Taking out car insurance
You cannot drive without car insurance.
Two kinds
- Compulsory insurance (liability) — required by law. It compensates damage you cause to others up to a set limit.
- 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
- Insurer websites and apps — usually cheapest.
- Agents and brokers
- 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