Convert your foreign driving licence
By B. J. Choi · Employer of foreign workers in Chungcheong · I accompany my staff to these offices
The exam office itself is not the hard part. The hard part is the one document you have to get from your own country's embassy before you go — and the list of countries that decides whether you sit a written test.
At a glance
- Do this first
- Get the licence confirmed by your country's embassy in Korea. Without it, the rest of the pack is useless.
- Where
- Any driving-licence exam office (운전면허시험장), in person.
- Decisive question
- Is your issuing country on KoRoad's reciprocity list? On it: aptitude check only. Not on it: aptitude check plus a written test.
- Costs
- Licence ₩10,000 (mobile IC licence ₩15,000) + medical ₩7,000 + written test ₩10,000 if required.
- Arrive by
- Applications close at 17:00; before 16:00 if you need the written test.
- Helpline
- KoRoad 1577-1120.
The embassy step you cannot skip
KoRoad's published rules say the foreign licence must come with either an embassy confirmation (대사관 확인서) or an apostille certificate, so the office can check the licence is genuine.
When I have taken my own staff through this, the embassy confirmation was the step we could not get around. So my advice to anyone starting out is simple: contact your country's embassy in Korea before anything else, tell them you are exchanging a driving licence at a KoRoad office, and ask what they issue for that and how long it takes.
Most embassies are in Seoul. If you live elsewhere, treat it as a separate trip, and ask on the phone whether you need an appointment and whether they will post the document or you must collect it.
Documents for the exam office
- Foreign driving licence — the original, valid and not expired. Temporary, learner or provisional permits cannot be exchanged.
- Embassy confirmation or apostille for that licence (see above).
- Passport — original.
- Residence card (외국인등록증) — original. Overseas Koreans with foreign nationality bring the domestic residence report card (국내거소신고증).
- Three colour passport photos, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken within six months.
- Certificate of entry and exit (출입국사실증명서). KoRoad uses it with your passport to check you were actually living in the issuing country when the licence was issued, and may ask for more if that is unclear.
Written test or not: check the list, not the internet
KoRoad keeps a list of countries that exchange Korean licences without a test in return. If your licence comes from one of them, the written test is waived and you only do the aptitude (medical) check. If not, you sit the written test the same day: 40 multiple-choice questions, available in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese.
There are exceptions inside the list. KoRoad currently flags some US states — Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Nevada — as requiring the written test even though the US is otherwise covered.
Old country lists copied onto blogs and forums are the most common reason people turn up unprepared. Check KoRoad's own "countries recognising Korean licences" (국내면허 인정국가) list on its Safe Driving civil service site on the week you go.
What it costs, line by line
| Item | Fee | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| Licence issue (standard card) | ₩10,000 | Everyone |
| Licence issue (mobile IC card) | ₩15,000 | Instead of the standard card |
| Medical (aptitude) check | ₩7,000 | Everyone (standard licence) |
| Written test | ₩10,000 | Non-reciprocity countries only |
The embassy's own fee, if any, is separate and set by that embassy.
Timing on the day
Document checks for a foreign licence take longer than a normal renewal. KoRoad asks applicants to arrive by 17:00, an hour before closing, and before 16:00 if a written test is needed. In practice, arriving in the morning leaves room for a missing-document surprise to be fixed the same day.
Getting your foreign licence back
Your foreign licence is kept by KoRoad when the Korean one is issued. It is not gone for good: KoRoad returns it when you leave Korea, when you cancel the Korean licence yourself, or when your embassy asks for it. The catch is time — a licence not collected within 10 years of the exchange may be destroyed.
If you might need proof of your home licence in the meantime, photograph both sides before you hand it in.
Common questions
Can my employer or a friend do the exchange for me?
No — the application is made in person by the licence holder. Someone can come with you to help with the language.
Can I use an apostille instead of going to the embassy?
KoRoad's published rules accept either. Whether an apostille is available depends on your country. If you are unsure which applies to you, ask your embassy — it is the one office that can answer both questions.
What if my licence was issued shortly before I came to Korea?
Expect closer questions. The office checks your entry and exit record against the issue date and may ask for further evidence that you lived in that country at the time.
Sources and further reading
- Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad) — foreign licence exchange, helpline 1577-1120: koroad.or.kr (English).
- KoRoad Safe Driving civil service site — current list of countries recognising Korean licences (국내면허 인정국가).
- Your country's embassy in Korea — licence confirmation.
Did your exam office or embassy ask for something different? Tell me — confirmed reports are added here with a date.
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