Renting a Car in Korea as a Foreign Visitor: From the International Driving Permit to Picking Up Your Car in Jeju

To drive a rental car in Korea on a license issued abroad, you need a document recognized by Korean law (an international driving permit or a mutually recognized foreign driver's license), and you may drive only the vehicle types written on it, within 1 year of the day you entered Korea. The conditions for renting a car are set by each rental company, separately from the law. This guide first sets out what the law says, then what to confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car before booking and how you pick up your car in Jeju.

Documents that let you drive in Korea — international driving permits and mutually recognized foreign licenses

Under Article 96 of Korea's Road Traffic Act, a person who has obtained an international driving permit or a mutually recognized foreign driver's license from a competent foreign authority may drive with it for 1 year from the day they entered Korea. The types of vehicles you may drive are limited to those written on that license.

• International driving permit: a license issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, the 1968 Vienna Convention, or a treaty, agreement or arrangement in which Korea and that country agreed to recognize each other's international driving permits.
• Mutually recognized foreign driver's license: a foreign license recognized under a treaty, agreement or arrangement in which Korea and that country agreed to recognize the driver's licenses issued by the other country.

These licenses cannot be used to drive commercial vehicles, but renting and driving a vehicle registered for the car rental business under the Passenger Transport Service Act — that is, a rental car — is allowed as an exception. A person whose Korean license disqualification period has not yet passed may not drive even with one of these licenses.

Authorized issuers and look-alike international driving permits

Who issues international driving permits differs by country and region. The 1949 Geneva Convention provides that an international driving permit is issued by the competent authority of a contracting state or a subdivision of it, or by an association duly authorized by that authority. In other words, an issuer does not have to be a government office; an association given that authority can be an authorized issuer.

What matters is who issued the permit, not how you applied. If an authorized issuer issued it, it is a genuine international driving permit whether you applied in person, by mail or online. The Korea Road Traffic Authority states that look-alike international driving permits obtained from bodies that are not authorized issuers, such as the IAA in the United States, cannot be used in Korea. What Korea recognizes is the "International Driving Permit"; look-alike documents are easy to confuse with it because their cover reads "INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE". A translation of your driver's license is not one of the two licenses defined by law either.

Driving without a valid license counts as unlicensed driving and can be punished by up to 1 year in prison or a fine of up to KRW 3,000,000 (Article 152 of the Road Traffic Act). While driving, you must carry your international driving permit or mutually recognized foreign license and show it if a police officer asks (Article 92 of the Road Traffic Act).

How the Geneva and Vienna Conventions differ from separate mutual recognition

• Geneva Convention (1949): Korea is a party to it. You can drive for 1 year from entry with a valid international driving permit issued in a Geneva Convention country.
• Vienna Convention (1968): since January 1, 2002, valid international driving permits issued in Vienna Convention countries have also been recognized. The period is the same: 1 year from entry.
• Mutual recognition of international driving permits: separately from the conventions, international driving permits from countries and regions that agreed with Korea to recognize each other's permits are also accepted. The Korean government's Easy-to-Find Law Information service lists Taiwan and Vietnam as such countries and regions.
• Mutual recognition of driver's licenses (mutually recognized foreign licenses): this recognizes the country's driver's license itself rather than an international driving permit. Whether your license qualifies depends on the country, so check the guidance of the Korea Road Traffic Authority or the Korean National Police Agency before you leave.

Two more systems are easy to confuse with these. A foreign license exchange is a procedure for exchanging your foreign license for a newly issued Korean driver's license; you apply in person at a driver's license examination office in Korea. It is a different system from driving for 1 year from entry with an international driving permit or a mutually recognized foreign license. The rules for a Korean license holder who obtains an international driving permit in Korea to drive in another country are also separate from what this guide covers.

By the country or region that issued the license — mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

The list below is organized by the country or region that issued the license, not by nationality. Lists of contracting countries can change, so before you leave, check the Korea Road Traffic Authority's list of convention countries for the country that issued your international driving permit. Whether you can rent a car is separate from the law, so confirm it before booking as described in "What to confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car before booking" below.

• Issued in a Geneva Convention country — e.g. the United States, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and India. Document to use in Korea: a valid international driving permit issued by an authorized issuer.
• Issued in a Vienna Convention country — e.g. Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia. Document to use in Korea: a valid international driving permit issued by an authorized issuer.
• Issued in Hong Kong or Macau — China is not a party to the Geneva or Vienna Convention, but the Korea Road Traffic Authority states that international driving permits issued in Hong Kong (returned by the United Kingdom on July 1, 1997) and Macau (returned by Portugal on December 20, 1999) remain valid as before. Both also appear on the list of Geneva Convention countries.
• Issued in mainland China — mainland China is not a party to either convention, and the sources we checked show no mutual recognition of international driving permits with mainland China. We found no basis for driving with a mainland Chinese license or its translation alone, so check the Korea Road Traffic Authority's guidance on how to obtain a Korean driver's license.
• Issued in Taiwan — Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Taiwan and Korea signed a memorandum of understanding on the mutual recognition of international driving permits in February 2022 and that it took effect once signing was completed. It states that Taiwanese people on short visits to Korea can drive private passenger cars in Korea with a valid international driving permit issued in Taiwan.
• A driver's license issued in Korea — foreign nationals who hold a Korean driver's license drive with their Korean license.

