---
title: "Who Is Eligible for Free 2026 National Health Screenings and How to Book and Prepare"
locale: en
category: policy_guide
category_name: "Policy Guide"
translation_status: reviewed
license: cc_by
author: "Injoys Editorial Team"
source_url: https://injoys.com/en/articles/2026-korea-free-national-health-screening-guide
published_at: 2026-08-16T12:44:26+09:00
---

# Who Is Eligible for Free 2026 National Health Screenings and How to Book and Prepare

> In 2026, people born in even-numbered years are generally eligible for general health screenings, but workplace-insured employees in non-office jobs may be eligible every year regardless of their birth year. After checking your eligibility and screening items with the National Health Insurance Service, you must book directly with a designated screening provider.

## Key Points

- Check your eligibility for a 2026 screening and your individual screening items through the National Health Insurance Service website, app, or customer service center.
- If you were eligible in 2025 but did not receive a screening, ask the National Health Insurance Service whether you can be added as someone who missed the previous year's screening.
- Find a screening provider designated by the National Health Insurance Service and check its operating days, whether an appointment is required, what to bring, and how long to fast.
- Fast according to the screening provider's instructions, prepare your ID and screening notice, and visit on your appointment date.
- Review your results notice, and if a suspected condition is identified, check the applicable deadline and provider and receive confirmatory testing or medical care.

The 2026 National General Health Screening is not a program under which every citizen automatically receives the same examinations. Eligibility and examination items vary according to insurance status, occupation, birth year, sex, and age. Those eligible for a general health screening can receive the designated examinations at approved screening institutions without out-of-pocket costs, but this does not mean that all optional comprehensive screening tests or additional medical care are free.

## 1. Check Your Eligibility for the 2026 Screening

Because 2026 is an even-numbered year, people subject to the two-year cycle are generally eligible if they were **born in an even-numbered year ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8**. However, there are exceptions, including those based on the occupation of employer-insured individuals, so eligibility should not be determined solely by birth year.

| Eligibility category | General eligibility rule for the 2026 health screening |
|---|---|
| Locally insured individuals | Heads of household and household members aged at least 20 who were born in an even-numbered year |
| Office workers with employer-provided insurance | Those subject to screening once every two years, including people born in an even-numbered year |
| Non-office workers with employer-provided insurance | In principle, every year regardless of birth year |
| Dependents under employer-provided insurance | People aged at least 20 who were born in an even-numbered year |
| Medical Aid beneficiaries | People aged 20–64 who were born in an even-numbered year |

For employer-insured individuals, the screening cycle may vary depending on whether the workplace has reported them to the National Health Insurance Service as an office or non-office worker. Search results may also differ from expectations depending on the timing of employment, resignation, eligibility changes, or workplace reporting, so the National Health Insurance Service’s eligibility search results should take precedence.

In addition, health screenings for infants and children, school health examinations, and the National Cancer Screening Program are separate programs with different eligible ages and screening cycles from the general health screening.

## 2. Request Additional Registration for Those Who Missed the Previous Year’s Screening

If you were eligible in an odd-numbered year such as 2025 but did not receive a screening, you can ask the National Health Insurance Service customer center or the relevant branch office whether **additional registration for people who missed the previous year’s screening** is available. It is advisable to check your eligibility again after the registration has been processed and then make an appointment with a screening institution.

Additional registration is different from simply changing an appointment, and availability may vary depending on eligibility, screening type, and processing date. In particular, the extension or additional registration criteria may differ between general health screenings and national cancer screenings, so each must be checked separately.

## 3. Check the Free Examination Items

### Common Examination Items

The basic general health screening includes the following examinations. Specific items may be adjusted according to eligibility and the implementation standards in effect at the time.

- Health questionnaire, examination, and consultation
- Height, weight, waist circumference, and body mass index
- Vision, hearing, and blood pressure
- Blood tests related to liver function, including AST, ALT, and gamma-GTP
- Fasting blood glucose
- Blood tests including hemoglobin, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate
- Urine protein test
- Chest X-ray
- Applicable items such as an oral examination

### Examination Items by Sex and Age

The following examinations are not given to every eligible person each time. They apply according to sex, age, screening cycle, and previous screening history.

- Dyslipidemia test
- Hepatitis B and hepatitis C tests
- Bone density test
- Pulmonary function test
- Cognitive impairment screening
- Mental health screening
- Lifestyle assessment
- Physical function assessment for older adults

You should check the National Health Insurance Service’s eligibility search results or your health screening form to determine which items apply to you. Optional tests sold by hospitals, such as ultrasound, upper gastrointestinal or colonoscopy examinations, CT, MRI, or tumor marker tests, may not be included among the common free items of the National General Health Screening.

