Driving Permit for South Korea

Planning on driving in South Korea with a foreign license? You will need more than your home permit. To legally drive or rent a car in South Korea, visitors must carry a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside their original national driver's license. A foreign license on its own is not accepted, and rental companies will not release a vehicle without a valid IDP. South Korea drives on the right-hand side of the road, the same as the United States and most of Europe, so the main hurdle for tourists is paperwork rather than the driving itself.

South Korea recognises IDPs issued under both the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and, since January 2002, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. This means IDPs from most major countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, are accepted. Because acceptance depends on your issuing country being a party to one of these conventions, permits from a few places are not recognised, so it is worth confirming that your country is covered before you travel. Your IDP is only valid when presented together with your original home-country license, and both documents, along with your passport, should be carried whenever you are behind the wheel.

For tourists, an IDP paired with a foreign license generally allows driving for up to one year from your date of entry into Korea, or until the permit itself expires, whichever comes first. The IDP must be obtained in your home country before you travel, as it cannot be issued once you are already in South Korea. On the ground, police checks and rental-desk verification are routine, and driving without a recognised IDP is treated as driving without a valid license, so having the correct document in hand protects both your trip and your wallet.