Location

List of recognized nations announced by the National Police Agency on February 4, 2019

• - License issued by recognized nations for Korean license: aptitude test (physical test)
• - License issued by non-recognized nation for Korean license: aptitude test and screening test (multiple choice, 40 questions) Choose from Korean, English, and Vietnamese.

Required documents

• Foreigners, Overseas citizens

  Documents required by foreigners in Korea : The documents you would need to provide to have your foreign driver's license renewed for use in Korea.

  Recognized Nation

  Unrecognized Nation

  Original copy of foreign driver's license Original copy of passport: Passports in which applicant’s entry and departure dates can be confirmed Original copy of alien registration card (Original copy of a resident registration report of overseas Koreans) 3 copies of colored photo taken within past 6 months (Standard photo size) License confirmation document from embassy or an Apostille certification Certificates of entry and departure (from the date of birth to the current date) Service Charge KRW 13,500

  Original copy of foreign driver's license Original copy of passport: Passports in which applicant’s entry and departure dates can be confirmed Original copy of alien registration card (Original copy of a resident registration report of overseas Koreans) 3 copies of colored photo taken within past 6 months (Standard photo size) License confirmation document from embassy Certificates of entry and departure (from the date of birth to the current date) Service Charge KRW 20,000

• Korean natives, permanent residents

  Documents required by Korean citizens : The documents you would need to provide to have your foreign driver's license renewed for use in Korea.

  Recognized Nation

  Unrecognized Nation

  Original copy of foreign driver's license Original passport: Confirming a stay of 90 days or more at the country where the foreign license was issued by the immigration stamps in the passport (permanent residence card and visa not accepted) Original resident registration card (including resident registration report of overseas Koreans) 3 copies of colored photo taken within past 6 months License confirmation document from embassy Certificates of entry and departure (from the date of birth to the current date) Service Charge KRW 12,500

  Original copy of foreign driver's license Original passport: Confirming a stay of 90 days or more at the country where the foreign license was issued by the immigration stamps in the passport (permanent residence card and visa not accepted) Original resident registration card (including resident registration report of overseas Koreans) 3 copies of colored photo taken within past 6 months License confirmation document from embassy or an Apostille certification Certificates of entry and departure (from the date of birth to the current date) Service Charge KRW 21,000

  If the dates of issuance and expiration do not appear on the driver's license certification, the administrative institution that issued the license must submit documents that can verify the date of issuance and expiration date, such as "certificate of driving experience.”

  A “native” refers to a person who is registered as a resident under Article 6 of the Residents Registration Law.

• Embassy confirmation of the license or an Apostille certification:

  Certificate issued in Korean or English from the respective nation's embassy in Korea or the Korean embassy in the respective nation to verify the authenticity of the foreign license

  • No additional notarization is required for the embassy confirmation.
  • The embassy confirmation of the license or an Apostille certification is valid for 1 year from the date of issuance. If the expiration date appears on the confirmation, and less than 1 year remains before such, the stated expiration date is applied.
  • I f the embassy confirmation states that it is ‘not a certificate for authenticity,’ exchange is not allowed.
  • When exchanging a Canadian license, both ‘certificate of driving experience issued by the Canadian government’ and the ‘embassy confirmation’ must be submitted.
  • The United States Embassy in Korea, the British Embassy in Korea, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hong Kong and the Finland Embassy in Korea have discontinued license confirmation services. Applicants with USA or British licenses must submit an Apostilled certification of the license upon applying for the exchange.
• Certificate of Entry and Passport
  • The entry/exit stamps on the certificate of entry/exit and the passport must confirm that the applicant has resided in the license-issuing country for 90 days or more, and that the applicant was residing there on the date of issuance of the foreign license.
  • If the passport or certificate of entry/exit cannot be used to verify that the period of stay exceeded 90 days, a certificate of attendance (employment), tax invoices, etc., can be used to prove the period of stay. Verification based on documents under another person’s name will not be accepted.
  • Short-term residents with less than 90 days of stay and who did not register as aliens cannot exchange their foreign license for a Korean license. (Note, however, that they may take the regular driver's license test without any exemption benefits.)
• License issued at the exchange
  • The license issued in exchange for a foreign license is limited to Korea's Class 2 regular license.
  • A license issued from countries with different regulations under the mutual recognition agreement (Belgium, Poland, Spain, and Italy) may be exchanged for the license of the same respective class.
• Others

  No proxy receipt (Regions with independent license systems such as Hong Kong,Taiwan, and Guam are included in this category of nations.)

• Note

  If the Korean license has been revoked in the past, the applicant must receive 6 hours of traffic safety education (if the license was revoked due to the expired date for an aptitude test, the license holder is exempted from the safety education).

Requirements

• When applying in person: Passport (copy accepted), driver's license, 1passport size photo taken within the past 6 months (3.5x4.5cm)
• When applying through an agent: Applicant's passport (copy accepted), driver's license, 1 passport size photo taken within the past 6 months (3.5x4.5cm), agent's identification, proof of power of proxy
• When the applicant is abroad: Identification (copy accepted only when submitting an entry verification certificate), power of proxy, name as it appears on passport
• Holders of a Korean driver's license with a foreign nationality can be issued an international driver's license Documents required: Passport, driver's license, alien registration card (if registered), 1 passport photo (3.5x4.5cm)
• Documents required: Passport, driver's license, alien registration card (if registered), 1 passport size photo taken within the past 6 months (3.5x4.5cm)

Location

• Location Driver's license test centers and police stations nationwide

  When visiting a police station for application, the applicant must purchase a government fiscal stamp from the post office before applying.

Expiration date

• 1 year from the date of issuance

Fee

• KRW 8,500

Caution

• Even if the international license is still valid (the expiration date has not yet passed), it may be deemed ineffective after 1 year of entry into the respective country under the contents of the international agreements or relevant laws of the respective country. When driving with an international license, the holder must also have his/her Korean license and passport.
• In most countries, including the United States, driving with an international license but without a Korean license and passport is punishable as unlicensed driving. Therefore, be sure to have all 3 (international driving permit, Korean license, and passport) in your possession when driving.
• In addition, countries such as the USA and Canada may have different ranges of International driver’s license depending on the traffic laws of the state. Please make sure through the embassy if the international driver’s license is valid in the state you are visiting
• If the English spelling of the name on the international driving permit is different from the name on the passport, or if the signature on the international driving permit is different from the signature on the passport, the international driving permit is considered invalid.
• During the suspension period of the Korean license, a person cannot drive in Korea with the international driving permit issued by a foreign country. (Reference: Clause 3, Article 96 of the Road Traffic Act)
• The form of license recognized in Korea is 'International Driving Permit'; thus the 'International Driving License' cannot be used.
• Korea is a member of the Geneva Convention. Therefore, a person can drive in Korea for up to 1 year from entry with a valid international license issued by another nation of the Geneva Convention, in principle. As of January 1, 2002, however, Korea also allows driving with a valid international license issued by members of the Vienna Convention; the same validity period applies. -Driving permitted in member nations of the Geneva Convention using the international driving permit issued in Korea
  - Driving permitted in Korea using the international driving permit issued by member nations of the Geneva and Vienna Conventions

  Although China is not a member of the Geneva or Vienna Convention, China's "one country, two systems” policy allows recognition of the international driving permits issued in Hong Kong, which has been returned from Britain (July 1, 1997), and Macau, which has been returned from Portugal (December 20, 1999). Therefore, a holder of these permits may drive in Korea.

  

  

For more information, visit the Road Traffic Authority website (www.koroad.or.kr) or call (☎1577-1120).