International driving permit
- The Republic of Korea signed the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. Any person with an international driving permit issued by a nation that signed the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic can drive a motor vehicle in the Republic of Korea.
- From January 2002, any person with an international driving permit issued by a nation that signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic can drive a motor vehicle in the Republic of Korea. An international driving permit issued in countries she or he is from shall be effective until the expiry date specified on it.
- The effective period of an international driving permit shall be one year maximum from the date of entering Korea. An international driving permit shall not be renewed when it expires.
List of countries that accept international driving permits
| Asia (24 countries) | New Zealand, Laos, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Australia, India, Japan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Philippines, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Macau |
|---|---|
| Americas (19 countries) | Guatemala, Dominican Republic, United States of America, Barbados, Venezuela, Argentina, Haiti, Ecuador, Jamaica, Chile, Canada, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Paraguay, Peru, Guyana, The Bahamas, Brazil, Uruguay |
| Europe (46 countries) | Vatican, Georgia, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Romania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Malta, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden, Spain, Slovakia, Iceland, Ireland, Albania, United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey, Portugal, Poland, France, Finland, Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Slovenia, Armenia, Estonia, Ukraine, Macedonia, Croatia |
| Middle East and Africa (42 countries) | Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Niger, Lebanon, Lesotho, Rwanda, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Syria, Sierra Leone, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Jordan, Uganda, Israel, Egypt, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Togo, Tunisia, Liberia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Cape Verde, Qatar, Kenya, Kuwait |
※ Although China has not signed the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, international driving permits issued by Hong Kong, whose sovereignty was transferred from the United Kingdom (July 1, 1997) according to China’s “One Country, Two Systems” policy, and Macau, whose sovereignty was transferred from Portugal (December 20, 1999), are effective in the Republic of Korea. Foreigners with an international license issued by Hong Kong or Macau can drive in the Republic of Korea.
Exchanging a foreign driver’s license for a Korean driver’s license
- A foreigner with a driver’s license issued by a nation that accepts international driving permits can receive a Korean driver’s license after a health check.
- According to Article 84 of the Road Traffic Act, a foreigner shall submit his/her foreign driver’s license when receiving a Korean driver’s license.
- The submitted driver’s license will be returned when the foreigner departs from the Republic of Korea or wants to cancel his/her Korean driver’s license, or at the request of the diplomatic mission. The submitted driver’s license will be discarded if it is not reclaimed within ten years from the date of exchange.
- A foreigner with a driver’s license issued by a nation that does not accept a Korean driver’s license shall be required to take a written exam and health check.
- The written exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions. Applicants can choose a language from among Korean, English, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
- Documents required for exchanging a license from another country for a Korean license
| Foreigners or overseas citizens | Korean nationals or permanent residents |
|---|---|
|
|