How to get a driver's licence in Korea as a foreigner (not an exchange): test steps, fees and languages
Numbers checked against the official source on 2026-10-19
To get a Korean driver's licence from scratch (not by exchanging a foreign one), the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD) lists these fees for an ordinary car licence: KRW 10,000 for the written test, KRW 25,000 for the practical (function) test, KRW 4,000 for the learner's permit, KRW 30,000 for the on-road test and KRW 10,000 for the licence itself (KRW 15,000 if you want the mobile licence). That is KRW 79,000 before the physical check-up, which KoROAD prices at KRW 6,000 or 7,000 depending on which of its pages you read. The written test can be taken in Korean, English, Chinese or Vietnamese. If you already hold a foreign licence, read the exchange page instead.
Read on 2026-10-19 from KoROAD's English "Driver's License Acquisition Procedure" page and its Korean pages for test order, fees, qualifications and accepted ID. The pages print no revision date.
The steps in order (ordinary car licence)
- Pre-test traffic safety education. One hour, free, ID card needed. It must be completed before you register for the written test.
- Physical check-up at the test centre or at a hospital (hospital fees vary). Bring your application form and ID.
- Written test. Fee KRW 10,000. Pass mark 70 points for 1st class and 60 for 2nd class. Languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese. KoROAD's fee page says registration is on the day at the test site, with no internet registration and no proxy.
- Practical (function) test. Fee KRW 25,000 for 1st and 2nd class ordinary. Pass mark 80 points. KoROAD's Korean page allows online registration.
- Learner's permit. After passing both the written and practical tests for an ordinary licence you are issued a learner's permit, KRW 4,000.
- On-road test. Fee KRW 30,000, pass mark 70 points.
- Licence issuance. KRW 10,000 for the standard licence or KRW 15,000 for the mobile IC licence, one colour photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm, taken within six months), and you return any old licence.
What each step costs
| Step | Fee (KRW) |
|---|---|
| Pre-test traffic safety education | Free |
| Physical check-up at the test centre (see disagreement below) | 6,000 or 7,000 |
| Written test | 10,000 |
| Practical (function) test | 25,000 |
| Learner's permit | 4,000 |
| On-road test | 30,000 |
| Licence, standard (Korean/English) | 10,000 |
| Licence, mobile IC (Korean/English) | 15,000 |
| Total without check-up, standard licence (derived arithmetic: 10,000 + 25,000 + 4,000 + 30,000 + 10,000) | 79,000 |
KoROAD's Korean fee page prints the written, practical and on-road fees as "including retakes" (재 응시 포함), so budget the registration fee again for each attempt. The written test is 8,000 for a motorised bicycle licence, the practical test is 14,000 for 2nd class small and 10,000 for a motorised bicycle licence.
Where KoROAD's own pages disagree
| Item | English page | Korean pages | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical check-up at the test centre, 1st class large/special | KRW 7,000 | KRW 8,000 | Ask at the test centre. The Korean page also says hospital fees differ. |
| Physical check-up, other licences | KRW 6,000 | KRW 7,000 | Same. |
| Written test retake | "Retake available from the next day" | No retake rule shown for the written test; practical and on-road: 3 days after the failure date | Plan on a few days between attempts. |
| Minimum age | "19 years of age or older" (attached to the 1st class large/special rule) | 18 for 1st class ordinary, 2nd class ordinary and small; 19 for 1st class large/special; 16 for motorised bicycle | For an ordinary car licence the Korean qualification page says 18. |
Documents and ID
- Written test registration: application form, ID, and three colour photos (3.5 x 4.5 cm) taken within the last six months.
- Accepted ID: KoROAD's accepted-ID list includes a passport and, among public-agency ID with photo, name and date of birth, an Alien Registration Card. A passport must still be valid.
- Practical and on-road test: application form (with the learner's permit attached for the on-road test) and ID.
- Proxy registration: allowed for the practical and on-road tests with a power of attorney and both people's ID; not allowed for the written test.
Practical points
- Written test question bank in English: KoROAD posts an English question bank (in force from 9 March 2026), plus Chinese and Vietnamese ones and an English guide with a glossary.
- Test centres without a physical check-up room: Chuncheon, Gangneung, Taebaek, Chungju, Gwangyang and Mungyeong. Get the check-up at a nearby hospital.
- Disqualifications: under 18, certain medical conditions and some physical conditions; and after a licence revocation or serious traffic offence there can be a waiting period before you may sit the tests (6 months to 5 years in KoROAD's table).
- Help line: KoROAD customer centre 1577-1120. KoROAD also lists foreign-language chat on KakaoTalk (channel "한국도로교통공단 고객센터").
- Already have a licence from home? Exchange rather than retake: Foreign driving licence exchange and IDP. KoROAD's exemption table lists partial test exemptions for people holding a foreign licence, but its tick marks are not readable in the text we fetched, so confirm with KoROAD.
This page is a summary, not legal advice. Confirm fees and rules with KoROAD before you go. Related: Alien Registration Card.
Checked 2026-10-19.
Official sources
- KoROAD Safe Driving Integrated Services (English) — Driver's License Acquisition Procedure — 10 steps, fees, pass marks, test languages, documents (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 면허시험순서 (test order) — Korean test-order page: 7 steps, retake after 3 days (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 면허시험 준비물 가이드 (documents and fees) — fees for the physical check-up, written, practical, on-road tests, permit and licence; online and proxy registration (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 시험자격 (qualifications) — minimum ages by licence type (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 운전면허 결격사유 (disqualifications) — age and medical disqualifications (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 응시 제한 (waiting periods) — 6 months to 5 years restriction table (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 신분증 인정 범위 (accepted ID) — passport and Alien Registration Card accepted as ID (checked 2026-10-19)
- KoROAD — 학과시험 문제[외국어] (foreign-language question bank) — English, Chinese, Vietnamese question banks effective 2026-03-09 (checked 2026-10-19)
Prices change. If an official page shows a different number from this page, the official page wins — and please tell us so we can fix it.