Exchanging a German driving licence in Korea

With a German licence alone you may not drive in Korea. Together with an international driving permit it's only recognised for one year.

If you stay longer, you should exchange your German licence for a Korean one. Only the national German licence can be exchanged, not the international permit.

With your licence you need an embassy certificate or an apostille. You apply for the licence certificate in person at the German Embassy, not by post. Documents are only accepted after payment. In Busan you can also go through the honorary consulate.

You do the exchange in person at a Driver's License Test Site, for example in Gangnam or Dobong. Nobody can do it for you.

Hand in your documents at least one hour before closing, so by 17:00 at the latest.

On site there's a short health check (aptitude test, ₩6,000 for regular classes). The licence costs ₩10,000 (standard) or ₩15,000 (Mobile IC).

Countries with a recognition agreement only need the health check. Everyone else also takes a theory test with 40 questions, which is available in English too. Best check in advance on safedriving.or.kr what applies to your licence.

If you go back to Germany, you can have the Korean licence exchanged again at the driving licence office.