Living Korea Guide

Tag: road traffic act korea

  • Korea License Exchange Countries: The List and What Changed

    Korea License Exchange Countries: The List and What Changed

    Since 6 April 2026, licenses from seven more U.S. states count as recognized in Korea: Oregon, Idaho, Ohio, Kentucky, Utah, Nevada and Kansas. The same update took 11 countries off the list, including Australia and Sri Lanka, and added five new ones.

    The list decides one thing when you exchange a foreign license: whether you take the written test. It does not change which Korean license you get. Here is the full list, how U.S. states and other regions count, exactly what changed in April 2026, and which countries’ licenses Korea keeps after an exchange.

    What this guide covers
    01 What the list decides
    02 Which countries are on the list
    03 How U.S. states and other regions count
    04 What changed in April 2026
    05 Which countries’ licenses Korea keeps

    What the list decides

    List verified October 2026 · Korean National Police Agency Notice 2026-6 · Enforcement Decree, Article 52 and Annex 3

    The list is a notice from the Korean National Police Agency on countries that recognize Korean licenses (국내면허 인정국가 고시). A country goes on it when it gives a Korean license holder its own license without any test except a physical check. The Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법 시행령) sets the process. Article 52 asks the Minister of Foreign Affairs to survey these countries at least once a year.

    What the list changes, and what it does not
    Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 3
    On the list Not on the list
    Physical check Yes Yes
    Written test No Yes, 40 questions
    Skills test and road test No No
    Korean license you get Class 2 ordinary Class 2 ordinary

    So a country missing from the list does not block the exchange. It adds one test to your visit. Your status of stay can also remove that test, whatever your country. The FAQ at the end lists those statuses.

    Which countries are on the list

    The April 2026 notice names 133 countries and regions. KoROAD (한국도로교통공단, the Korea Road Traffic Authority) shows the same list in Korean on its foreign license page. The names below are in English and sorted alphabetically inside each region.

    Countries and regions on the list · 133
    Korean National Police Agency Notice 2026-6 · in effect from 6 April 2026
    Region Countries and regions
    Asia and the Pacific
    25    		 Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Hong Kong, India (listed states only), Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam
    The Americas
    22    		 Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Canada (listed provinces only), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico (Nuevo León only), Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, United States (listed states only), Uruguay
    Europe
    36    		 Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom
    Middle East
    12    		 Bahrain, Iran, Iraq (Erbil only), Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
    Africa
    38    		 Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe

    If your country is not in this table, plan for the written test. Mainland China, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Mongolia and Nepal, for example, are not on the list. The notice counts places with their own license system, such as Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as separate entries.

    How U.S. states and other regions count

    For four countries the list names parts of the country, not the whole of it. Your license counts only if the state or province that issued it is named. A license from an unnamed state is treated as a license from a country not on the list.

    States and provinces on the list
    Korean National Police Agency Notice 2026-6
    Country Listed states or provinces
    United States
    29 states    		 Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
    Canada
    10 provinces    		 Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
    India
    5 states    		 Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana
    Mexico
    1 state    		 Nuevo León

    California, New York and Illinois, for example, are not among the 29 U.S. states, and none of Canada’s territories is listed. Washington here is the state, not Washington, D.C. Georgia appears twice in this guide: once as a U.S. state, and once as the country in the Europe row.

    Four listed states still take the written test
    KoROAD’s Korean page names Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada. Applicants with a license from these states take the written test, even though the states are on the list. All four joined the list in April 2026.

    If your license is from one of these four states, prepare for the written test anyway. It has 40 multiple-choice questions, and you can take it in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese.

    What changed in April 2026

    Comparison verified October 2026 · Notice 2023-7 (22 November 2023) and Notice 2026-6 (6 April 2026)

    The previous notice took effect on 22 November 2023 and named 139 countries and regions. The April 2026 notice names 133. The notice itself only says that the recognized countries changed. The table below comes from comparing the two lists line by line.

