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Car and driving licence in South Korea: bringing your car costs about a quarter, you exchange your licence without an exam

A car may come to South Korea, but you pay about 19 to 24% of its value in import duties and tax, plus inspections. So sell it in the Netherlands. With an international driving permit you drive until a year after arrival. After that you exchange your Dutch licence, without a theory exam, only with a medical check. You then hand in your Dutch licence.

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Written and checked by Auke on , against the sources at the bottom. Is something no longer right? Report it below and I'll fix it.

A car may come to South Korea, but it is expensive. Customs estimates the import duties and tax at about 19 to 24% of the value, and inspections follow. So sell your car in the Netherlands. In the first year you drive with an international driving permit. After that you exchange your Dutch licence. The Netherlands is on the Korean list, so that happens without a theory exam, only with a medical check. You then hand in your Dutch licence.

What applies?

Subject What applies Amount or deadline
Bringing a car 1 per household, and already in your name or a family member's for more than 3 months import duties and tax: about 19% (engine up to 1,000 cc) or 24% (larger)
Driving with an international driving permit 1949 model or 1968 model until 1 year after arrival
Exchanging medical check, no theory exam check ₩ 7,000, licence ₩ 10,000 or ₩ 15,000
Your Dutch licence stays with KoROAD
Which licence you get in principle class 2 ordinary (2종 보통), for a passenger car

₩ 7,000 is about € 5, ₩ 10,000 about € 7 and ₩ 15,000 about € 10.

Can you bring your car?

You can. The Korean customs, the Korea Customs Service, allows one car or motorcycle per household as household goods. It must have been in your name or a family member's abroad for more than three months before your arrival. There is no exemption, except for cars previously exported from Korea.

Customs calculates like this:

  • The value is the new price from the so-called Blue Book, times a percentage for the residual value, plus freight and insurance.
  • On that value you pay about 19% for an engine up to 1,000 cc, and about 24% above that.
  • Then come a first inspection and self-certification with KOTSA (1577-0990), and the registration.

For a car that enters as household goods, the separate emissions certification does not apply. What else KOTSA asks of a European car, we have not worked out.

A quarter of the value, plus freight and inspections: for almost everyone selling in the Netherlands is cheaper. Buy a car in Korea or use public transport.

How long can you drive on your Dutch licence?

According to NederlandWereldwijd, your Dutch licence is only valid in Korea together with an international driving permit. Korea recognises both models, the Geneva one (1949) and the Vienna one (1968). With either you may drive until a year after your arrival.

You get an international driving permit from the ANWB. The 1949 model costs € 18.95 and is valid for a year. The 1968 model costs € 24.95 and is valid for three years. In Korea the longer model does not help you: after a year you need a Korean licence anyway.

Rather have everything for South Korea on one list?

Then we'll send you the departure checklist for South Korea, with every step in order, and five mails about the pitfalls and the real costs. You can switch it off at any time.

We use your address, and your departure date if you fill it in, only for the checklist, the guide and the mails after it. You can unsubscribe under every mail.

How do you exchange your licence?

The Netherlands is on the list of countries that recognise a Korean licence, in the version of 6 April 2026. That means you do not need to take a theory exam. You only do a medical check. If you come from a country that is not on the list, an exam of 40 questions follows.

You go yourself to a KoROAD driving test centre, the Korean road traffic authority. There are centres in Seoul (Gangnam, Dobong, Gangseo and Seobu), Busan, Incheon and on Jeju, among others. Report by 5 pm at the latest. Nobody else can do it for you.

Bring:

  • your original Dutch licence, still valid, not a provisional licence;
  • your passport, showing that you were in the Netherlands when you got the licence;
  • your residence card (ARC), the original;
  • three passport photos of 3.5 by 4.5 cm, not older than six months;
  • a certificate of authenticity from the RDW in English, with an apostille, not older than a year;
  • proof of your entries and exits (출입국사실증명) from the Korean immigration service.

You request the certificate of authenticity from the RDW. It costs money and comes by post. Then have the apostille added. Arrange this before you leave, so you have it to hand once your residence card is ready.

What happens to your Dutch licence?

You hand it in. The Netherlands asks Korea to send exchanged licences back; NederlandWereldwijd writes that your licence stays with KoROAD. In principle you get class 2 ordinary, for a passenger car. Only for a few countries with their own treaty, such as Belgium and Spain, can the same class be carried over.

If you have a licence for a lorry, bus or trailer, you may lose those categories when exchanging. Ask KoROAD (1577-1120) in advance which class you will get.

Would you rather keep your Dutch licence, for example because you will be back within a year? Then drive that year on your international driving permit. Renewing from Korea is possible through the RDW, with a correspondence address in the Netherlands.

What else goes with it?

What else may go in the container, you read in household goods to South Korea. Your residence card, which you need for the exchange, you arrange as described in registration and numbers in South Korea.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 5 of 5 of the journey, step 5.6: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to South Korea or go straight to step 5.6 in the open plan.

Want to know more about this?

Then we'll send you the departure checklist for South Korea, with every step in order, and five mails about the pitfalls and the real costs. You can switch it off at any time.

We use your address, and your departure date if you fill it in, only for the checklist, the guide and the mails after it. You can unsubscribe under every mail.

What this rests on

The facts in this article come from these official pages. Rules change. When in doubt, go by the source, not this article.

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