## 4. Find an Approved Screening Institution and Make an Appointment

You can check your health screening eligibility and find nearby screening institutions on the National Health Insurance Service website or through the The Health Insurance app. On the Service’s website, you can generally use the **Health iN > Find Screening Institutions/Hospitals** menu.

Even if an institution appears in the search results, it is advisable to call before visiting and confirm the following:

1. Whether it provides general health screenings
2. Available appointment dates and registration hours
3. Whether it can perform the examination items applicable to you
4. When fasting must begin and how to take medications
5. Whether an oral examination or national cancer screening can be received on the same day
6. The final appointment date of the year and how results are issued

The National Health Insurance Service covers screening costs but does not confirm appointments with individual hospitals on your behalf. You must make an appointment directly with the screening institution. Because appointments may fill up near the end of the year or institutions may close registration early, it is advisable to schedule your screening as soon as possible.

## 5. Follow the Pre-Screening Instructions

On the day before the examination, avoid excessive drinking and overeating, and begin fasting at the time specified by the screening institution. Accurate tests such as fasting blood glucose generally require fasting for at least 8 hours, but you should follow the appointment institution’s specific instructions, including whether water, gum, cigarettes, or coffee are allowed.

- Prepare an identification document.
- If you received a screening form or mobile notice, bring it with you.
- Record your current medications and medical conditions on the health questionnaire.
- Do not stop taking blood pressure medication, diabetes medication, insulin, anticoagulants, or other medications on your own; consult medical staff in advance.
- If you are pregnant or may be pregnant, notify the staff before undergoing a chest X-ray.
- Menstruation may affect urine test results, so consult the institution about whether to reschedule.
- Bring your glasses or hearing aid if you use them.

Some institutions may proceed without a paper screening form if your eligibility information can be verified electronically on the day of the screening. However, procedures may vary by institution, so confirm what you need to bring when making your appointment.

## 6. Review the Results and Receive Necessary Follow-Up Care

The screening institution will provide your test results and health risk assessment by mail, email, mobile service, or another method. When you receive the results, do not look only at whether they are normal. You should also review individual values and assessments for blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, liver enzyme levels, kidney function, hemoglobin, and urine protein.

If the results indicate suspected hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, depression, early psychosis, or another condition specified in the implementation standards, you can check whether you are eligible for confirmatory testing. If the condition and tests are covered, the cost of the initial consultation and designated essential tests may be supported, but separate costs may apply to the following:

- Additional tests outside the scope of confirmatory testing
- Medication prescriptions and treatment
- Non-covered tests
- Tests received at a medical institution that is not eligible
- Medical care received after the designated period

Bring your results notice and identification document, and first confirm whether the medical institution you plan to visit provides the applicable confirmatory test. If you have urgent symptoms such as severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, altered consciousness, or extremely high blood glucose, do not wait for the screening process and seek immediate medical care.

## How Are General Health Screenings and National Cancer Screenings Different?

The general health screening broadly checks for major health risks, including hypertension, diabetes, and abnormal liver or kidney function. National cancer screenings are conducted on separate cycles according to the age and risk criteria for each type of cancer, including stomach, colorectal, liver, breast, cervical, and lung cancer.

Therefore, receiving a general health screening does not mean that you have also completed the national cancer screenings available to you that year. Conversely, if you receive only a national cancer screening and not a general health screening, general screening items such as blood pressure and fasting blood glucose may be omitted. It is important to check each screening separately on the eligibility search page.

## Common Misunderstandings About Free Health Screenings

### Do You Become Eligible Only After Applying Separately?

People who are normally eligible for the applicable year are generally registered electronically without submitting a separate application to the National Health Insurance Service. However, you must contact the Service if you need additional registration after missing the previous year’s screening, have had an eligibility change, or encounter a search error.

### Can You Receive the Screening for Free at Any Hospital?

No. You must receive the eligible examinations at a screening institution approved by the National Health Insurance Service. Even an approved institution may not provide every sex- or age-specific examination or national cancer screening, so you must confirm this before making an appointment.

### If It Is a National Screening, Is the Entire Comprehensive Health Screening Free?

No. The costs covered are those for the national screening items designated by the National Health Insurance Service. You may have out-of-pocket costs for personally selected endoscopy, ultrasound, CT, or other optional examinations.

### Do Normal Results Mean You Have No Disease?

No. National screenings identify warning signs of major diseases and do not diagnose every disease. If you have symptoms or risk factors such as a family history, you may need medical care even if your screening results are normal.

