To do in October: Flu shot and free health checkup (December gets busy)

Does this apply to you?

Health checkup

• If you work on an E-9 visa, you are a workplace member (직장가입자) of health insurance. Non-office workers in factories, farms, construction, restaurants and similar jobs get a checkup every year.
• If you do not know if you must get a checkup this year, ask the person in charge at your company. Or call 국민건강보험공단 at 1577-1000, or use "check checkup eligibility" (검진 대상 조회) in The건강보험 app.
• Night workers may need a special health checkup (특수건강진단). This applies if, over 6 months, you work an 8-hour shift that includes midnight to 5 a.m. at least 4 times a month on average, or work at least 60 hours a month on average between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. You get the first checkup within 6 months of starting this work, and then every 12 months. The employer pays the cost.

Flu shot

• If someone in your family can get it free (age 65 or older, pregnant, or a child aged 14 or younger), they can apply for the national vaccination. The official guide does not clearly say whether registered foreigners can get it free. Check with 질병관리청 (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency) at 1339 or your nearest 보건소 (public health center), using your 외국인등록증 (Residence Card) number.
• Regular adult workers must pay. The shot is recommended if you live with many people in a dormitory, work in cold places or outdoors, or have an illness such as asthma or diabetes.

Steps

A. Health checkup (in October–November)

1. Check if you must get it: Look at the health checkup form (건강검진표, on paper or electronic) your company gave you. If you do not have one, check with the NHIS at 1577-1000 or in The건강보험 app.
2. Find a checkup hospital: Use "find a checkup hospital" (검진기관 찾기) on the 국민건강보험공단 website (nhis.or.kr) or in The건강보험 app. Choose a hospital near your home or work. You can go anywhere in Korea. Your address does not matter.
3. Make an appointment: Book by phone. Say: "국민건강보험 일반건강검진 예약하고 싶습니다" ("I want to book a National Health Insurance general health checkup"). Some places do checkups on Saturday morning.
4. Tell your company the date: The checkup is the employer's duty. Agree with your company about time off to go on a weekday. Keep a record by text message.
5. Do not eat from 9 p.m. the night before: No water, gum or coffee. Ask the hospital before the day about taking your morning medicine.
6. On the day: Show your 외국인등록증 and check in. You will have: height, weight and blood pressure; eye and hearing tests; chest X-ray; blood test (blood sugar, liver, kidney, cholesterol); urine test; and a mouth and teeth check. It takes about 1 hour.
7. Results: Results usually come by mail or in the app within 2 weeks. If the result says "possible disease," you can get a follow-up test to confirm it until March 31 of the next year. Take a photo of your results and keep it.

B. Flu shot

1. Paid shot: Call a nearby internal medicine (내과), family medicine (가정의학과) or children's (소아청소년과) clinic. Ask about "the price of a flu shot and available times." Prices are different at each hospital, so compare 2–3 places.
2. Family members who can get it free: On 예방접종도우미 (Vaccination Helper website, nip.kdca.go.kr), use "find a designated hospital" (위탁의료기관 찾기) to find a designated hospital or 보건소. For people aged 65 or older, it starts October 6 for age 75 and older, October 12 for ages 70–74, and October 15 for ages 65–69. For pregnant women and children, it runs from September 21 to April 30, 2027.
3. On the day: Bring your ID (외국인등록증). If you have a fever, change the date. After the shot, wait at the hospital for 20–30 minutes.
4. After the shot: Your arm may swell, and you may feel tired and achy for a day or two. If you have a bad skin rash or trouble breathing, call 119 right away.

What to bring

• 외국인등록증 (for both the checkup and the shot)
• Health checkup form (if you have one). If not, check eligibility with the NHIS.
• No food (from 9 p.m. the night before the checkup)
• Sentences for booking by phone: "국민건강보험 건강검진 예약이요" ("I want to book a National Health Insurance health checkup"), "독감 주사 얼마예요?" ("How much is a flu shot?")
• Record after the shot: Take a photo of the date and the vaccine name (you can get a certificate from 예방접종도우미)

Be careful

• If someone says "pay for the checkup," check first. The NHIS general health checkup costs you nothing. Extra tests (endoscopy, ultrasound, etc.) may cost money, so ask the price before you take them.
• Time for the checkup: Agree with your company in advance how weekday checkup time will be counted (as work time, half-day leave, etc.). If your pay was cut because of the checkup, call 1350 for advice.
• December appointments are hard to get. At the end of the year, many companies send all their workers for checkups, so you may wait 2–3 weeks. October–November is the easiest time.
• Your company may ask for your results. The employer can receive your results to manage workers' health. But the employer must not use your health information for other purposes or show it to others. If something seems wrong, call 1350 for advice.
• Before the shot, ask the doctor if you can get it together with other vaccines (such as COVID-19).
• Whether medical centers that support foreign workers or 보건소 give discounts on paid shots depends on the area. There is no confirmed information, so ask your nearest 보건소 and foreign worker support center (외국인노동자 지원센터) directly.

Frequently asked questions

Q. My company has never talked about a health checkup. A. For non-office workers, a checkup every year is the employer's duty. Call the NHIS at 1577-1000 to check if you must get one this year. If yes, you can book and get it yourself. Even without the checkup form, you can check in with your 외국인등록증.

Q. I got a checkup last year. Do I need one again this year? A. Non-office workers get one every year. Only office workers get one once every 2 years.

Q. I only work at night. Is there a separate checkup? A. If you meet the night work rules above, you must get a special health checkup. You get it at a special checkup hospital chosen by your employer, and the company pays. If your company does not know about it, ask 1350 or 안전보건공단 (Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency).

Q. Must I get a flu shot? A. It is not required. But when people live together in a dormitory, if one person gets sick, many people get sick and miss work. If you get the shot in October, winter is easier.

Q. Can foreigners get the free flu shot? A. If you have a family member who is 65 or older, pregnant, or a child aged 14 or younger, ask 1339 or a 보건소 using your 외국인등록증 number. When this guide was written, the official guide did not say clearly if foreigners are included.

Where to get help

Organization	Phone / website	What they help with
국민건강보험공단 (National Health Insurance Service)	1577-1000 (foreign languages 033-811-2000)	Check checkup eligibility, find a checkup hospital
질병관리청 콜센터 (KDCA call center)	1339	Who can get the free national flu shot, and when
예방접종도우미 (Vaccination Helper)	nip.kdca.go.kr	Find designated hospitals, vaccination certificate
고용노동부 고객상담센터 (Ministry of Employment and Labor call center)	1350	Advice when no checkup is given, or pay for checkup time
외국인종합안내센터 (Immigration Contact Center)	1345	Life and medical information in many languages
Emergency	119	Serious reaction after a shot