If you have a current valid U.S. (or Canadian) driver’s license, it is relatively easy to get a Korean driver’s license for use in Korea. If you are interested, we have someone on staff (Lee Parsons) who is willing to help you walk through the process at the beginning of the school year.


What you will need:

  1. A valid U.S. (or Canadian) Driver’s License. Bring this with you when you come to Korea.
  2. Alien Registration Card. Returning teachers will already have this. New teachers will receive this within a couple weeks of your arrival in Korea.
  3. Your Passport.
  4. Three - 3X4 cm photo’s of yourself. These photo’s need to have a white background and must be 3X4 cm in size, meeting the official Korean government specifications. You can come to Korea with them, make them yourself, or pay ₩20,000 once you are in Korea to have them produced at a local photo shop that we can direct you to.
  5. Apostille for your driver's license. An apostille is an official certificate, authenticating government-issued documents (e.g., driver’s licenses, birth certificates, death certificates, etc.) generally used to validate documents for foreign governments that are parties to the Hague convention. There are two different ways you can get an apostille for your driver’s license.
  • 1st way (cheapest way) – Most states will give you an apostille for your driver’s license for a nominal fee through the Secretary of State office (Michigan $1, Mississippi $5, South Carolina $2). To find out how you can accomplish that, do an internet search for “driver’s license apostille Michigan (or your state)” and click on the site that is for your state's Secretary of State. On that page, there will be specific instructions as to how you should proceed, along with a telephone number that you can call if you have questions. Once you get your apostille, bring it with you when you come to Korea and everything else is easy. (Canadians can actually get the equivalent of the apostille at the Canadian Embassy here in Seoul. Lucky you!)
  • 2nd way (costs $70)(U.S. only) – There is an online apostille company that will get you your driver’s license apostille in about 3 business days. All you need is the money and a color copy of your valid driver’s license (front and back). This can all be done in Korea via e-mail as long as you have your license with you.


Once you have all of the necessary items, it is a relatively short trip to the Seoul Global Center where you will present these items, fill out some paperwork, get an eye exam along with a basic doctor’s check-up (costing about ₩20,000 for the whole process). You will then receive your Korean driver’s license, which will be valid for 10 years. They will keep your U.S. driver’s license at this office until your first trip out of the country. At that point, you will take proof of your plane ticket to this office, and they will return your U.S. driver’s license. You will be able to keep both driver’s licenses from that point forward. If you already have a plane ticket to leave Korea purchased when you apply for your Korean license, you can bring a printout of your flight reservation, and they will allow you to keep both licenses.


Tip: If you were able to trade in your North American license for a Korean license without taking a test, you should still try to familiarize yourself with Korean driving laws. Some of the laws are different from North American driving laws and may seem counterintuitive to North Americans. For example, in Korea, you can only make a left turn when there are a red light and a green arrow. You can also yield to make a left on a red light. However, if you yield to make a left on a green light, you will get ticketed if caught.