How long can I drive in Korea with an International Driving Permit?

You can drive for 1 year from the date you enter Korea. Korea is a party to the Geneva Convention. So if you have a valid International Driving Permit issued by a Geneva Convention country, you can drive for 1 year from your entry date. Since January 1, 2002, licenses issued by Vienna Convention countries are also accepted for the same period.

⚠️ Things to watch out for

• The International Driving Permit alone is not enough. You must carry your home country driver's license and your passport together.
• Even if the validity period written on your permit is longer than 1 year, it is no longer valid in Korea once 1 year has passed since you entered Korea.
• Only an "International Driving Permit" issued by an official issuing body is accepted. Private look-alike licenses with "INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE" on the cover cannot be used.
• Licenses from countries that are not convention members (for example, mainland China) are not covered. International permits issued in Hong Kong and Macau are accepted.

💡 If you want to keep driving after 1 year

You must get a Korean driver's license. If you have completed alien registration and hold a home country license, you may be exempt from part of the driver's license test. For details, check with your nearest driver's license test center or the Korea Road Traffic Authority (도로교통공단).

The rules may differ depending on whether the country where you got your license is a convention member and on your status of stay. For accurate information, please check again with the Korea Road Traffic Authority (도로교통공단) or the Immigration Contact Center (외국인종합안내센터, 1345).