Short answer. An international driving permit issued under one of the recognised conventions, or a foreign licence covered by a mutual recognition arrangement, lets you drive in Korea for one year from the date you entered the country. That is the rule in Article 96(1) of the Road Traffic Act, and the period runs from entry, not from the date the permit was issued. You may only drive the categories of vehicle written on the permit.
What Korean law says
Article 96(1): a person issued by a competent foreign authority with a driving permit under any of the listed conventions or arrangements, called an international driving permit, or a foreign licence recognised under a mutual recognition arrangement, may, notwithstanding Article 80(1), drive a motor vehicle in Korea for one year from the day of entry into the country. The types of vehicle that may be driven are limited to those stated on the permit or licence.
The listed instruments are the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, arrangements between Korea and a foreign country mutually recognising international driving permits, and arrangements mutually recognising licences issued by the other country.
Road Traffic Act, Article 96. Act No. 21246, in force from 1 July 2026.
What usually happens in practice
Three things trip people up. The one-year period runs from entry into Korea, so someone who has lived here for two years is not covered by a permit obtained last month before a holiday. The categories on the permit are binding, which matters for anyone intending to ride a motorcycle on a car entitlement. And the convention under which your home country issues permits determines whether the permit is recognised at all.
Driving outside these conditions is not a paperwork problem. It is treated as driving without a licence, which is a criminal offence, and it has consequences for insurance cover if there is an accident, which is usually the more expensive part.
Residents who will be here beyond the first year generally convert to a Korean licence rather than relying on renewals of a foreign document. That conversion process is administrative and is best started before the year runs out, not after.
What you should do next
- Count the one year from your entry date, not from the permit issue date.
- Check which vehicle categories are actually written on the permit.
- Start the conversion to a Korean licence before the year expires if you are staying.
- Confirm your insurance covers you on the document you are actually holding.
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Written and reviewed by Soobin You, Attorney at YUSU Lawfirm. Former prosecutor. Last legal review: 12 September 2026.