    Changes between the 2023 and 2026 lists
    Korean National Police Agency Notices 2023-7 and 2026-6
    Region Taken off the list Added to the list
    United States None Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah (22 states became 29)
    Asia and the Pacific Australia, Sri Lanka Myanmar
    The Americas Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago None
    Europe None Estonia
    Africa Eritrea, Namibia, Zambia Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa
    Middle East None None

    The Canadian provinces, the Indian states and Nuevo León stayed the same. If you read an older guide, check which notice it uses. A guide based on the 2023 list will show Australia as recognized and will miss the seven new U.S. states.

    The new notice took effect on the day it was issued, 6 April 2026. An Australian license holder who applies now takes the written test, unless their status of stay waives it.

    Which countries’ licenses Korea keeps

    Rules verified October 2026 · Road Traffic Act, Article 84(3) · Enforcement Decree, Article 52(5)

    This is a separate list, and it answers a different question: whether you leave the test site with your foreign license. Article 84(3) of the Road Traffic Act lets KoROAD keep a foreign license only for a reason set by decree. Article 52(5) of the Enforcement Decree names two. The issuing country asks for its licenses to be collected, or that country keeps Korean licenses when it exchanges them.

    KoROAD’s page sorts countries into these groups, based on information from Korean embassies abroad. The table shows countries that many foreign residents in Korea come from.

    Whether your foreign license is kept · selected countries
    KoROAD, countries where foreign licenses are kept or not kept
    Group Countries
    Not kept
    You keep your license    		 Australia, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India (KoROAD lists 27 states, including Maharashtra), Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
    Kept
    The issuing country asks    		 Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Czech Republic, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
    Kept
    Reciprocity    		 Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Poland, Spain, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

    The two lists do not move together. Japan is on the recognized list and its licenses are kept. China is not on the recognized list and its licenses are not kept. Check both lists for your country.

    U.S. states and Canadian regions
    KoROAD, countries where foreign licenses are kept or not kept
    Group States, provinces and territories
    Not kept Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, New Jersey, Washington, D.C.
    Kept
    The issuing state asks    		 Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming · Canada: Northwest Territories, Yukon
    Kept
    Reciprocity    		 Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin · Canada: all 10 provinces

    Ohio, Kentucky, Utah and Nevada are left out of this table. KoROAD’s page names them in the kept group and also adds them to the not-kept group. If your license is from one of these states, ask at the counter before you hand it over.

    For a country not shown here, open KoROAD’s foreign license page and select 외국면허 회수 국가 · 미회수 국가 보기 (view countries where licenses are kept or not kept). If your license is kept, KoROAD returns it in three cases. You leave Korea, you cancel your Korean license, or a diplomatic mission asks for it.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I use a US driver’s license in South Korea?
    Not by itself. KoROAD states that a foreign license alone does not let you drive in Korea. You can drive with an International Driving Permit for up to one year from the day you enter Korea (Road Traffic Act, Article 96). To exchange, a license from one of the 29 listed states skips the written test, except Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.
    Can I use an Australian driver’s license in Korea?
    Not by itself, for the same reason. You can still exchange it. Since 6 April 2026 Australia is not on the recognized list, so you take the written test unless your status of stay waives it. KoROAD’s page lists Australia among the countries whose licenses are not kept.
    Can I have a driver’s license in two countries?
    On the Korean side, it depends on the country that issued your license. KoROAD keeps it only for countries in the kept groups above. Whether your home country still treats its license as valid is a question for your home licensing authority.
    Is there another way to skip the written test?
    Yes. Article 52 of the Enforcement Decree waives it for certain statuses of stay, whatever your country. They are A-1, A-2, A-3, D-7, D-8, D-9, E-1, E-3, E-4, E-7 and F-4. The waiver also covers a spouse, and unmarried children under 19.

    Official sources

    The lists in this guide come from the pages below. Lists change, so open the current version before you go.

