Taking out car insurance

You cannot drive without car insurance.

Two kinds

1. Compulsory insurance (liability) — required by law. It compensates damage you cause to others up to a set limit.
2. Comprehensive insurance (optional) — covers what compulsory insurance does not: repairs to your own car, injury to yourself. Not mandatory, but effectively essential.

Optional covers

• Own vehicle damage — repairs to your car
• Personal injury / driver injury — driver and passengers
• Uninsured motorist cover — when the other party has no insurance
• Roadside assistance — battery, tyres, towing
• Named driver scope — self only, spouse only, and so on. If someone outside the scope drives, nothing is covered.

How to buy

1. Insurer websites and apps — usually cheapest.
2. Agents and brokers
3. Comparison sites

What you need

• Alien Registration Card
• Driving licence
• Vehicle registration certificate
• Bank account or card

Where to go

• 1332 Financial Supervisory Service (insurance advice and complaints)
• Each insurer's call centre
• 1345 · 1577-1366 interpretation

Questions people ask

Can I get insurance on a foreign licence? It varies by insurer. Always confirm before buying. If the licence isn't recognised, a claim may not be paid.

The premium is very high. Without a Korean driving record it starts high. Compare several insurers and drop covers you don't need.

Can I drive a friend's car? Check the named driver scope. Outside it, an accident is not covered at all. Short-term daily add-ons exist.

The insurer refuses to pay. You can file a complaint with the Financial Supervisory Service on 1332. It is free.

Take care

Driving uninsured is a criminal offence, not a mere fine, and in an accident you personally bear the entire liability. For foreigners it can also affect residence status. Always keep compulsory insurance in force.

Related

driving-rules · traffic-accident · car-purchase · traffic-fines

Source

Financial Supervisory Service www.fss.or.kr / As of 2026-08