## Tips for Managing Your 2026 Screening Schedule

Screenings generally must be completed within the applicable year, but actual appointment availability varies by institution. In December, appointments may be crowded, and time slots for fasting tests or specific examinations may be limited. Checking your eligibility during the first half of the year and making an appointment no later than before autumn will make it easier to respond to schedule changes.

People additionally registered after missing the previous year’s screening, employer-insured individuals whose eligibility has changed, and those who want to receive a national cancer screening at the same time should check the National Health Insurance Service’s search results again before making an appointment. After the screening, keep the results notice and compare previous values at your next screening to track health changes more accurately than by relying on a one-time normal or abnormal assessment.

## FAQ

### Which birth years are eligible for free national health screenings in 2026?
For people subject to the two-year cycle, those born in even-numbered years whose birth year ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 are generally eligible. However, non-office employees enrolled through their workplace may be eligible every year regardless of their birth year, so they should check the results of their eligibility lookup with the National Health Insurance Service.

### If I was unable to receive a health screening in 2025, can I receive one in 2026?
You can contact the National Health Insurance Service customer center or the branch office with jurisdiction to ask whether you can be additionally registered as someone who did not receive the screening in the previous year. After confirming that the registration has been processed, you must make an appointment with a designated screening institution. The processing criteria may differ between general health screenings and national cancer screenings.

### Do I need to apply separately to receive a health screening in 2026?
Basic eligible recipients are generally registered in the National Health Insurance Service's system without a separate application, so they can check their eligibility and then make an appointment directly with a screening institution. Those who did not receive the screening in the previous year, whose eligibility status has changed, or who have an issue with the eligibility lookup should check with the National Health Insurance Service.

### Are non-office employees enrolled through their workplace eligible only if they were born in an even-numbered year?
No. In principle, non-office employees enrolled through their workplace are eligible for a general health screening every year. However, the job category reported by the workplace to the National Health Insurance Service applies, so if the lookup result differs from what you expected, you should check with the person in charge at your company or the National Health Insurance Service.

### Are all tests included in national health screenings free?
The costs of general health screenings and items based on each individual's sex and age, as specified by the National Health Insurance Service, are covered when eligible recipients receive them at a designated screening institution. You may have to pay out of pocket for optional tests in a comprehensive health screening, non-covered tests, treatment and prescription drugs, or additional tests outside the applicable criteria.

### Can I still receive a health screening if I lose my health screening form?
If the screening institution can verify your eligibility electronically, you may be able to proceed with only an ID. However, procedures vary by institution, so it is best to check which documents are required when making an appointment.

### How many hours must I fast before a health screening?
For accurate testing, including fasting blood glucose, you generally need to fast for at least 8 hours. The guidelines regarding water, medication, gum, and smoking may vary depending on the tests and your health condition, so follow the instructions of the screening institution where you made your appointment, and do not stop taking medication on your own.

### If I receive a general health screening, does that mean my national cancer screening is also complete?
No. General health screenings and national cancer screenings are separate programs with different eligibility ages, risk criteria, testing methods, and screening cycles. You must check your eligibility for each screening separately with the National Health Insurance Service.

### If the screening indicates a suspected disease, are follow-up tests also free?
If you are eligible for confirmatory testing for a disease specified in the implementation criteria, the costs of the initial consultation and required tests may be covered. However, you may incur costs for additional tests, treatment, medications, non-covered items, or medical care outside the applicable period or institutional criteria, so you should review the instructions in the results notice.

### Can I schedule my 2026 screening for December 31?
In principle, you should receive the screening within the applicable year, but appointments at some institutions may fill up early toward the end of the year. Even if appointment dates remain available, the necessary tests or registration for morning tests that require fasting may not be available, so it is advisable to make an appointment as early as possible.

## Sources

- [National Health Insurance Service](https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/index.do)
- [National Law Information Center: Standards for Conducting Health Examinations](https://www.law.go.kr/행정규칙/건강검진실시기준)
- [National Law Information Center: National Health Insurance Act](https://www.law.go.kr/법령/국민건강보험법)
- [Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal](https://health.kdca.go.kr/)

## Images

![People viewing a screening calendar, health app, and route to a clinic](https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODQzNiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--99edd80502e78245194d19f3eb8e08e205bf8289/ai-02ab8ab5.webp)
![Circular health screening process with booking, preparation, ID, tests, and results](https://injoys.com/rails/active_storage/blobs/proxy/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsiZGF0YSI6ODQ0MiwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--5d6c399b3bfd8e476cbf6d3861594e77749be50b/ai-95f61629.webp)