Driving license in South Korea for expats

Yes. KoROAD offers the 40-question written test in Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese. You choose your language at registration on the day. These are the only four languages currently offered — the Russian, Japanese, Thai, Indonesian, Mongolian, Cambodian and Filipino versions were withdrawn in August 2018. Practise with AutoviaTest in English first so the Korean-road-specific rules (0.03% BAC, bus-lane hours, children's-protection zones — 어린이 보호구역) are familiar on exam day.

No. KoROAD waives the practical (on-road) test for all exchanges of a valid full foreign licence, regardless of country. Learner, provisional, probationary and temporary permits are not eligible for exchange and would require the full Korean licence process (학과시험 + 기능시험 + 도로주행시험).

Yes — it is mandatory. The 외국인등록증 (Registration Card; formerly Alien Registration Card / ARC until January 2021) is issued by the Korea Immigration Service after you register your Korean address at an immigration office — you must register within 90 days of arrival if your stay exceeds 90 days. Without a valid Registration Card you can drive on your IDP + national licence for up to 1 year (Road Traffic Act Art. 96(1)) but you cannot start the exchange.

Very strict. Under Road Traffic Act Art. 44 the legal BAC limit is 0.03% (reduced from 0.05% by the 2018 amendment known as the "Yoon Chang-ho Law" / 윤창호법) and a BAC of 0.08% or higher triggers licence revocation. Penalties include heavy fines, licence suspension/revocation and up to 5 years' imprisonment. Random roadside breath-tests are common and refusal to blow is itself an offence.

As of 2026, roughly 20+ US states have signed bilateral memoranda with Korea's National Police Agency, meaning holders exchange their licence without a written test. The list has grown steadily since Maryland signed the first deal in 2010 and now includes Maryland, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Iowa, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Louisiana, and — more recently — Kentucky, Arizona and Kansas. Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada are recognised but applicants must still sit the written exam. California and New York are NOT on the list — holders sit the written exam but still skip the practical. Always check the current status on your state DMV or Korean consulate website before travelling.

Yes. The UK is on KoROAD's mutual-recognition list, so UK licences exchange without either the written or the practical test — just the aptitude (eyesight/physical) test at the 운전면허시험장. You will still need the Apostille of your UK licence issued within the last year, or a confirmation letter from the British Embassy in Seoul, plus your Registration Card, passport, 3 photos and the ~₩25,000 in fees.

Under Road Traffic Act Art. 96(1) you may drive for up to 1 year from the date of entry with a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) or a foreign licence from a mutually-recognised country. After 1 year you must exchange. Commercial driving (taxi, bus, delivery lorry) is never allowed on a foreign licence — you need a full Korean Class 1 licence for that.

KoROAD fees are approximately ₩25,000–₩35,000: ₩6,000–₩7,500 aptitude test + ₩10,000 standard plastic licence (or ₩15,000 for a mobile IC card) + ₩10,000 written-exam fee if your country is not on the recognised list. On top of that you pay for the Apostille or embassy confirmation, which is done in your home country or at your embassy in Seoul (the US Embassy charges US$50, for example). Payment at KoROAD is by cash or card at the examination office.

KoROAD does not require a sworn Korean translation in most cases, but it does require one of two things issued within the last 1 year: (a) an Apostille certificate for the licence from the issuing country (if that country is in the Apostille Convention), or (b) a confirmation letter from your country's embassy or consulate in Seoul verifying that the licence is valid and genuine. This is how the officer reads the licence without a full translation.

You apply at a 운전면허시험장 (Driver's License Examination Office / DLEO) operated by KoROAD — not at a police station. There are 27 DLEOs across Korea; the Seoul-area ones most used by expats are Seobu (서부) and Gangnam (강남). Counters open 09:00–17:00 weekdays; if you need the written exam you must arrive before 16:00. Online booking is possible via safedriving.or.kr but walk-in is also accepted at most offices.

Most recognised-country exchanges are issued as Class 2 ordinary (2종 보통 — passenger cars and small light trucks, automatic or manual depending on your original licence). Under the specific bilateral exchange terms agreed with Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy and Ireland, the original category is preserved. Commercial vehicles (taxis, buses, heavy lorries) require Class 1 (1종) and are never available through exchange — you must pass the full Korean test for those.

Yes. KoROAD publishes sample questions and rsokorea.org hosts official past-papers in English. For focused practice on Korean-road rules — 어린이 보호구역 (child protection zones), 스쿨존 speed limits, bus-lane operating hours, the 0.03% BAC limit and signal-priority rules — AutoviaTest in English is the fastest way to cover the question bank before you sit the test at the DLEO.