of the specific numbers below.

At a glance

Item	Details
What this covers	The NHIS general health checkup and cancer checkups for stomach, breast, colorectal, uterine (cervical), and liver cancer
Who qualifies for the general checkup	The employee insured; and the self-employed insured who are householders, subscribers aged 20 or older, or dependents aged 20 or older
Cancer checkup age rules	Stomach and breast: 40+ (every 2 years); colorectal: 50+ (yearly); uterine/cervical: 20+ (every 2 years); liver: 40+ (every 6 months)
Cost of the general checkup	Fully covered by NHIS
Cost of cancer checkups	NHIS pays 90%, you pay 10%, except colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and Pap tests, which NHIS covers in full
Employed foreigners	Compulsorily subscribed to NHIS when working at an NHIS-covered workplace; exclusion is possible with equivalent foreign coverage
Self-employed foreigners	Mandatory NHIS subscription after staying in Korea over six months (in effect since July 16, 2019), for specific visa categories
Where to check details	The NHIS English-language website, including the downloadable physical examination program guidebook

Who Is Eligible for Health Checkups in Korea

NHIS divides general checkup eligibility by how you are insured. The employee insured qualify automatically through workplace coverage, while the self-employed insured qualify if they are a householder, a subscriber aged 20 or older, or a dependent aged 20 or older.

Cancer checkups follow their own age rules depending on the cancer type, and these rules apply the same way whether you are a Korean national or a foreigner enrolled in NHIS.

Stomach cancer and breast cancer: age 40 or older, once every two years
Colorectal cancer: age 50 or older, once a year
Uterine (cervical) cancer: age 20 or older, once every two years
Liver cancer: age 40 or older, once every six months

Your eligibility for any of these checkups ties directly to which insured category you fall under. A dependent under the self-employed insured category, for example, only qualifies for the general checkup once they reach age 20, regardless of the main subscriber’s age.

What the General Health Checkup Covers

The general health checkup is fully covered by NHIS, with no co-payment for anyone in the employee insured or self-employed insured categories.

This applies regardless of nationality once you are properly enrolled through either insured category, including dependents aged 20 or older recognized under the self-employed insured rules described above.

⚠️ NHIS publishes a downloadable physical examination program guidebook with the full details of what the general checkup includes.

What the Cancer Checkups Cover

Cancer checkups are a separate program from the general checkup, with different age thresholds and a different co-payment for each cancer type.

Cancer type	Eligible age	Frequency	Co-payment
Stomach cancer	40 or older	Once every two years	NHIS 90%, you pay 10%
Breast cancer	40 or older	Once every two years	NHIS 90%, you pay 10%
Colorectal cancer	50 or older	Once a year	Fully covered by NHIS
Uterine (cervical) cancer	20 or older	Once every two years	Fully covered by NHIS
Liver cancer	40 or older	Once every six months	NHIS 90%, you pay 10%

NHIS also pays the whole cost of Pap tests, separate from the general cervical cancer co-payment rule above. These age and frequency rules are the same for Korean nationals and for foreigners enrolled in NHIS, whether as the employee insured or the self-employed insured.

How Foreigners Enrolled in NHIS Are Covered for Health Checkups in Korea

If you are an employed foreigner working at a workplace covered by national health insurance, you are compulsorily subscribed to NHIS, including if you are employed or appointed as a public official, teacher, or private school staff member. You may apply for exclusion only if you can show you already have medical benefits equivalent to NHIS coverage through foreign law, foreign insurance, or a contract with your employer.

If you are self-employed or not working through an insured workplace, you and other overseas Koreans are subject to mandatory NHIS subscription once you have stayed in Korea for more than six months, a rule in effect since July 16, 2019. This applies to holders of specific visa types, listed below.

Culture & Arts (D-1), Students (D-2), Industrial training (D-3), General training (D-4), Press coverage (D-5), Religious workers (D-6), Intra-company transfer (D-7), Investment (D-8), Trade and management (D-9)
Professor (E-1), Foreign language teaching (E-2), Research (E-3), Technological guidance (E-4), Professional employment (E-5), Arts and entertainment (E-6), Specific activities (E-7), Non-professional employment (E-9), Labor abroad (E-10)
Visiting for cohabitation (F-1), Residence (F-2), Dependents (F-3), Overseas-based Korean (F-4), Permanent resident (F-5), Marriage immigration (F-6)
Tourism employment (H-1), Visiting employment (H-2)

Once you are enrolled under either category, you and any dependents who meet the NHIS income, property, and relationship criteria are covered for the same general and cancer checkups described above, under the same age and insured-status rules.