    · Korean National Police Agency, notice on countries that recognize Korean licenses (Korean) · the 2023 version is under the notice’s revision history (연혁)
    · KoROAD, foreign license exchange · Korean (both lists open from buttons on this page) · notes (Korean) · English
    · Korea Ministry of Government Legislation · Road Traffic Act Article 84 · Article 96 · Enforcement Decree Article 52
    Information verified as of October 2026. The lists change when Korea’s survey of other countries changes. Confirm your country on KoROAD’s official page before you visit a test site. KoROAD’s customer center is 1577-1120, and it offers chat in foreign languages through its KakaoTalk channel.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.
  • Foreign Driver’s License Exchange in Korea: Rules and Steps

    Foreign Driver’s License Exchange in Korea: Rules and Steps

    It is easy to assume that any valid foreign driver’s license can be swapped for a Korean one. The Road Traffic Act adds a condition first. Your license must have been issued while you stayed in that country for more than 90 days. It also cannot be a temporary or learner license.

    If you meet that condition, the rest depends on two things: the country that issued your license, and your status of stay. Some people only take an eye test. Others also take a 40-question written test. Here is who can apply, which test you take, what to bring, what it costs, and what happens to your foreign license.

    What this guide covers
    01 Who can exchange a foreign license
    02 Which tests you take
    03 Which Korean license you get
    04 What documents you need
    05 How much it costs
    06 How to exchange your license, step by step
    07 What happens to your foreign license
    08 What to say at the counter

    Who can exchange a foreign license

    Rules verified September 2026 · Road Traffic Act, Article 84 · Article 82

    Article 84 of the Road Traffic Act (도로교통법) lets people who hold a foreign license skip part of the Korean driving test. It names four groups of people.

    You can apply if you are one of these
    ✓ A registered foreign resident (등록외국인), or a person exempt from foreign registration
    ✓ A recognized refugee (난민인정자)
    ✓ An overseas Korean with a domestic residence report (국내거소신고)
    ✓ A person with a Korean resident registration (주민등록)

    Foreign registration comes first. Article 82 says a foreign national who has not registered cannot get a Korean license at all, unless they are exempt from registration. If you arrived recently, finish your Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증) before you plan the exchange.

    The license itself must also pass three checks. Article 84 defines a foreign license as one you obtained while you stayed in the issuing country for more than 90 days. It excludes temporary and learner licenses. KoROAD (한국도로교통공단, the Korea Road Traffic Authority) adds that the license must be a full license that has not expired.

    These licenses cannot be exchanged
    KoROAD lists temporary licenses, learner licenses (learner, provisional, probationary) and driving permits or certificates (permit, certificate). A license you obtained during a stay of 90 days or less in the issuing country does not qualify either.

    KoROAD checks the 90 days with your passport stamps and your Certificate of Entry and Exit. If those do not show the stay, KoROAD accepts other proof. The list includes a certificate of enrollment or employment, a tax invoice, and a permanent resident card such as a U.S. green card. A citizenship certificate or a long-term visa of more than one year also works. Prepare this proof if your license comes from a country that is not your country of citizenship.

    Which tests you take

    Rules verified September 2026 · Enforcement Decree, Article 52 and Annex 3 · Korean National Police Agency Notice 2026-6

    The answer depends on one list. The Korean National Police Agency publishes the countries that exchange a Korean license without any test except a physical check. The official name is the notice on countries that recognize Korean licenses (국내면허 인정국가 고시). The current version took effect on 6 April 2026 and names 133 countries and regions. It replaced the version dated 22 November 2023.

    Tests by where your license is from
    Enforcement Decree of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 3 · KoROAD foreign license exchange page
    Where your license is from You take You skip
    A country or region on the list Physical check only (적성검사) Written test, skills test, road test
    A country or region not on the list Physical check + written test (학과시험) Skills test, road test

    Neither group takes a driving test on a course or on the road. The only difference is the written test, so the list decides how long your visit to the test site will be.

    Exceptions to check on the list
    01 Some countries count state by state. For the United States, Canada, India and Mexico, the list names states or provinces, not the whole country. A license from an unlisted state counts as not on the list.
    02 Four U.S. states still take the written test. KoROAD’s Korean page names Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada. They are on the list, but applicants with these licenses take the written test.
    03 New Zealand has two conditions. A restricted license holder must pass the written test. A full license holder must also pass it if the license was issued less than two years ago.
    04 Regions count as countries. The notice treats places with their own license system, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, as countries on the list.

