If you are 18 or older and hold a Korean Alien Registration Card (or have reported domestic residence as an overseas Korean), you can get a Korean driver’s license from scratch, whatever your nationality. Everything happens at one of Korea’s 27 driver’s license test centers, in this order: traffic safety class → medical check → written test → course (skills) test → student license → road test → license issuance. Taking the tests directly at a test center, the official fees for a Class I or Class II driver’s license for ordinary motor vehicles (Class I/II Ordinary) add up to KRW 86,000 (checked October 2026). The written test is offered in Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese. If you already hold a license from your home country, first check whether you can simply exchange your foreign license, which skips most tests.
Who can apply
- Age: 18+ for Class I Ordinary and Class II Ordinary (Road Traffic Act, Art. 82(1)1). Class I Large/Special requires age 19+ and at least one year of driving on an ordinary license (Art. 82(1)6).
- Residence status: foreigners who have not completed alien registration cannot get a license (Art. 82(1)7). People exempt from registration and overseas Koreans with a domestic residence report are the exceptions. Tourists and other short-term visitors without an ARC cannot apply.
- Eyesight (corrected vision counts): Class II Ordinary needs 0.5 or better with both eyes open; Class I Ordinary needs 0.8 with both eyes and at least 0.5 in each eye (Enforcement Decree, Art. 45).
Not sure which class you need? See Korean license types.
Step by step
- Pre-test traffic safety class (1 hour, free): a video-based class at the test center. Finish it any time before the written test, even the same day. You are exempt if you already hold another class of Korean license or have completed the theory course at a certified driving school (Road Traffic Act, Art. 73(1)).
- Medical check (KRW 7,000): at the test center’s medical room or a hospital. Chuncheon, Gangneung, Taebaek, Chungju, Gwangyang and Mungyeong centers have no medical room, so bring a hospital certificate. A National Health Insurance checkup from the past two years can be used instead if you consent to the data lookup.
- Written test (KRW 10,000): walk in on a weekday between 09:00 and 17:00; no online booking. You answer 40 multiple-choice questions from the public question bank on a PC in 40 minutes. Pass mark: 70 for Class I, 60 for Class II (Decree, Art. 50). Your score appears on screen right away.
- Course (skills) test (KRW 25,000): at least 300 m on the test center course, covering controls, lane keeping and emergency stop, hill start, left/right turns, right-angle parking, a signalized intersection and an acceleration section. Pass mark: 80.
- Student license (KRW 4,000): issued once you pass both the written and course tests. Valid for one year (Road Traffic Act, Art. 81).
- Road test (KRW 30,000): one of several public-road routes of 5 km or more is chosen by lottery, and a navigation voice guides you. English voice guidance is available. Pass mark: 70.
- License issuance (KRW 10,000; mobile license KRW 15,000): collect it in person at the test center within 30 days of passing. You may not drive until you have it (Enforcement Rules, Art. 77).
Time limits: you must pass the written test within one year of your first attempt, and the course test within one year of passing the written test. If your student license (valid one year) expires before you pass the road test, you start again from the written test (the safety class does not need to be repeated).
Fees (checked October 2026)
Class I or 2 Ordinary, tests taken directly at a test center:
| Step | Official fee |
|---|---|
| Traffic safety class | Free |
| Medical check (test center) | KRW 7,000 |
| Written test | KRW 10,000 |
| Course test | KRW 25,000 |
| Student license | KRW 4,000 |
| Road test | KRW 30,000 |
| License card | KRW 10,000 (mobile KRW 15,000) |
| Total | KRW 86,000 |
Every retake costs the same fee again. Hospital checkups, photos and driving school tuition are extra.
Driving school vs. testing on your own
| Certified driving school | Test center directly | |
|---|---|---|
| Training | At least 3 h theory, 4 h course, 6 h road (Rules, Annex 32) | Practice on your own |
| Course and road tests | Taken inside the school; passing exempts you from the test center version (Decree, Annex 3) | Taken at the test center |
| Written test | At the test center | At the test center |
| Cost | Set by each school; ask them | Official fees only |
If you practice on public roads with a student license, someone who has held the relevant license for more than two years must sit beside you, and the car must display a practice-driving sign (Rules, Art. 55). Driving school graduates must get their student license or driver’s license within one year of passing the school’s test.
How to book
- Written test: no reservation; register at the test center counter on the day.
- Course and road tests: check schedules and book online at KoROAD’s safedriving.or.kr (English menu available), or book at the test center counter. Someone else can book for you with a power of attorney.
- Help: KoROAD call center 1577-1120, plus foreign-language chat via the KakaoTalk channel “한국도로교통공단 고객센터”.
Checklist
- ID: Alien Registration Card, domestic residence card, or passport
- 3 color photos, 3.5 × 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months (no hat, plain background), plus 1 more for the license card
- Hospital medical certificate or a health checkup from the last 2 years (if applicable)
- Glasses or contact lenses if you need them
- Your application form (filled in on day one; bring it to every step)
FAQ
If I fail, when can I retake?
For the written test, the law sets no waiting period, and KoROAD’s English guide says you can retake it from the next day. Whether a same-day retake is possible is not stated officially, so ask the test center. The course and road tests can be retaken once three days have passed after the failure (Decree, Arts. 48(5) and 49(4)), so failing on Monday means you can retake from Thursday.
How long is the student license valid?
One year from issuance (Road Traffic Act, Art. 81). If you don’t pass the road test within that time, you go back to the written and course tests.
Can I get a license on a tourist visa?
No. Foreigners without alien registration cannot be issued a license (Art. 82(1)7). For a short stay, look into an international driver’s license (IDP).
Can I take the tests without speaking Korean?
Yes. The written test is available in English, Chinese and Vietnamese, and the road test offers English voice route guidance. Whether counter staff speak your language varies, so call the test center before you go.
How should I study for the written test?
Questions come from a published question bank, so repeated practice works best. Read our written test guide, then try a full 40-question practice exam.