외국인 운전면허 학과시험: 응시 자격·언어·절차·합격 기준과 외국 면허 교환

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The driver's license written test for foreigners: eligibility, languages, steps, pass marks and license exchange

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · compared against 6 official sources opened that day

To drive in Korea you either earn a Korean license from scratch or exchange a foreign license for a Korean one. Either way, many foreigners meet the written test, which can be taken in English, Chinese and Vietnamese as well as Korean. We reopened the Korean and English pages of the Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD) Safe Driving portal on 20 October 2026 to check the figures below.

Who can apply, and in which languages

The minimum age is 18 for class 1 ordinary, class 2 ordinary and class 2 small (motorcycles over 125 cc), and 16 for motorized bicycles (125 cc or less). Class 1 large and special licenses require age 19 and at least one year holding a class 1 or 2 ordinary license. The written test is offered in Korean, English, Chinese and Vietnamese only. People who have difficulty reading can take a PC test that reads the questions aloud (80 minutes in total), and there is a sign-language PC test for deaf candidates; request these at the test centre counter.

Steps for a new license

Complete traffic safety education before the written test, bringing ID. Take the physical check at the test centre or at a hospital; the Mungyeong, Gangneung, Taebaek, Gwangyang, Chungju and Chuncheon centres have no check-up room, so go to a hospital first. For the written test bring the application form, ID and three colour photos (3.5 x 4.5 cm) taken within six months. Then take the skills test (if you fail, you can retake it three days later), get a learner's permit, pass the road test and receive your license.

Format and pass marks

The test lasts 40 minutes and is multiple choice, with 40 questions drawn from the published question bank. You need 70 points for class 1 large, special and class 1 ordinary, and 60 points for class 2 ordinary, class 2 small and motorized bicycles. The fee is 10,000 won (8,000 won for motorized bicycles). Your result appears on screen as soon as you finish. Each class allows a different range of vehicles, so decide which class your job or daily life needs first, then set your target to its pass mark; class 1 is 10 points higher.

On the day

You hand in your application at the test centre counter; it must show a completed physical check, or you can have a hospital health check result looked up or submitted instead. Say clearly if you want the test in English, Chinese or Vietnamese. The test is taken on a computer. Assisted PC tests must be registered by 10:30 for the morning and 16:30 for the afternoon, and testing pauses over lunch. Keep the stamped application form you get back: you need it for the skills test, and the one-year limits are counted from it.

New license or exchange?

If you hold a foreign license, exchange is usually faster: a physical check only for recognised countries, plus the written test for others, and no skills or road test. The catch is paperwork such as the embassy certificate or apostille and the entry and exit certificate, so gather documents from your home country before you leave if you can.

The one-year rules and retakes

You must pass the written test within one year of your first attempt, and pass the skills test within one year of passing the written test. After that your application is cancelled and you start again from the written test, although you do not need to repeat the safety education. KoROAD's English page says a failed written test can be retaken from the next day; the Korean page does not state an interval, so confirm with the test centre. Registration runs 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays.

Exchanging a foreign license

The process is a document review, an aptitude test (physical check) and, where needed, the written test, followed by issue of the Korean license. Licenses from countries recognised by the Korean National Police Agency need only the physical check. Licenses from other countries need the physical check and the 40-question written test. Oregon and Idaho licenses from the United States need the written test even though the US is recognised.

Bring your original foreign license; a passport showing your entry and exit history from the issuing country up to your arrival in Korea; if the issuing country differs from your nationality, proof of at least 90 days there (for example an enrolment or employment certificate, tax invoice, permanent resident card or a long-term visa valid for over a year); your original residence card; three photos; an embassy certificate or apostille for the license; and a certificate of entry and exit from your year of birth to the present. The fee is 15,000 won for a mobile IC card or 10,000 won for a standard card. You must apply in person at a test centre; proxies are not allowed except for holders of Ministry of Foreign Affairs ID cards. If you have renewed your passport, bring the old one too.

How to study

The question bank is public, so work through it by topic and repeat the questions you miss. Study in the language you will test in. Be aware that a bank reflects the law at one point in time, so check anything that looks outdated against current guidance. With 40 questions in 40 minutes you have about a minute each, so always time your practice tests.

Learn the legal definitions in Article 2 of the Road Traffic Act, because the answer options often swap them. Stopping (정차) means halting for no more than five minutes in a way that is not parking. Parking (주차) means keeping the car stationary to wait for passengers, load goods or because of a breakdown, or leaving it so that you cannot drive off immediately. Slow driving (서행) means moving slowly enough to stop at once, while a temporary stop (일시정지) means bringing the wheels to a complete stop. Overtaking (앞지르기) means passing beside a vehicle ahead and moving in front of it, and a novice driver is someone within two years of first getting a license. After you get your license, keep track of both the license renewal date and your period of stay; see our extension guide.