The previous 2 posts talked about why driving license is important and how to get your driving license in Korea.
Now, if you already have your driving license back in your country, you might ask "I already have a driving license! Why should I take all the tests again?"
Yes, you are right. Because of that, there is a policy that can help you get driving license easily in Korea.
Depending on your nationality, you can get your license more easily or less easily.
Now, let's check. First there are 2 types of countries related to driving license: Countries Recognizing the License, Countries Not Recognizing the License.
I. If your nationality is one of Countries Recognizing the License, you should....
First know about whether your country is one of them.
1. Asia
New Zealand, Taiwan, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Brunei, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Australia, Uzbekistan, India (Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra), Japan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Philippines, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Iraq (Erbil), Iran, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait
2. America
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Mexico (Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Tlaxcala, Mexico City), Bahamas, Brazil, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Uruguay, Chile, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan), Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Peru, United States (Maryland, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Oregon, Michigan, Idaho, Alabama, West Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana)
3. Europe
Greece, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Romania, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Serbia, Switzerland, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Albania, United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, Georgia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Turkey, Portugal, Poland, France, Finland, Hungary
4. Africa
Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Nigeria, Liberia, Rwanda, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Algeria, Angola, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Chad, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tunisia
Second, you need to get ready for some documents and get health test. You need to get ready for....
- Original License of yours
- Your Original Passport: A passport that can confirm entry and exit from the country
- Registration Card (or Original Domestic Residence Report Card for overseas Korean nationals)
or Original Resident Card (including Resident Registration Card for overseas nationals)
- Three color ID photos taken within the last 6 months (Size: 3.5cm x 4.5cm)
- Embassy Verification Certificate or Apostille Certificate for the license
- Certificate of Entry and Exit Records: From birth year to present
- Issuance Fee of 8,000 KRW & Health Test Fee of 7,000 KRW(class1) or 6,000KRW(class2)
Lastly, you need to turn these documents to the Driving License Examination Center and wait for the reply.
II. If your nationality is one of Countries Not Recognizing the License, you should....
If you are not one of the countries above, you should get ready for following documents.
- Original License, Original Passport
- Your passport that can confirm entry and exit from the country
- Registration Card (or Original Domestic Residence Report Card for overseas Korean nationals)
or Original Resident Card (including Resident Registration Card for overseas nationals)
- Three color photos taken within the last 6 months (Size: 3.5cm x 4.5cm)
- Embassy Verification Certificate or Apostille Certificate for the license
- Certificate of Entry and Exit Records: From birth year to present
- Written Test Fee of 10,000 KRW
- Issuance Fee of 8,000 KRW
Second, you need to pass 2 tests: Written Test, Heath Test
Lastly, after you pass those 2 tests, you can get your new driver license.
If you want to check about the written test, click here.
Because this process takes time, I recommend you to apply before 5 p.m.
Also, you need to visit there because no other people can do it for you, no matter the case.
Lastly, international licenses are given as the class 2 license, except Belgium, Poland, Spain, and Italy.
Now, I will write what you need to be aware of.
Updated 21.05.2024
The previous 2 posts talked about why driving license is important and how to get your driving license in Korea.
Now, if you already have your driving license back in your country, you might ask "I already have a driving license! Why should I take all the tests again?"
Yes, you are right. Because of that, there is a policy that can help you get driving license easily in Korea.
Depending on your nationality, you can get your license more easily or less easily.
Now, let's check. First there are 2 types of countries related to driving license: Countries Recognizing the License, Countries Not Recognizing the License.
I. If your nationality is one of Countries Recognizing the License, you should....
First know about whether your country is one of them.
1. Asia
New Zealand, Taiwan, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Brunei, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Australia, Uzbekistan, India (Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra), Japan, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Thailand, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, Philippines, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Yemen, Oman, Jordan, Iraq (Erbil), Iran, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait
2. America
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Mexico (Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Tlaxcala, Mexico City), Bahamas, Brazil, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Uruguay, Chile, Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan), Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Peru, United States (Maryland, Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, Texas, Florida, Oregon, Michigan, Idaho, Alabama, West Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Arizona, Louisiana)
3. Europe
Greece, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Romania, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Montenegro, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Serbia, Switzerland, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Albania, United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, Georgia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Turkey, Portugal, Poland, France, Finland, Hungary
4. Africa
Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia, Nigeria, Liberia, Rwanda, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mozambique, Botswana, Burundi, Burkina Faso, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Algeria, Angola, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Chad, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tunisia
Second, you need to get ready for some documents and get health test. You need to get ready for....
- Original License of yours
- Your Original Passport: A passport that can confirm entry and exit from the country
- Registration Card (or Original Domestic Residence Report Card for overseas Korean nationals)
or Original Resident Card (including Resident Registration Card for overseas nationals)
- Three color ID photos taken within the last 6 months (Size: 3.5cm x 4.5cm)
- Embassy Verification Certificate or Apostille Certificate for the license
- Certificate of Entry and Exit Records: From birth year to present
- Issuance Fee of 8,000 KRW & Health Test Fee of 7,000 KRW(class1) or 6,000KRW(class2)
Lastly, you need to turn these documents to the Driving License Examination Center and wait for the reply.
II. If your nationality is one of Countries Not Recognizing the License, you should....
If you are not one of the countries above, you should get ready for following documents.
- Original License, Original Passport
- Your passport that can confirm entry and exit from the country
- Registration Card (or Original Domestic Residence Report Card for overseas Korean nationals)
or Original Resident Card (including Resident Registration Card for overseas nationals)
- Three color photos taken within the last 6 months (Size: 3.5cm x 4.5cm)
- Embassy Verification Certificate or Apostille Certificate for the license
- Certificate of Entry and Exit Records: From birth year to present
- Written Test Fee of 10,000 KRW
- Issuance Fee of 8,000 KRW
Second, you need to pass 2 tests: Written Test, Heath Test
Lastly, after you pass those 2 tests, you can get your new driver license.
If you want to check about the written test, click here.
Because this process takes time, I recommend you to apply before 5 p.m.
Also, you need to visit there because no other people can do it for you, no matter the case.
Lastly, international licenses are given as the class 2 license, except Belgium, Poland, Spain, and Italy.
Now, I will write what you need to be aware of.
Updated 21.05.2024