    To check your country, open KoROAD’s foreign license page and select 국내면허 인정 국가 보기 (view recognized countries). Mainland China, Australia and Singapore, for example, are not on the April 2026 list, while Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are.

    When your status of stay removes the written test

    There is a second route to skipping the written test, and it does not depend on the list. Article 52 of the Enforcement Decree treats a license held by certain residents as if it came from a listed country. KoROAD writes these out as status codes.

    No written test for these statuses of stay
    ✓ A-1 (외교) · A-2 (공무) · A-3 (협정)
    ✓ D-7 (주재) · D-8 (기업투자) · D-9 (무역경영)
    ✓ E-1 (교수) · E-3 (연구) · E-4 (기술지도) · E-7 (특정활동)
    ✓ F-4 (재외동포)
    ✓ The spouse of a person above, and their unmarried children under 19

    If your status is on this list, the written test is waived even when your license comes from a country that is not on the list. Check the code on your Alien Registration Card, because the waiver follows the status, not the job title.

    Which Korean license you get

    An exchange gives you a Class 2 ordinary license (제2종 보통면허). KoROAD’s page states this, and Annex 3 of the Enforcement Decree lists Class 2 ordinary as the license for foreign license holders. The type of license you held at home does not change this.

    What a Class 2 ordinary license lets you drive
    Enforcement Rules of the Road Traffic Act, Annex 18
    Vehicle Limit
    Passenger car (승용자동차) No limit
    Van or minibus (승합자동차) Up to 10 seats
    Truck (화물자동차) Up to 4 tons of load
    Special vehicle (특수자동차) Up to 3.5 tons total weight, not tow or recovery trucks
    Moped (원동기장치자전거) Included

    If you drove a large bus or a heavy truck at home, the exchange does not carry that over. It stops at Class 2 ordinary.

    Five countries are different. KoROAD’s page states that licenses from Belgium, Poland, Spain, Italy and Ireland can be exchanged for the matching class. Korea has a mutual recognition agreement with each of them. Annex 3 also covers car licenses only. It excludes motorcycle and moped licenses, so a motorcycle-only license is not exchanged this way.

    What documents you need

    KoROAD lists the same core documents for every foreign resident. Bring originals, not copies.

    Documents for a foreign resident
    KoROAD foreign license exchange page, Korean version
    Document Korean name What to check
    Your foreign license 외국면허증 원본 A full license that has not expired
    Your passport 여권 원본 It must show your departure from the issuing country and your entry to Korea
    Your Alien Registration Card 외국인등록증 원본 Overseas Koreans bring the domestic residence report card (국내거소신고증)
    Three color photos 컬러사진 3매 Passport style, 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, taken within six months
    Embassy certificate or apostille for your license 대사관 확인서 또는 아포스티유 Issued within one year of your application, in Korean or English
    Certificate of Entry and Exit 출입국사실증명서 It must cover your records from your year of birth to the present

    The embassy certificate or apostille is the document that proves your license is real. Get it last, close to your visit, because a certificate older than one year is not accepted.

    KoROAD accepts two kinds. The first is a certificate in Korean or English from your country’s embassy in Korea, or from the Korean embassy in your country. The second is an apostille issued in your country, if it is a member of the Apostille Convention. Some countries have no embassy in Korea and are not apostille members. For them, KoROAD allows a certificate from their embassy in a nearby country, such as Japan.

    Country notes on the certificate
    KoROAD, notes on foreign license exchange (교환발급 시 유의사항)
    Your case What KoROAD asks for
    The embassy no longer issues certificates: the British Embassy, the Korean Consulate General in Hong Kong, the Finnish Embassy, the Dutch Embassy in Korea, the Colombian Embassy in Korea, the Korean Embassy in Austria, the Russian Embassy in Korea, the Ukrainian Embassy in Korea, the Korean Embassy in China, and others An apostille for your license
    Colombia An apostille and a General Driver Report, both
    Canada, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Singapore, Colombia, and others A driving record certificate (운전경력증명서) as well
    A Chinese license Notarize both the main page and the supplementary page (정본 · 부본), and submit both
    Your license shows no issue date or expiry date A driving record certificate or similar paper from the issuing authority that shows the date
    Your apostille has a copy of your license attached The copy must show both the front and the back

    KoROAD tells applicants to ask the embassy before they go. An embassy can stop issuing certificates at any time. Keep the certificate in one piece as well. KoROAD may ask for more documents, or reject the application, if the paper shows marks from removed staples or a cut binding.

