Converting Your Foreign Driving License in Korea — Complete Guide

If you are in Korea on a short visit (tourist, business) or have recently arrived and are not yet a long-term resident, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is the simplest solution. Korea is a member of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so an IDP issued by your home country is valid in Korea alongside your original national license. Important rules: ① You must carry both the IDP and your original domestic license — the IDP alone is not valid ② An IDP lets you drive for up to 1 year from the date you enter Korea ③ An IDP does NOT extend automatically — once it expires (or 1 year has passed since you entered Korea), you should convert to a Korean license. IDPs can be obtained from your national automobile association (AAA in the US, AA in the UK, CAA in Canada, etc.) before departure.

Korea maintains bilateral license exchange agreements with many countries where direct conversion is possible without any written or practical test. KOROAD's list of recognised countries (133 countries and regions, National Police Agency notice of 6 April 2026) includes the UK, Japan, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Cyprus, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The USA and Canada are recognised only state by state and province by province (29 US states and 10 Canadian provinces; Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada licences still require the written test). Australia, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Malta and Singapore are not on the list, so their licences go through the written-test route. Holders of a recognised licence still take the aptitude (physical) check. This list changes — always verify with the Korean Road Traffic Authority (도로교통공단 / KOROAD) before your appointment, as additions and removals occur. For direct exchange, your license must: ① Be a genuine government-issued license from the listed country ② Be currently valid (not expired) ③ Show the license class/category (car, motorcycle, etc.) ④ Be accompanied by an official translation or be bilingual in English (Korean translators are available at most test centres for a small fee).

Nationals of countries not on the direct exchange list but whose driving systems are considered broadly equivalent may be required to pass a written knowledge test before receiving a Korean license. The written test covers Korean traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices. The test (40 multiple-choice questions) is available in Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese at KOROAD test centres. A minimum score of 60/100 is required to pass. Study materials (Korean Road Rules booklet) are available free at all test centres and on the KOROAD website (safedriving.or.kr). No driving test behind the wheel is required for this category — passing the written test is sufficient.

KOROAD does not require a practical driving test to exchange a valid foreign licence. Licences from recognised countries need only the aptitude (physical) check; licences from all other countries need the aptitude check plus the written test. What cannot be exchanged at all is a temporary, learner or provisional licence, or a licence for which you cannot show a stay of at least 90 days in the issuing country. Pre-test driving lessons at a licensed Korean driving school (자동차운전전문학원) are available if you are unfamiliar with Korean road conventions.

Regardless of the exchange route, bring all of the following to your 운전면허시험장 appointment: ① Your original foreign driving license (not a photocopy) ② Your passport ③ Your Alien Registration Card (ARC) — required for all long-term residents ④ A certified Korean translation of your license (required if the license is not in English or Korean — official translators are available at the test centre) ⑤ Three colour passport-size photos (3.5cm × 4.5cm) taken within the last 6 months ⑥ Fees: KRW 10,000 for the licence card (KRW 15,000 for the mobile IC card), plus KRW 7,000 for the physical check at the test centre and KRW 10,000 for the written test if you have to take it ⑦ If your license was issued by a country with an exchange agreement, a certificate of driving history from your home country's licensing authority may be requested (not always required — the officer at the counter will advise). KOROAD also requires an embassy certificate or apostille confirming your license — the certificate or apostille itself must have been issued no more than 1 year before you apply (from your country's embassy in Korea, the Korean embassy in the issuing country, or an apostille from the issuing country) — and a Certificate of Entry and Exit (출입국사실증명서) covering the period from your birth to the present. Note: an expired foreign license cannot be exchanged — it must be currently valid at the time of conversion.

Step 1: Go to your nearest 운전면허시험장 (driver's license test centre). Major centres are in Seoul (강남, 도봉, 강서, 서부), Busan, Incheon, Daegu, and all major cities — find the nearest via KOROAD website. No appointment is generally needed for license exchange. Step 2: Present your documents at the foreign license exchange counter. The staff will verify your documents and tell you which route applies (recognised country: aptitude check only; other countries: aptitude check plus written test). Step 3: If direct exchange only, submit documents and wait — the Korean license card is typically issued the same day or within 1–2 business days. Step 4: If a written test is required, sit the test on the same day at the test centre computer terminal. If you pass (60+/100), proceed to the license issuance counter. Step 5: Have your photo taken at the centre and pay the issuance fee. Your Korean Class 2 ordinary (2종 보통) driver's license — the only class issued by exchange, except for licences from Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy and Ireland — is issued as a credit-card-sized card.

When you convert your foreign license to a Korean license, whether KOROAD keeps your original foreign license depends on the issuing country. KOROAD collects it only if the issuing country asks for it or itself collects Korean licenses on exchange (163 countries and regions on KOROAD's current list, including Japan, the UK, Germany, France and many US states). Licenses from the other 121 (including China, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, the Philippines and California) are not collected. A collected license is held by KOROAD and returned if you show you are leaving Korea, cancel your Korean license, or your embassy requests it; if you do not claim it within 10 years it may be destroyed. Some nationalities choose to renew their home country license independently to maintain it as a valid document for driving abroad. If you later leave Korea permanently, you can apply to have your Korean license converted back to your home country format at the relevant licensing authority — this is a separate bilateral process depending on the country.