Lost Korean driver's licence: how to get a replacement
No test, no aptitude check, usually no new photo. One visit to the right counter and you walk out with the card.
Reissue is the simplest process in Korean licensing — same day at a test centre
Tests required
None
New photo
Usually not
Typical time
Same day
Police report
Not required
How to replace a lost Korean driver's licence
Apply for a reissue at a driver's licence examination centre, at a police station with a civil affairs desk, or online through Korea's integrated traffic services. Take your Alien Registration Card and your passport; a new photo is not normally required because the one on file is reused, and no police report, test or aptitude check is needed. At an examination centre the card is usually issued the same day. Until you hold the physical card you should not drive, since carrying the licence is itself a legal requirement.
Ask us about your Korean licence
Not sure which counter handles your case, or whether your licence is still valid? Send us the details.
First
What to do first if you lose a Korean driving licence
The licence itself is replaceable and cheap. The identity document sitting next to it in your wallet is the part worth worrying about.
Stop driving
Driving without the physical licence on you is an offence in Korea, even though your entitlement still exists.
Check what else went
If your ARC or bank cards were in the same wallet, deal with those first — they carry more risk than the licence.
Then apply for a reissue
No test, no aptitude check, no waiting period. Usually one visit.
A police report is not normally required to reissue a Korean licence. It is worth filing one anyway if the wallet was stolen rather than mislaid, because it helps with everything else in it.
Where to apply
Where to reissue a Korean driver's licence
Driver's licence examination centre
The most reliable option and the one that handles every case, including unusual ones. Same-day issuance is normal.
Many police stations with a civil affairs desk accept reissue applications. Convenient, but the card may take longer to arrive than at a centre.
Online
Korea's integrated traffic services site accepts reissue applications. Identity verification is the hurdle for foreign residents.
Mobile licence app
If you already have a mobile licence registered, that stays usable while the physical card is replaced.
Online
Reissuing a Korean licence online
Worth ten minutes, not two hours
The online route is genuinely quicker when it works. Foreign residents frequently stall at the identity verification step, because the systems were built around Korean national identity numbers and mobile carrier records held in a Korean name.
Our advice: give it one attempt. If verification fails, stop and go to an examination centre. Repeatedly retrying a verification flow that is not designed for your registration type costs more time than the counter visit would have.
Documents
Documents for a Korean licence replacement
Take these
Valid Alien Registration Card
Passport, as secondary identification
The damaged licence, if you still have it
Payment for the fee
Usually not needed
A new photo — the existing one is normally reused
A police report
Any test or aptitude check
Take a photo anyway if you are going in person. It costs almost nothing at the booth outside and removes the one thing that could send you home empty-handed.
Photos
Do you need a new photo for a Korean reissue?
Normally no — but there are exceptions
A straightforward replacement for a lost card reuses the photograph already on file, which is why reissue is faster than renewal. You will need a new one if you want to update the image, if the photo on record has aged out, or if you are combining the reissue with a renewal.
Specification if you do need one: 3.5 × 4.5 cm, colour, taken within six months, plain background, full face with both ears visible.
Cost and time
Korean licence reissue fees and timing
The fee
A government charge that differs by card type — a plain card and a chip card are not priced the same — and it is revised periodically. Confirm the current amount at the counter or on the authority's service when you apply.
How long it takes
At an examination centre, same-day issuance is normal. Through a police station or online, allow longer for the card to be produced and delivered.
Damaged cards
Replacing a damaged Korean licence
Bring the remains with you
A licence that has been through the washing machine, cracked, delaminated or worn until the photograph is unreadable is replaced the same way as a lost one. Hand in what is left of the old card at the counter.
Do not wait for it to become fully unreadable. A licence an officer cannot verify is treated much like no licence at all, and that is an unpleasant conversation at a roadside checkpoint.
Overseas
Losing a Korean licence while abroad
It waits until you return
Reissue requires an application in Korea, so a licence lost overseas is dealt with on your return. If you needed it to drive abroad, that trip is over as far as driving goes — a Korean licence cannot be replaced from outside the country and an international driving permit cannot be issued against a licence you are not holding.
Keep a photograph of both sides of your licence on your phone
Register the mobile licence before you travel if you are eligible
Apply on your first working day back in Korea
Meanwhile
Driving in Korea while you wait for the replacement
Do not drive on a photograph
A picture of your licence on your phone is not a licence. Nor is a receipt for the application, unless the centre has specifically issued you a temporary certificate that says otherwise.
Ask at the counter
If there will be a gap before the card is ready, ask whether a temporary document is available and exactly what it permits. Get the answer at the counter, not from a forum.
Why SDA
Why foreign drivers use our Korean driving school
English answers to paperwork questions
Reissue, renewal, learner permits — we explain the process in English whether or not you study with us.
1,000+ foreigners licensed
Ten years of navigating Korean licensing paperwork alongside foreign residents.
Refresher training
Off the road for a while? Six or ten hours of on-road practice to get your confidence back.
FAQ
Korean licence replacement — frequently asked questions
How do I replace a lost Korean driving licence?
Apply for a reissue at a driver's licence examination centre, at a police station with a civil affairs desk, or online. Take your Alien Registration Card and passport. No test, aptitude check or waiting period applies, and at an examination centre the replacement is usually issued the same day.
Do I need a police report to reissue a Korean licence?
No, a police report is not normally required. It is still worth filing one if the wallet was stolen rather than mislaid, because it helps with the other cards and documents that went with it.
Do I need a new photo to replace a Korean driving licence?
Not usually. A straightforward replacement reuses the photograph already on file, which is why reissue is faster than renewal. You would need a new one to update the image, if the photo on record has aged out, or if you are renewing at the same time.
How much does a Korean licence reissue cost?
It is a government fee that differs by card type — a plain card and a chip card are priced differently — and it is revised periodically. Confirm the current amount at the counter when you apply.
Can I drive in Korea while waiting for my replacement licence?
Not on a photograph of the old card or an application receipt. Carrying the physical licence is itself a legal requirement in Korea. If there will be a gap, ask at the counter whether a temporary document is available and what it permits.
Can I replace a Korean driving licence from overseas?
No. The application must be made in Korea, so a licence lost abroad is dealt with on your return. Keep a photograph of both sides of the card on your phone and register the mobile licence before you travel if you are eligible.
What if my Korean licence is damaged rather than lost?
It is replaced the same way. Bring whatever is left of the old card to the counter. Do not wait until the photograph is unreadable — a licence an officer cannot verify is treated much like no licence at all.
Get started
One message and your Korean licence question is answered
We answer licensing paperwork questions in English whether or not you are enrolled with us. If it has been a long time since you last drove, we can also arrange refresher practice before you get back on the road.
