Exchanging a foreign licence for a Korean one

Whether exchange is possible varies by country. Check with a driving licence test centre first.

The basic process

1. Your home licence must be verified as genuine — an embassy certificate or apostille may be required. See apostille-documents.
2. Apply in person at a driving licence test centre.
3. Take the aptitude test (vision and physical).
4. Depending on your country, part of the written or practical test may be waived.
5. Once issued, your home licence may be retained. Check how to get it back when you leave.

What you need

• Your original home country licence
• Verification of the licence — embassy certificate or apostille
• A translated and notarised copy. See document-translation-notary
• Passport and alien registration card
• Photographs and the fee

Requirements vary by country and test centre — always check in advance.

Where to go

• 1577-1120 Korea Road Traffic Authority (licence enquiries)
• www.safedriving.or.kr integrated licensing services
• Your nearest driving licence test centre
• Your country's embassy (licence verification)
• 1345 interpretation support

Questions people ask

Can my country's licence be exchanged? Agreements and recognition differ by country. Tell 1577-1120 or the test centre your nationality and licence type.

Do I have to retake the test? Depending on the country, some tests are waived. Confirm the scope at the test centre.

A Korean-language test worries me. Foreign-language test support is sometimes available. Ask the test centre.

Can I drive before exchanging? With an International Driving Permit you can, for a set period. See international-driving-permit.

Take care

Continuing to drive on your home licence alone can amount to driving without a licence. Always confirm the recognition period. Never pay a licence broker — you do the procedure yourself at the test centre.

Related

driver-license-new · international-driving-permit · driving-rules · apostille-documents · document-translation-notary

Source

Korea Road Traffic Authority www.koroad.or.kr / As of 2026-08