Since 1 January 2026, a Korean driver’s license is renewed within six months either side of your birthday. Before that date, the window was the whole calendar year in which the renewal fell. The cycle itself is still ten years for most drivers.
The change matters most if your card was issued before 2026, because the period printed on it may not match the law now. Here is when you must renew, who needs a physical check, and how to renew. It also covers the cost, what to do if you will be abroad, and what happens if you miss the window.
When you must renew
Rules verified October 2026 · Road Traffic Act, Article 87 · Addendum to Act No. 21016 (14 August 2025)
Article 87 of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법) sets two things: how many years until your renewal, and the window around that date. The first renewal counts from the day you passed the license test. Each later renewal counts from your last renewal.
| Your age then | Next renewal falls after |
|---|---|
| Under 65 | 10 years |
| 65 to 74 | 5 years |
| 75 or older | 3 years |
The window opens six months before your birthday in the year the cycle ends, and closes six months after it. For example, take a driver under 65 who passed the test in March 2026 and has a birthday on 10 July. The cycle ends in 2036, so the window runs from about 10 January 2036 to about 10 January 2037.
To see your exact window, KoROAD points to two places. One is the My Page section of its own website. The other is the driver’s license menu of the National Police Agency’s traffic service at efine.go.kr. Check one of them rather than counting from the card.
Who needs a physical check
Article 87(2) adds a periodic aptitude test (정기 적성검사) for some drivers. It is a physical check, mainly of eyesight, done in the same window as the renewal.
| Your license | What you do in the window |
|---|---|
| Class 2, under 70 (제2종) | Renewal only (면허갱신). No physical check |
| Class 2, 70 or older | Periodic aptitude test with the renewal |
| Class 1, any age (제1종) | Periodic aptitude test with the renewal |
A license you got by exchanging a foreign license is usually Class 2 ordinary, so most foreign residents only renew. Drivers who exchanged a license from Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy or Ireland may hold a matching Class 1 license. They take the physical check each time.
How to renew, step by step
KoROAD lists three routes for a Class 2 renewal. You can go to a driver’s license test site or a police station civil affairs office, or apply online on KoROAD’s website. Gangnam Police Station does not handle renewals, so KoROAD sends applicants there to Gangnam test site.
Step 1 — Check your window
Look it up on KoROAD’s My Page or on efine.go.kr. You can renew only inside the window, unless you apply for early renewal or a postponement.
Step 2 — Prepare a photo
You need one color photo, 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, taken within the last six months. A Class 1 aptitude test needs two.
Step 3 — Apply in person or online
In person, bring your current license and your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증). The Enforcement Rules list the Alien Registration Card as an accepted identity document. With your consent, KoROAD checks your registered place of stay from immigration records, instead of asking for a separate certificate.
For a Class 2 renewal, someone else can apply for you. They bring your license, your photo, their own ID, and a letter of delegation (위임장) that you wrote.
Step 4 — Pay the fee
Choose a standard card or a mobile IC card. Both come in a Korean and English version for the same fee.
Step 5 — Collect the new card and return the old one
KoROAD’s renewal page states that only you can collect the new card, even if someone else applied. Article 83-3 of the Enforcement Rules does allow an agent to collect it in some cases, such as when you are staying abroad. The Enforcement Rules also require you to hand back your old license when you receive the renewed one.
How much it costs
Fees verified October 2026 · KoROAD renewal and postponement pages
KoROAD sets these fees with approval from the National Police Agency, under Article 139 of the Road Traffic Act.
| Item | Standard card | Mobile IC card |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 renewal (2종 갱신) | 10,000 KRW | 15,000 KRW |
| Aptitude test and renewal (적성검사) | 16,000 KRW | 21,000 KRW |
| Physical check at a test site | 7,000 KRW (8,000 KRW for Class 1 large or special) | |
| Postponement application (연기신청) | 3,000 KRW | |
A Class 2 driver under 70 pays only the first row. The physical check fee applies only to drivers who take the aptitude test, and only at a test site’s own check room. For a Class 1 ordinary license or a Class 2 driver over 70, KoROAD accepts a national health checkup result from the past two years instead.
What to do if you will be abroad
Article 55 of the Enforcement Decree names a stay abroad as a reason to renew early or to postpone. Both are useful if you go home for a long period around your renewal.
| Early renewal (사전 갱신) | Postponement (연기) | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Before your window opens, before you leave | Before your window closes |
| Where | Test site or police station civil affairs office | Test site, police station, or online on KoROAD’s website if you are leaving Korea |
| Proof | A departure ticket, or a document such as a school admission letter or a job abroad | A passport and departure ticket, or a Certificate of Entry and Exit |
| Photos | 2 | None listed |
| Fee | The normal renewal fee | 3,000 KRW |
| After | Nothing more for this cycle | Renew within 3 months of returning |
A postponement can last up to three years under Article 55(2). Once the reason ends, you have three months to renew. When you come back to Korea, bring your Certificate of Entry and Exit to show the return date. KoROAD asks you to call the test site before an early renewal visit.
What happens if you miss the window
Fines verified October 2026 · Enforcement Decree, Article 88 and Annex 6
Missing a renewal is a fine, not the end of your license, for most foreign residents. Annex 6 of the Enforcement Decree sets the amounts.
Renew as soon as you notice, even if the window has passed. The fine is fixed, but the surcharge grows every month you leave it unpaid.
What to say at the counter
Five sentences for a test site or police station counter. Show the screen if it is easier than speaking.
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
Every figure in this guide comes from the pages below. Rules and fees change, so open the page that matters to your case before you go.