How long you can drive and which vehicles — 1 year from entry, only the categories on your permit

• Period: the period set by law is 1 year from the day you entered Korea, not from the day your international driving permit was issued.
• Validity of the permit itself: separately from that period, each license has its own validity. The 1949 Geneva Convention model international driving permit states that it is valid for 1 year from the date of issue. Even within 1 year of entry, driving on a license that is no longer valid counts as unlicensed driving, so plan on driving only until whichever comes first: 1 year from entry or the end of your license's validity. Check the validity of your home driver's license as well.
• Vehicle types: you may drive only the types of vehicles written on your international driving permit or mutually recognized foreign license.

How to read the categories on an international driving permit

The 1949 Geneva Convention model international driving permit describes the vehicles you may drive in five categories, and the permit is valid only for the categories its issuer authorized.

• A: motorcycles, invalid carriages and light three-wheeled vehicles
• B: passenger vehicles with no more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat, and goods vehicles up to a set maximum permissible weight
• C: goods vehicles above that maximum permissible weight
• D: passenger vehicles with more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat
• E: authorized category B, C or D vehicles towing a trailer other than a light trailer

For example, in this model a van with more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat falls under category D, not B. Check which categories your permit authorizes, and whether the type and seat count of the car you want to rent fall within them. Permits issued under the Vienna Convention may divide categories differently, so go by the category descriptions written on your permit. When booking, also confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car that you can drive the car you want with your license.

Documents to pack before you leave — originals and validity dates

What the law requires you to carry while driving is an international driving permit or a mutually recognized foreign license. The documents needed to rent a car are set by the rental company, not by law, so pack the originals below and confirm before booking which documents Friends Rent-a-Car needs.

• Passport
• Original international driving permit (or mutually recognized foreign license)
• Original home driver's license

Before you leave, check that all three documents are valid through your return date, that the names on them match, and that your international driving permit came from an authorized issuer. Also ask Friends Rent-a-Car in advance whether an alien registration card is needed, whether you can rent without one, and whether other information such as a contact number or your accommodation address is required.

What to confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car before booking — rental conditions are set by the company

From here on, these are conditions set by the rental company, not by law. Conditions differ between companies, so don't treat another company's conditions as Friends Rent-a-Car's, and confirm the items below with Friends Rent-a-Car's customer center before booking. Read the rental guide, damage waiver guide and terms of use on the Friends Rent-a-Car website too, but the surest way to get the answer for your own situation is to ask the customer center.

License and drivers

• Whether you can rent with an international driving permit from the country or region that issued your license (including cases of separate mutual recognition such as Taiwan, and mutually recognized foreign licenses)
• Whether you can rent when the country that issued your passport differs from the country that issued your license
• The age and driving experience requirements, and which license your experience is counted from
• Whether your license category covers the car you want to rent
• How many drivers can be registered, and the conditions and cost of adding a driver

Documents and payment

• Which documents are needed and whether originals are required, whether an alien registration card is needed, and whether there is an extra cost without one
• Payment methods (whether cards issued abroad are accepted) and whether a deposit is required
• Which languages consultations and contracts can be done in, and whether there are conditions on the mobile phone number they contact you on

Pickup, return and where you can drive

• Business hours, and where and when the airport shuttle runs
• Where and when you pick up and return the car, whether you can pick it up if you arrive late, and any extra cost
• Whether you can take the car to islands off Jeju's main island

Insurance and damage waivers

• Which vehicle damage waivers foreign customers can choose, and the daily waiver cost
• For each waiver, the deductible cap, whether the loss-of-use fee is waived or capped and at how much, and the coverage limit
• What is excluded from coverage: whether single-vehicle accidents (accidents caused by the customer alone), damage to parts such as tires and wheels, towing and similar are covered
• Cases in which the waiver does not apply

Insurance and the vehicle damage waiver are different things

A rental car's "insurance" and "damage waiver" are different arrangements. Friends Rent-a-Car's terms of use (the standard terms for car rental) divide them as follows.

• Car insurance: the company rents out cars covered by liability insurance under the Guarantee of Automobile Accident Compensation Act and comprehensive car insurance (bodily injury liability, property damage liability and personal injury to the driver). It covers injuries to other people (bodily injury), damage to other vehicles and property (property damage) and injuries to the driver (personal injury) in an accident.
• Damage to the rental car itself: the customer can choose to sign up for either own-vehicle damage insurance or the company's vehicle damage waiver system. If you have neither and the car is damaged in an accident, you must compensate the company based on the car's standard value at the time of the accident, and if the amount paid by insurance or the waiver is less than what you owe, you pay the shortfall as well.
• Loss of use: if the car is repaired after an accident for which the customer is responsible, the customer must compensate the company's lost business during the repair period (the loss-of-use fee). Check in your actual contract how the loss-of-use fee is calculated, and under what conditions and how much you would pay.
• Losses that are not compensated: losses from unlicensed or drunk driving, accidents while someone other than the drivers named in the contract is driving, and similar cases are not compensated in part or in full.

