When your window opens, whether you face an aptitude test, what to carry — and what happens if you have already missed it.
Your renewal window is printed on the card itself
Standard cycle
10 years
Age 65–74
5 years
Age 75+
3 years
Photo
3.5 × 4.5 cm
How often a Korean driving licence must be renewed
A Korean driving licence is renewed every ten years for holders under 65, every five years from 65 to 74, and every three years from 75. Class 1 holders take an aptitude test — vision, colour recognition and hearing — at every renewal. Class 2 holders under 70 renew administratively without one, and much of that can be done online. Your renewal window is printed on the licence, and missing it attracts a penalty; leaving it long enough will cancel the licence entirely.
Ask us about your Korean licence renewal
Not sure whether you face an aptitude test, or whether your licence is still recoverable? Tell us what the card says.
Renewal cycle
How often a Korean driving licence must be renewed
The interval depends on your age at the time of renewal, not the class of licence you hold.
10yrUnder 65Standard interval
5yrAge 65 to 74Shorter cycle
3yrAge 75 and overPlus a safety course
Your renewal period is printed on the licence itself. It is a window, not a single date — you renew inside it, and the window opens well before the expiry printed on the card.
1종 적성검사
The Class 1 aptitude test in Korea
What is checked
Visual acuity in each eye and both together
Colour recognition — red, green, yellow
Hearing
Basic physical capacity to operate a vehicle
Why Class 1 is different
A Class 1 licence covers 15-seat vans and trucks under 12 tons, so Korea requires an actual physical examination at renewal rather than a paperwork-only process. Class 2 holders under 70 do not face this.
Bring your glasses or contact lenses. The result is recorded on the licence, and a condition may be added if you need correction to meet the standard.
2종 갱신
Class 2 renewal in Korea under age 70
The simplest case in the whole system
A Class 2 Regular holder under 70 renews without an aptitude test. It is an administrative renewal: submit the application, supply a photo, pay the fee and collect the new card. Much of it can be completed online.
From 70, Class 2 holders take the aptitude test as well, so the distinction between the two classes disappears at renewal.
Additional requirement from 75
Drivers of 75 and over renew on a three-year cycle and must complete a traffic safety education course before the renewal is processed.
Documents
Documents for a Korean licence renewal
Your current licence
The physical card. If it is lost, you apply for a reissue rather than a renewal.
Alien Registration Card
Valid, and matching the details held on your licence record.
Photos, 3.5 × 4.5 cm
Taken within the last six months. See the photo rules below.
The fee
Payable at the counter. Amounts are set by the authority — confirm the current figure there.
Glasses or lenses
If your renewal includes an aptitude test, bring whatever correction you normally drive with.
Passport
Useful as secondary identification, particularly if your name is recorded differently across documents.
Photo rules
Korean licence renewal photo requirements
Accepted
3.5 × 4.5 cm, colour, taken within six months
Plain light background
Full face, both ears visible, neutral expression
Head covering only where worn for religious reasons, face uncovered
Refused
Heavy retouching or beauty filters
Sunglasses, tinted lenses or glare on the lenses
Patterned or dark backgrounds
Photos cropped from a larger picture
Korean photo booths near any examination centre produce the correct size by default. It is the cheapest way to avoid a rejected application.
Cost
Korean licence renewal fees
Confirm the amount at the counter
Renewal charges are government fees, and they differ depending on whether an aptitude test is involved, which card type you choose, and whether you apply online or in person. They are also revised periodically.
Rather than quote a figure that may be out of date by the time you read it, we suggest checking at the examination centre or on the authority's own service when you apply. The amounts are modest in every case — this is not a decision that turns on cost.
Online
Renewing a Korean driving licence online
Step 1
Check whether you qualify
Online renewal is generally available where no aptitude test is required — a Class 2 holder under 70 in a normal renewal window.
Step 2
Prepare a digital photo
Same specification as a printed photo. A phone snapshot against a wall will be rejected.
Step 3
Authenticate
Korean online government services require identity verification. Foreign residents sometimes hit a wall here, in which case applying in person is faster than fighting the system.
