Korea Health Screening 2026: Who Qualifies, Dec 31 Deadline

Korea runs one of the more generous public screening programs in the world. If you are covered by the National Health Insurance, you are offered a general health checkup every two years at no cost, plus cancer screening that is free or close to it, depending on the cancer and your income bracket.

The catch is the calendar. The screening year runs from January 1 to December 31, and once it closes, that year's slot is gone. Every autumn, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and local governments put out the same reminder: do not leave it to December. Clinics fill up in the last quarter, waits and fasting times get longer, and results come back later.

This guide covers what the NHIS publishes as of October 2, 2026. It walks through five questions in order: am I due this year, what is included, which parts can cost money, what to check before booking, and what happens if I miss it.

1. Are you due this year?

The general checkup runs on a two-year cycle, and 2026 is the turn of people born in even-numbered years — anyone whose birth year ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.

Who is covered depends on how you are enrolled in the National Health Insurance:

Self-employed or regional subscribers — the head of household, plus household members aged 20 and over

Employees (workplace subscribers) — office workers every two years; non-office workers every year, regardless of birth year

Dependents — those aged 20 and over

Medical Aid recipients — those aged 20 to 64

The fastest way to confirm is to look yourself up:

The NHIS website (nhis.or.kr) — the health section has a screening eligibility lookup

The "The건강보험" app — the NHIS mobile app, under its health screening menu

The NHIS call center, 1577-1000 — weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Once you know you are due, the sections below tell you what to expect at the clinic.

2. The basic checkup everyone gets

The core of the general checkup is the same for everyone:

A consultation with a doctor

Body measurements (height, weight, waist), vision and hearing tests, and blood pressure

A chest X-ray

Blood tests, including hemoglobin, fasting blood sugar, and liver and kidney markers

A urine test

A dental check

The general checkup is fully covered by the National Health Insurance. You pay nothing.

3. Tests added at specific ages

On top of the basics, extra tests are added by age and sex. Some of them are offered only at one or two specific ages, so it is worth knowing what your age unlocks this year.

Lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) — men 24 and over, women 40 and over, every four years

Hepatitis B test — at 40

Dental plaque check — at 40

Lifestyle assessment — at 40, 50, 60, and 70

Bone density scan — women at 54, 60, and 66

Hepatitis C test — at 56

Lung function test — at 56 and 66. This was added in 2026 to catch chronic obstructive pulmonary disease earlier.

Physical function test for older adults — at 66, 70, and 80

Cognitive impairment screening — 66 and over, every two years

Mental health screening changed the most recently. Since 2025, young adults are screened far more often than before:

Ages 20 to 34 — a depression questionnaire and an early psychosis questionnaire every two years, filled in yourself as part of the checkup

Ages 35 to 39 — a depression questionnaire once in that age band

Your 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s — a depression questionnaire once per decade

These questionnaires are screening tools, not diagnoses. Their job is to flag whether a closer look is worthwhile, and the program is designed to connect people to care when it is.

4. Cancer screening — the only part that may cost you anything

The national program screens for six cancers. Which ones you are offered depends on your age, sex, and in two cases, whether you are in a high-risk group.

Stomach cancer — 40 and over, every two years, by endoscopy (or an upper GI X-ray series)

Colorectal cancer — 50 and over, every year, by fecal occult blood test, followed by colonoscopy if the result is positive

Liver cancer — high-risk adults 40 and over, every six months, by liver ultrasound plus a blood test (alpha-fetoprotein)

Breast cancer — women 40 and over, every two years, by mammogram

Cervical cancer — women 20 and over, every two years, by Pap smear

Lung cancer — high-risk adults aged 54 to 74, every two years, by low-dose chest CT with a results consultation

Here is how the cost splits:

Colorectal and cervical cancer screening — free

Stomach, liver, breast, and lung cancer screening — you pay 10% of the screening fee

If your insurance premium falls in the lower 50%, or you are a Medical Aid recipient, cancer screening is free across the board

The two "high-risk" groups are defined precisely:

Liver cancer high risk — cirrhosis, a positive hepatitis B surface antigen, a positive hepatitis C antibody, or chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis B or C

Lung cancer high risk — a current smoker with a smoking history of 30 pack-years or more. Pack-years are packs smoked per day multiplied by years of smoking: one pack a day for 30 years is 30 pack-years; half a pack a day for 30 years is 15.

5. Four things to check before you book

Can this clinic do everything you need?

If you plan to combine the general checkup with an endoscopy, a mammogram, or a lung CT, ask whether the clinic offers those specific screenings when you book. The NHIS website and app both have a clinic finder.

Fasting.

The NHIS asks you to fast from 9 p.m. the night before, and on the morning of the checkup to skip water, coffee, and cigarettes as well. If you are also having an endoscopy or a colon-related test, follow the clinic's own instructions too.

ID.

Bring photo ID on the day.

The follow-up deadline.

If your first-round results suggest high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, pulmonary tuberculosis, depression or early psychosis, or hepatitis C, you will be invited for a confirmatory test. You have until March 31 of the following year to take it, and it is free except for the hepatitis C confirmation test. A checkup in late December pushes that follow-up into the new year, which is one more reason to go earlier.

6. What if you miss December 31?

When the year closes, that year's screening window closes with it. The NHIS does, however, allow people who missed the previous year's checkup to apply to be added to the current year's list. If 2026 slips past you, contact the NHIS in 2027 (1577-1000 or the website) and ask to be registered.

It works, but it is one more errand. If your work calendar is tight, booking in October rather than November saves you from needing it at all.

7. Other places your results are useful

Your screening results are worth more than a health snapshot:

Driver's license — a national health screening taken within the two years before you apply can exempt you from the separate physical exam.

Pre-employment medical checks — results from the past two years can be used in place of a hiring physical.

Past results can be looked up again on the NHIS website and app.

The short version

One: 2026 is for people born in even-numbered years, and the window closes December 31. Non-office workers are due every year.

Two: the general checkup is free; cancer screening costs 10% only for stomach, liver, breast, and lung. Colorectal and cervical screening are free, and anyone in the lower half of premiums or on Medical Aid pays nothing for cancer screening either.

Three: if you miss it, you can ask to be added next year — but given the year-end rush and the March 31 follow-up deadline, booking in October is the least hassle.

This guide summarizes information published by Korea's National Health Insurance Service and Ministry of Health and Welfare as of October 2, 2026. Eligibility and test items can change, so confirm your own list through the NHIS eligibility lookup before booking. Decisions about your results and your health should be made with a medical professional.