    The Certificate of Entry and Exit (출입국에 관한 사실증명) comes from Korean offices, not from your embassy. Government24 (정부24) lists immigration offices and city, county and community service centers as places where a foreign resident can request it. The fee is 2,000 KRW per copy in person.

    How much it costs

    Fees verified September 2026 · KoROAD fee notice under Road Traffic Act, Article 139

    Article 139 of the Road Traffic Act lets KoROAD set the fees for tests and license cards, with approval from the National Police Agency. The fees below are the ones KoROAD’s exchange page shows.

    Fees at the test site
    KoROAD foreign license exchange page, Korean version
    Item Fee Who pays
    Physical check at the test site (신체검사) 7,000 KRW Everyone who has the check at the site
    Written test (학과시험 응시료) 10,000 KRW Only those who take the written test
    License card, standard, Korean and English (일반) 10,000 KRW Choose one card
    License card, mobile IC, Korean and English (모바일IC) 15,000 KRW Choose one card

    With a standard card, the visit costs 17,000 KRW if you only take the physical check. It costs 27,000 KRW if you also take the written test. The 7,000 KRW physical check fee is the rate at the test site’s own check room. The cost of the certificate or apostille depends on your country and is not part of these fees.

    How to exchange your license, step by step

    The exchange is done in one visit if your documents are complete. The steps below follow KoROAD’s order: document review, physical check, written test if needed, and then the new license.

    Step 1 — Get the embassy certificate or apostille

    Do this first, because it can take the longest and may involve your home country. Check that it will still be less than one year old on the day you apply.

    Step 2 — Get your Certificate of Entry and Exit

    Request it at an immigration office or a community service center. Ask for the full record from your year of birth, because that is the range KoROAD asks for.

    Step 3 — Go to a driver’s license test site in person

    KoROAD lists driver’s license test sites (운전면허시험장) nationwide as the place to apply. You must go yourself. KoROAD does not accept an application by an agent, except for holders of an ID card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The online visit reservation service covers renewals, new licenses and reissues only, so there is no booking step for an exchange.

    Arrive by 17:00, or by 16:00 for the written test
    KoROAD states that an exchange takes time, so the application must be made at least one hour before closing, by 17:00. If you need the written test, KoROAD recommends arriving before 16:00. The monthly evening hours at test sites do not handle foreign license exchanges.

    Step 4 — Hand in your documents for review

    The staff check your documents first. If something is missing or unclear, they can ask for more papers before the tests start.

    Step 5 — Take the physical check

    The physical check (적성검사) is mainly an eye test. For a Class 2 license, Article 45 of the Enforcement Decree requires a vision of 0.5 or better with both eyes open. Glasses and contact lenses count. KoROAD names six test sites without a check room: Mungyeong, Gangneung, Taebaek, Gwangyang, Chungju and Chuncheon. If you apply at one of them, have the check at a nearby hospital first.

    Step 6 — Take the written test, if it applies to you

    The written test (학과시험) has 40 multiple-choice questions. You can take it in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese. Article 50 of the Enforcement Decree sets the pass mark for a Class 2 license at 60 out of 100. You do not need the one-hour pre-test safety course first. KoROAD’s page on that course lists foreign license holders who are exchanging among the people it does not apply to.

    Step 7 — Pay and receive your Korean license

    Pay the card fee and choose a standard or mobile IC card. If your country is one where KoROAD keeps foreign licenses, you hand yours over as part of the exchange. The next section explains when that happens.

    What happens to your foreign license

    Your foreign license is not always taken. Article 84(3) of the Road Traffic Act lets KoROAD keep it only when a reason set by presidential decree applies. Article 52(5) of the Enforcement Decree names two reasons.