Step 4
Collect or receive the card
Choose collection at a centre or delivery, depending on what the service offers at the time.
If online authentication fails — a common experience for foreign residents whose registration details do not map cleanly onto the verification system — do not keep retrying. Go to an examination centre and do it at the counter in one visit.
Living abroad
Delaying a Korean renewal while you are overseas
Deferral exists, but it is not automatic
Korea allows a renewal to be deferred where the holder cannot attend because they are abroad, and the deferral has to be applied for with evidence of the absence. It does not happen simply because you were not in the country.
Apply before or during the renewal window where possible
Keep your entry and exit records — they are the evidence
Deal with it on your first trip back rather than at the airport before you leave again
Missed the window
If your Korean driving licence has expired
Late, but recoverable
Missing the window attracts a penalty but does not immediately destroy the licence. Renew as soon as you notice and pay whatever late charge applies.
Left too long, cancelled
Continue ignoring it and the licence is cancelled outright. At that point renewal is no longer the route — you are back to taking tests.
Driving on an expired Korean licence is driving unlicensed. Insurance will decline, and the consequences of an accident go well beyond the renewal fee you were avoiding.
Card types
English and mobile Korean licence options
English-language licence
A Korean licence printed with English details, useful abroad and for identification here. Ask at renewal.
IC licence
A chip card version. Available at a different fee from the plain card.
Mobile licence
A digital licence linked to the physical card. Availability to foreign residents can depend on your registration status.
Renewal is the natural moment to switch card type — you are already paying an issuance fee and supplying a photo.
Why SDA
Why foreign drivers rely on our Korean driving school
1,000+ foreigners licensed
Ten years of teachers, engineers, embassy staff and military personnel from over 50 countries.
English at every step
We answer renewal and paperwork questions in English even when you are not enrolled on a course.
Refresher training available
Not driven in years? Six or ten hours of on-road practice before you get back behind the wheel.
FAQ
Korean licence renewal — frequently asked questions
How often do I need to renew my Korean driving licence?
Every ten years if you are under 65, every five years from 65 to 74, and every three years from 75. The renewal window is printed on your licence and opens before the expiry date shown on the card.
Do I need an aptitude test to renew a Korean licence?
Class 1 holders take an aptitude test at every renewal, covering vision, colour recognition and hearing. Class 2 holders under 70 renew without one. From 70, Class 2 holders take the aptitude test as well.
Can I renew a Korean driving licence online?
Where no aptitude test is required — typically a Class 2 holder under 70 — online renewal is generally available. You need a digital photo meeting the same specification as a printed one and must pass online identity verification, which foreign residents sometimes cannot complete. If it fails, applying in person at an examination centre is faster.
What photo do I need for a Korean licence renewal?
A colour photo of 3.5 by 4.5 cm taken within the last six months, plain light background, full face with both ears visible and a neutral expression. Filters, sunglasses, patterned backgrounds and crops from larger pictures are refused.
How much does it cost to renew a Korean driving licence?
Renewal charges are government fees that vary with the card type, whether an aptitude test applies and whether you apply online or in person, and they are revised periodically. Confirm the current amount at the examination centre when you apply.
What happens if my Korean driving licence expires?
Renewing late attracts a penalty but the licence is usually still recoverable. Left long enough it is cancelled outright, after which renewal is no longer possible and you must take the tests again. Driving on an expired licence counts as driving without a licence and voids insurance.
Can I delay my Korean licence renewal while living abroad?
Deferral is possible where you cannot attend because you are overseas, but it must be applied for with evidence of the absence — it is not granted automatically. Keep your entry and exit records, since those are the evidence.
Can I get a Korean driving licence printed in English?
An English-language version of the Korean licence is available, and renewal is the natural point to request it since you are already supplying a photo and paying an issuance fee. Chip and mobile licence options exist as well.
Get started
One message and your Korean licence question is answered
We answer renewal and paperwork questions in English whether or not you are enrolled with us. If you have been off the road for a while, we can also put you back on it with six or ten hours of refresher practice.