The deductible you pay, the loss-of-use fee for the repair period, the coverage limit and the items excluded from coverage differ by type of waiver. The damage waiver guide in Friends Rent-a-Car's rental guide describes each type, but amounts and coverage can change, so check the latest details when booking and make sure they match your contract.

How to check before signing

1. That the type of waiver you chose when booking is written in your contract as chosen
2. That waiver's deductible cap, whether the loss-of-use fee is waived or how high its cap is, and the coverage limit
3. The items excluded from coverage, and whether single-vehicle accidents (accidents caused by the customer alone) are covered
4. That you checked the car's exterior, fuel level and so on with the company using the inspection sheet before departure
5. How to notify the company and what the procedure is if you have an accident

Picking up your car in Jeju — from the airport shuttle to the handover

The address of Friends Rent-a-Car's garage is 제주특별자치도 제주시 서해안로 442-53. Friends Rent-a-Car's introduction page describes taking the shuttle from Jeju Airport to the garage, then checking in and having your license checked at the garage's pickup lounge before receiving the car key. Confirm where and when to take the shuttle, and when you can pick up the car, when booking.

1. When you arrive at Jeju Airport, take the Friends Rent-a-Car shuttle.
2. Check in at the garage's pickup lounge and have the documents you were told about when booking checked.
3. In the contract, check the registered drivers, the waiver you chose, and the return date, time and place.
4. Check the car's exterior, basic tools, fuel level and so on with the company using the inspection sheet, then receive the car. During the rental, also check the tires and body before driving, and tell the company right away if anything is wrong.

If your flight arrives late, agree on how and when to pick up the car with the customer center before booking.

Checklist before booking

• That the country or region that issued your international driving permit is a Geneva or Vienna Convention country or has mutual recognition with Korea
• That your international driving permit came from an authorized issuer (not a look-alike document whose cover reads INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE)
• That you are within 1 year of entry, and your international driving permit and home license are valid through your return date
• That the type and seat count of the car you want to rent fall within the vehicle types permitted on your license (check the category marks and descriptions on your actual permit)
• Passport, original international driving permit and original home driver's license
• What you confirmed with Friends Rent-a-Car: whether you can rent with your license and documents, the age and experience requirements, driver registration conditions and cost, payment methods, and the waivers you can choose with their deductibles, loss-of-use fees and exclusions
• Your arrival time, where to take the shuttle, and how to pick up the car if you arrive late

Frequently asked questions

Can I rent a car with just an international driving permit?

Whether you may drive under the law and the conditions on which a rental company rents to you are separate matters. An international driving permit is your legal basis for driving in Korea; confirm the documents and conditions needed to rent with Friends Rent-a-Car before booking.

Can I use an international driving permit I applied for online?

If it was issued by an authorized issuer, it is a genuine document regardless of how you applied. However, you cannot drive in Korea with a look-alike international driving permit sold online by a company that is not an authorized issuer, or with a translation of your driver's license. The Korea Road Traffic Authority states that look-alike international driving permits from bodies that are not authorized issuers, such as the IAA in the United States, cannot be used.

Can I drive a van with many seats?

Under the 1949 Geneva Convention categories, passenger vehicles with more than 8 seats in addition to the driver's seat are category D. Category marks can differ between permits, though, so before booking, check that the seat count of the car you want to rent falls within the vehicle types permitted on your license.

What if I stay in Korea for more than 1 year?

The period during which you can drive with an international driving permit or mutually recognized foreign license is 1 year from the day you entered Korea. If you are staying longer, check the Korea Road Traffic Authority's guidance on procedures such as a foreign license exchange, which converts a foreign license into a Korean one.

Can I drive with a mainland Chinese license?

The sources we checked gave no basis for driving in Korea with a mainland Chinese license. International driving permits issued in Hong Kong and Macau are recognized according to the Korea Road Traffic Authority's guidance. If you have a Korean driver's license, confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car whether you can rent with it.

Can I drive with a Taiwanese international driving permit?

Under the law, you can drive with a valid international driving permit issued in Taiwan. Whether you can rent a car is up to the rental company, so confirm with Friends Rent-a-Car before booking.

Contact Friends Rent-a-Car

Before booking, ask Friends Rent-a-Car's customer center (064-742-7942) whether you can rent with a license from your issuing country or region and the documents you have, and about the items listed above. Sorting out your license categories, documents and waiver conditions in advance makes picking up your car after you arrive in Jeju much simpler.