    KoROAD keeps your license when
    01 The country that issued it asks for it to be collected
    02 That country itself keeps a Korean license when it exchanges one for its own

    KoROAD’s Korean page lists which countries fall into each group, under 외국면허 회수 국가 · 미회수 국가 보기 (countries where licenses are kept or not kept). The list comes from Korean embassies abroad and is separate from the list that decides your written test.

    If your license is kept, KoROAD returns it in three cases. You leave Korea and show proof such as a departure ticket. You cancel your Korean license by choice. Or a diplomatic mission asks for it. A license that nobody collects within 10 years of the exchange can be destroyed, under the disposal consent form KoROAD uses for exchanges.

    What to say at the counter

    Five sentences for the test site counter. Show the screen if it is easier than speaking.

    외국 운전면허증 교환 발급 받으러 왔습니다.
    Oe-guk un-jeon-myeon-heo-jeung gyo-hwan bal-geup ba-deu-reo wat-seum-ni-da.
    “I am here to exchange my foreign driver’s license.”
    Say this first at the counter.
    학과시험 면제 대상인지 확인해 주시겠어요?
    Hak-gwa-si-heom myeon-je dae-sang-in-ji hwa-gin-hae ju-si-ge-sseo-yo?
    “Could you check whether I am exempt from the written test?”
    When you hand in your documents.
    신체검사는 어디서 받나요?
    Sin-che-geom-sa-neun eo-di-seo ban-na-yo?
    “Where do I take the physical check?”
    After the document review.
    학과시험을 영어로 볼 수 있나요?
    Hak-gwa-si-heo-meul yeong-eo-ro bol su in-na-yo?
    “Can I take the written test in English?”
    Only if you take the written test. Replace 영어 (English) with 중국어 (Chinese) or 베트남어 (Vietnamese) if needed.
    외국 면허증은 돌려받을 수 있나요?
    Oe-guk myeon-heo-jeung-eun dol-lyeo-ba-deul su in-na-yo?
    “Can I get my foreign license back?”
    Before you receive your Korean license.

    Frequently asked questions

    How to exchange driver’s license in Korea?
    Register as a foreign resident first. Then go to a driver’s license test site with your foreign license, passport, Alien Registration Card and three photos. Add an embassy certificate or apostille issued within one year, and a Certificate of Entry and Exit. You take a physical check, and a written test if your country is not on the recognized list.
    Can I drive in Korea with my US driver’s license?
    Not with the license card alone. KoROAD states that a foreign license by itself does not allow you to drive in Korea. You can drive with an International Driving Permit for up to one year from the day you enter Korea (Road Traffic Act, Article 96). After that, you need a Korean license, for example through an exchange. A license from a listed U.S. state skips the written test, except Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada.
    Can you take a driving test in a different language?
    For an exchange, the only test in a language is the written test. KoROAD offers it in Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese.
    Do I get my foreign license back?
    It depends on the country that issued it. KoROAD keeps a license only when that country asks for it, or when that country keeps Korean licenses in the same situation. A kept license is returned when you leave Korea, when you cancel your Korean license, or when a diplomatic mission asks for it.

    Official sources

    Every figure in this guide comes from the pages below. Lists and fees change, so open the page that matters to your case before you go.

    · KoROAD, foreign license exchange · Korean · notes (Korean) · English
    · KoROAD, pre-test safety education (Korean)
    · Korea Ministry of Government Legislation · Road Traffic Act Article 84 · Article 82 · Article 96 · Article 139
    · Korea Ministry of Government Legislation · Enforcement Decree Article 52 · Article 50 · Enforcement Rules Article 53 and Annex 18
    · Korean National Police Agency, notice on countries that recognize Korean licenses (Korean)
    · Government24, Certificate of Entry and Exit (Korean)
    Information verified as of September 2026. Lists, rules and fees change. Confirm the details on KoROAD’s official page before you visit a test site. KoROAD’s customer center is 1577-1120, and it offers chat in foreign languages through its KakaoTalk channel.
    This site is not affiliated with the Korean government. Always confirm details with the official source.