⚠️ Recognizing a foreign family member as a dependent requires specific documents, including a notarized or Apostilled record of the relationship, so check the current document list with NHIS before you apply.

Other Health Promotion Services from NHIS

Alongside the checkup program, NHIS runs broader health promotion activities that connect to your checkup results.

Personalized health counseling and information for people with risk factors for metabolic syndrome, based on checkup results
Health measurement devices installed and operated inside NHIS branch offices
Youth Health Experience Schools for elementary, middle, and high school students, covering obesity, smoking cessation, moderation in drinking, mental health, and healthy physical activity
Campaigns for the prevention of diabetes and adult high blood pressure
Phone calls, face-to-face counseling, or customized information booklets for people who show symptoms after a checkup
The NHIS-MOVE 100 exercise program, which provides participant-centered health management services to improve physical function and support a healthy lifestyle

These services are tied to the same checkup results described earlier, so taking your general or cancer checkup on schedule is what gives NHIS the data to offer this follow-up support.

Common Mistakes and What Depends on Your Case

Eligibility, age thresholds, and co-payments for health checkups in Korea depend on your insured category and sometimes your visa type, so check your own situation rather than assuming a general rule applies.

Checking the wrong age bracket: the starting age and frequency differ for each cancer type, so stomach, breast, colorectal, uterine, and liver cancer checkups are not interchangeable
Assuming every visa type is treated the same: NHIS guidance has noted temporary deferrals for specific visa categories in the past, so visa-based rules can change
Forgetting that cancer checkup co-payments differ from the general checkup, except for colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and Pap tests, which NHIS covers in full
Not confirming a foreign dependent’s required documents in advance, since NHIS asks for notarized or Apostilled proof of the family relationship

⚠️ Because your co-payment and exact eligibility depend on your insured category, age, and visa, confirm the current rules on the official NHIS page before you go for a checkup.

Frequently asked questions

Are health checkups in Korea free for foreigners enrolled in NHIS?

The general health checkup is fully covered by NHIS for anyone in the employee insured or self-employed insured categories, including foreigners. Cancer checkups are usually covered at 90% by NHIS, with you paying the remaining 10%, except for colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and Pap tests, which NHIS covers in full.

Who qualifies as self-employed insured for the general checkup?

Householders, subscribers aged 20 or older, and dependents aged 20 or older under the self-employed insured category qualify for the general health checkup, the same way the employee insured qualify through their workplace.

Do foreigners have to join NHIS before they can get these checkups?

Yes. Foreigners working at an NHIS-covered workplace are compulsorily subscribed, and foreigners or overseas Koreans who stay in Korea for more than six months are subject to mandatory self-employed insured subscription since July 16, 2019. Checkup eligibility follows directly from this enrollment.

What age do I need to be for each cancer checkup?

Stomach and breast cancer checkups start at age 40 and repeat every two years. Colorectal cancer checkups start at age 50 and repeat yearly. Uterine (cervical) cancer checkups start at age 20 and repeat every two years. Liver cancer checkups start at age 40 and repeat every six months.

Can my dependents also get health checkups in Korea?

Dependents aged 20 or older under the self-employed insured category, who also meet NHIS’s income, property, and relationship criteria, are covered for the general health checkup along with the main subscriber. Confirm your dependent’s recognized status with NHIS, since foreign family members need specific supporting documents.

Confirm your insured category, age bracket, and visa type before you rely on these rules, since eligibility for health checkups in Korea depends on all three. The NHIS English-language pages, including the downloadable checkup guidebook, have the fullest official detail on the general and cancer checkup programs. Keep your NHIS enrollment active, since checkup access depends on being a current subscriber or a recognized dependent.

Last checked: October 10, 2026. Rules, fees and required documents in Korea change often, and some depend on your visa type and district office. Always confirm the current details on the official pages below before you go.