Exchange of Foreign Driver's License

* Please make sure to check the notes when exchanging a license.

• Application
  locations All regional driver's license examination offices
• Acknowledged
  countries
  • - Public notice by the National Police Agency on Feburary 04, 2019 (View details)
  • - What is an acknowledged country?
    • A country which allows Korean licenses to be exchanged to licenses of that country without any separate test
    • In cases where the acknowledgement of Korean licenses changes after the enactment of a public notice and notification of that fact has been given, the system after the change will be followed
  • - A license issued by an acknowledged country: Only a health check is necessary.
  • - A license issued by an unacknowledged country: A health check and written exam (40 multiple choice questions; available in Korean, English, Chinese, or Vietnamese).
• Required documents

* Embassy certificate or Apostille for the license: ⓐ or ⓑ issued within the past year must be submitted to confirm the authenticity of the foreign license.

• Certificate issued in Korean or English by the relevant Embassy in Korea (embassy of the country in question) or the Korean Embassy to the relevant country to verify a foreign license
• ‘ Certificate issued in Korean or English by a member country of the Apostille Convention (as of the present)

* Foreigners who are staying for fewer than 90 days without completing Foreigner Registration cannot exchange a foreign license
for a Korean one

• Note
  • - As for the relevant Embassies in Korea without separate notice regarding the suspension of certificate issuance, please contact the Embassy in advance to check whether a certificate can be issued
  • - Additional fee for Health Check
    • Large/Special: 7,000 won
    • Other licenses: 6,000 won
    • * Since the Gangneung, Taebaek, and Mungyeong examination offices do not have a Health Check Center, applicants must receive the health check at a nearby hospital.
• Exchanged license
  • - Foreign driver's license exchange is limited only to Type 2 General.
  • - A license issued by a country otherwise specified according to Mutual Recognition Agreement (Belgium, Poland, Spain, and Italy) can be exchanged for an equivalent type of license.
• Other
  • - Since exchange of a foreign driver's license is a time consuming process, please inquire with the regional office before visiting it.
  • - Application by agent is not possible

Notes when Exchanging Foreign License

• - In the case of exchanging a foreign license for a Korean driver's license, there is a requirement to return the foreign license according to Article 84 of the Road Traffic Act.
• - One may receive the foreign license back if departing for overseas, canceling the Korean driver's license upon one's own wish, or when a request is sent by a diplomatic mission, and foreign licenses not sought within 10 years after the date of exchange will be disposed of.
• - In cases of damage or poor printing quality of a foreign license or embassy confirmation document, the issuance (renewal) of a foreign license during a stay in Korea, inadequate documentation, etc., the person in charge many request additional confirmation.
• - Embassy certificates for licenses are valid for 1 year from the date of issuance, and if a period of less than 1 year is specified on the certificate, it will be applied. There is no need to notarize an Embassy certificate separately.
• - In cases were the issuing date and validity period are not specified on the driver's license or certificate, the applicant must submit documentation such as a “Certificate of Driving History” issued by the relevant issuing authority of the license in order to confirm the date of issuance & validity period.
• - If it is not possible to confirm a sojourn of at least 90 days with a passport or Certificate of the Fact Concerning Entry & Exit, a Certificate of Enrollment, Certificate of Employment, or tax invoices may used for verification, however, any documents pertaining to a third party are not applicable for verification use.
• - Note that the American Embassy, British Embassy, and Finnish Embassy in Korea and the Korean Consulate General in Hong Kong no longer issue confirmation documents regarding licenses. Please submit an Apostille regarding the license.
• - For countries without an Embassy in Korea or a Korean Embassy in the country and that are not a member of the Apostille Convention, you can request a verifying certificate for the license from the Embassy of your country in a neighboring country to Korea (e.g., Japan) or from the Korean Embassy in a country additionally performing the business of the country in question. Note that the Embassy may not perform the duty of issuing such a document, an thus it is necessary to contact the relevant Embassy before visiting it.

International Driving Permit

• Application
  locations
  • - All regional driver's license examination offices and police stations nationwide and the International Driving Permit Issuance Center at Incheon International Airport
  • * If you intend to apply for the international driving permit by visiting a police station, check the content regarding issuance of the permit before visiting
• Things to
  prepare
  • - Applying in person Passport (copy acceptable), Korean driver's license, passport size photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm) taken within the past year, and the fee of 8,500 won
  • - Applying by agent Passport (copy acceptable), Korean driver's license, passport size photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm) taken within the past year, the fee of 8,500 won, agent's ID card, and a Power of Attorney
• Validity period
  • - One year from the date of issuance
  • * In the event of applying for an international driving permit during the suspension period of a domestic license, a permit valid for 1 year from the day following the suspension expiry date will be issued.
• Note
  • - Notwithstanding the validity period on an international driving permit, its validity may not be recognized after 1 year from entering the relevant country according to the international treaty and the country's relevant legislation.
  • - In the event of driving with an international permit in most foreign countries such as the United States, you may be punished for driving without a license if you do not carry a Korean driver's license and passport as well, and thus you should always drive with 3 documents: international driving permit, Korean driver's license, and passport.
  • - In cases where the spelling of the English name on the international driving permit and passport, as well as the signatures on the two documents, do not match, the validity of the international driving permit cannot be recognized.
  • - It is possible to drive with an international driving permit issued within Korea in member countries of the Geneva Convention.