If you hold a full, valid foreign driver’s license, you can usually exchange it for a Korean one at any driver’s license test site (운전면허시험장) without a driving test. Licenses from countries Korea recognizes skip the written test too; others take a written test, available in English. You need your residence card (외국인등록증), an apostille or embassy certificate for the license, and proof you lived 90 days or more in the issuing country.
Key facts
| Who | Foreign residents with a residence card (or overseas Korean residence card) and a full foreign license |
| Where | Any of KoROAD’s driver’s license test sites nationwide, in person |
| Cost | License card ₩10,000 (standard) or ₩15,000 (mobile IC); written test ₩10,000 if required (as of October 2026) |
| Tests | Recognized country: no tests. Other countries: written test only |
| International permit | Valid for 1 year from your date of entry to Korea |
| Info | safedriving.or.kr (English menu), or ask at any test site |
Driving on an international permit
An International Driving Permit (국제운전면허증) from a country that is party to the Geneva or Vienna road traffic conventions lets you drive in Korea for one year from the date you entered Korea, and only while the permit itself is valid. You cannot use it to drive commercially, for example as a delivery or taxi driver. Driving after it expires is driving without a license. If you plan to stay longer, exchange your license within that first year.
Option 1: Exchange your foreign license (교환발급)
Who qualifies
- Your license must be a full license that is still valid. Learner, provisional, probationary, temporary licenses and permits cannot be exchanged.
- You must have stayed in the issuing country for 90 days or more after getting the license (or overall, if the country is not your nationality). Your passport stamps usually prove this. If not, bring an enrollment certificate, employment certificate, tax record, a green card or similar document, or a long-term visa valid for more than one year.
What to bring
- Original foreign driver’s license
- Original passport showing your exit from the issuing country and entry to Korea
- Original residence card (or overseas Korean residence card)
- 3 color photos, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months
- An apostille (from countries in the Apostille Convention) or an embassy certificate confirming the license, in Korean or English, issued within one year of your application
- Certificate of entry and exit (출입국사실증명) covering your whole life to date, available from immigration or Gov24
If your name or date of birth differs between documents, bring an embassy certificate or other proof that they are the same person. If the apostille has a copy of the license attached, it must show both sides.
Get the apostille or embassy certificate before you leave home if you can. Ordering an apostille from abroad can take weeks.
Recognized and non-recognized countries
KoROAD keeps a list of countries (and for some countries, individual states or provinces) that recognize Korean licenses. Holders of those licenses get a Korean license without a written or driving test. Holders of other licenses must pass the written test (학과시험, 60 points to pass for Class 2) before the license is issued. The list changes, so confirm your country (and state or province) with the test site or on safedriving.or.kr before you go.
Option 2: Get a Korean license from scratch
If you have no license, or yours cannot be exchanged, you follow the same process as Koreans. You must be 19 or older for a Class 1 or Class 2 ordinary license.
| Step | Fee (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| 1. Traffic safety education, 1 hour (교통안전교육) | Free |
| 2. Physical check at the test site | ₩6,000 (₩7,000 for large/special) |
| 3. Written test (English, Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean) | ₩10,000 |
| 4. Course skills test (장내기능시험) | ₩25,000 for ordinary licenses |
| 5. Learner’s permit (연습면허) | ₩4,000 |
| 6. Road test (도로주행시험) | ₩30,000 |
| 7. License card | ₩10,000 standard / ₩15,000 mobile IC |
Pass marks: written test 60 (Class 2) or 70 (Class 1), skills test 80, road test 70. If you fail the written test you can retake it the next day; after failing a practical test you wait three days. Many people take lessons at a private driving school (운전전문학원), which handles the test steps for you, but it is not compulsory.
License classes
- Class 2 ordinary (2종 보통): cars and vans up to 10 seats. Most exchanged licenses are this class. Automatic-only licenses are marked as such.
- Class 1 ordinary (1종 보통): adds larger vans and small trucks.
- E-scooters and mopeds need at least a motorized bicycle license (원동기 면허) or a car license.
After you get the license
- A Korean license has a renewal date printed on it. Renew during the renewal period at a test site or police station.
- Traffic fines and penalty points are linked to your license and residence card, so keep your address up to date with immigration.
- Your Korean license works with an International Driving Permit issued by KoROAD if you drive abroad.
Common questions
Can I exchange a license I got recently?
Yes, if it is a full license and you spent 90 days or more in that country after getting it. A license obtained during a short visit does not qualify.
Do I need a Korean phone number or bank account?
No. You pay the fees at the test site. Bring your residence card and documents in person; the exchange is not done online.
Can I keep driving with my foreign license while the exchange is processing?
Only with a valid International Driving Permit within the one-year limit. The foreign license alone does not allow you to drive in Korea.
My country is not on the list. Do I need driving lessons?
No. You take the written test only, then the license is issued. Study KoROAD’s official question bank for the written test before you go.
Official sources
This guide explains the general rules as of the date above. Rules change and every case is different, so confirm with the office named here (or the 1345 Immigration Contact Center) before an important decision. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.