An International Driving Permit lets you drive in Korea for one year from the day you enter the country. After that year, driving on it counts as driving without a license under the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법).
Not every permit works, either. It must come from a member of the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna road traffic convention. A place with a separate agreement with Korea also counts. Here is how long a permit lasts, which permits Korea accepts, what you can drive on one, and what happens when the year runs out.
How long a permit works in Korea
Rules verified October 2026 · Road Traffic Act, Article 96 · Article 152
Article 96 of the Road Traffic Act sets the period. A person with a valid International Driving Permit (국제운전면허증) may drive in Korea for one year from the day they entered Korea. Article 152 then treats a permit that has passed its own expiry date as no permit at all. So two dates apply, and the earlier one ends your driving.
Write down the date you entered Korea. Your passport stamp or your Certificate of Entry and Exit shows it. Article 92 also requires you to carry the permit while you drive.
The one year does not depend on your visa. A student, a worker and a tourist all have the same period. If you will live in Korea longer than that, you need a Korean license to keep driving.
Which permits Korea accepts
Article 96 lists four kinds of agreements. The first two are international conventions, and most permits come under one of them.
KoROAD (한국도로교통공단, the Korea Road Traffic Authority) publishes the member lists for both conventions. The table shows where common home countries fall.
| Agreement | Countries and regions |
|---|---|
| Geneva 1949 | Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States |
| Vienna 1968 | Brazil, Germany, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam |
| Agreement with Korea | Taiwan, Vietnam |
Some countries appear in both conventions, such as France, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand and the United Kingdom. That makes no difference in Korea, since both give the same one year. For a country not shown here, open KoROAD’s International Driving Permit page and select 제네바 협약국 보기 or 비엔나 협약국 보기 (view Geneva or Vienna members).
Which permits Korea does not accept
Two groups are outside Article 96. KoROAD’s International Driving Permit page names both.
The second group is countries outside both conventions with no agreement with Korea. KoROAD states that mainland China is not a member of either convention. Permits from Hong Kong and Macau are still valid, under the one country, two systems policy. Indonesia and Nepal do not appear on KoROAD’s member lists either.
If your country is in this group, a permit from home will not let you drive in Korea. Your route is a Korean license, either by exchange or by taking the full test. KoROAD also offers sample images of permits from 65 countries on the same page, if you want to compare yours.
What you can drive on a permit
Article 96 limits you to the vehicle types written on your permit. If your permit covers only cars, you cannot drive a motorcycle on it.
| Vehicle | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Your own car or a friend’s car | Yes, within the types on your permit |
| A rental car (대여사업용 자동차) | Yes, Article 96(2) allows it |
| A commercial vehicle, such as a taxi, bus or delivery truck for a business (사업용 자동차) | No |
| An e-scooter or other personal mobility device (개인형 이동장치) | Only if your permit lists mopeds (원동기장치자전거) |
The law allows rental cars, but it does not set a rental company’s own booking conditions. Check those with the company before you book. The e-scooter rule comes from Article 156, which fines riders who have no license or permit that covers mopeds.
What happens if you drive after the year ends
Penalties verified October 2026 · Road Traffic Act, Article 152 · Article 82 · Article 97
Driving on a permit after the year, or after the permit expires, is treated the same as driving with no license. Three consequences follow from the law.
For residents, the waiting period matters most. A single drive on an expired permit can delay your Korean license by a year, as long as the permit lasted in the first place. Plan the switch before the year ends, not after.
How the permit compares with a license exchange
The permit and the license exchange use two different lists. Being on one list says nothing about the other. The permit depends on the Geneva and Vienna conventions. The exchange depends on the Korean National Police Agency notice on countries that recognize Korean licenses, last revised on 6 April 2026.
| Your license is from | Permit accepted for one year | Exchange without the written test |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes (Geneva) | Only the 29 listed states, and not Oregon, Idaho, Utah or Nevada |
| Australia | Yes (Geneva) | No, since 6 April 2026 |
| United Kingdom | Yes (Geneva and Vienna) | Yes |
| Germany | Yes (Vienna) | Yes |
| Vietnam | Yes (Vienna, and an agreement with Korea) | Yes |
| Philippines | Yes (Geneva and Vienna) | Yes |
| Singapore | Yes (Geneva) | No |
| Mainland China | No | No |
| Indonesia | No | No |
“No” in the last column does not block an exchange. It means one extra written test at the test site, unless your status of stay waives it. If you live in Korea and your permit is accepted, the year on the permit is the time you have to prepare that exchange.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every rule in this guide comes from the pages below. Lists change, so open the current version before you drive.