In short
- Two paths: drive short-term on an International Driving Permit (IDP), or — if you're staying long-term — exchange your home license for a Korean one.
- IDP: get it in your home country before you leave. Valid 1 year from your date of entry; you must carry it with your original license.
- Exchange: if your country has a recognition agreement with Korea, you often skip the driving test (sometimes a short written test/health check). You'll need your ARC first.
- Korea keeps your foreign license when you exchange — you reclaim it when you leave the country.
You cannot simply drive in Korea on your home country's license alone. You need either an IDP (short-term) or a Korean license via exchange (long-term). Which one depends on how long you're staying.
Short-term: the IDP
An International Driving Permit is not a license — it's an official translation booklet that makes your existing license readable in Korea. Key rules:
- Get it before you leave home — your home country's automobile association issues it. You can't obtain your country's IDP once you're already in Korea.
- Valid for 1 year from your date of entry into Korea, and can't be renewed here.
- You must carry both the IDP and your original license whenever you drive.
- For stays under 90 days, an IDP is usually all you need.
Long-term: exchange for a Korean license
If you're staying more than a year, exchanging is far more convenient — a Korean license doubles as a national photo ID and makes insurance and car rental much easier. Whether you skip the tests depends on your country:
- Recognized country (recognition agreement): exchange after a health check, often with no driving test. Many countries qualify.
- Non-recognized country: you'll also take a written exam (40 multiple-choice questions, available in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese) plus the health check.
How the exchange works
Gather documents
Typically: passport, your original valid foreign license, ARC, recent passport photos (3.5×4.5cm), the fee, and — to verify your license — an embassy certificate or apostille (issued within the past year). You may also need a Certificate of Entry & Exit (출입국사실증명서) from a 주민센터/구청.
Go to a license test center
Visit a Driver's License Examination Office (운전면허시험장) run by KOROAD. Bring originals plus copies — officers won't make copies for you.
Health check (+ written test if required)
Do the on-site health check (vision, etc.). If your country isn't recognized, take the 40-question written test in your language.
Hand over your foreign license
Under the Road Traffic Act, you surrender your foreign license to receive the Korean one. You can reclaim it when you leave Korea (bring your flight ticket and Korean license) — unclaimed licenses are discarded after 10 years.
Get your Korean license
Often done same-day if documents are in order (roughly 2–3 hours). Now you can drive and use it as ID.
Important eligibility notes
- Your foreign license must be a full, valid license — not a learner's, provisional, temporary or probationary permit.
- If it expired before your appointment, the process stops.
- If it was issued in a third country (not your nationality), you may need proof of 90-day residency there.
- Foreigners staying under 90 days without foreigner registration (ARC) generally can't exchange.
- Non-English licenses may need a notarized Korean/English translation.
Starting from scratch
No license at all? You go through the same process as Koreans: written test → skills test → road test, ideally with a driving school (운전학원). Tests are available in English. Check schedules and practice questions on the KOROAD (도로교통공단) site.
Common questions
Can I just use my home license?
No. You need an IDP (short-term) or a Korean license via exchange (long-term). Your home license alone isn't valid to drive here.
Will I have to retake a driving test?
If your country has a recognition agreement, usually no — just a health check (and sometimes a written test). Non-recognized countries take the written exam too.
Do I get my original license back?
Yes — when you leave Korea, bring your flight ticket and Korean license to reclaim it. It's discarded if unclaimed for 10 years.
Is the written test in English?
Yes — the exchange written test offers Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese.
Sources: KOROAD / Korea Road Traffic Authority (safedriving.or.kr), Road Traffic Act Article 84, and current foreigner driving guidance. Geneva/Vienna Convention IDP rules apply.
Last verified: July 2026. Recognized-country lists, fees and required documents change — confirm your specific case with KOROAD or a license test center before applying. General information, not legal advice.
Sorting out your license?
Ask others from your country whether they skipped the test — post in the community and tag it Living.