Car rental & road trips

Renting a car here. The IDP rule, insurance, Hi-Pass, and good routes to drive.

In short

Tourists need a 1949 Geneva-Convention IDP + home licence (get the IDP before you fly, since it can't be issued in Korea). Residents with an ARC need a Korean licence. An IDP isn't valid for you.
Economy cars run ~₩40,000–90,000/day (peak Jeju summer higher). A credit card is mandatory; take the full insurance (CDW/Super CDW), because Korean firms won't accept your foreign card's coverage instead.
Book via Klook, Trip.com, or aggregators. Big Western sites (Expedia/Booking) often don't list Korean agencies like Lotte/SK.
Drive on the right, speed cameras everywhere (your nav beeps), 0.03% BAC limit, and use Naver Map/Kakao Navi, not Google Maps.

Korea's trains and buses are good enough that you rarely need a car. But for Jeju, the coast, and countryside spots that are far apart, a rental makes things a lot easier. Here's how to rent legally and cheaply. See also driving in Korea (rules, licence conversion) and navigation apps.

Who can rent

Tourist / short-term: valid home licence + IDP (1949 Geneva Convention), issued in the same country as your licence, obtained before arrival. Must be 21+ with 1+ year driving experience (some SUVs/vans require 26+).
Resident with ARC: an IDP is technically not valid. You need a Korean licence (converted or tested). Some desks may not know this, but if you crash without the correct licence you may not be covered.
IDP caveats: Korea recognizes 1949 Geneva permits; some 1968 Vienna IDPs (Germany, France, Thailand) may be rejected by rental firms, so check first. IDPs from China/Indonesia/Taiwan aren't accepted.
ID: passport for tourists; ARC for residents (no passport needed for domestic travel, including mainland↔Jeju).

Costs & booking

Daily rate: compact ~₩40,000–90,000 (cheapest ~Nov/Apr; Jeju in Jul–Aug can top ₩100,000). Fuel and tolls extra.
Insurance: basic liability is included, but add CDW + Super CDW (~₩15,000–45,000/day) to cut your deductible (면책금). For foreigners it's basically mandatory. You can't decline it because your foreign card covers you.
Book on Klook / Trip.com / KAYAK or agency sites (Lotte, SK). Aggregators may show low prices excluding insurance, so check the all-in total. One-way (e.g. Seoul→Jeju Airport) adds a surcharge.
Payment: a credit card in the driver's name is required. Cash/debit usually isn't accepted at the desk.

On the road

Drive on the right, wheel on the left (like the US/EU). Limits: ~30 (school zones) / 50–60 (urban) / 80 (multi-lane) / 100–110 (expressway) km/h.
Speed cameras are everywhere and tickets go to the rental company and then to you. Your nav app warns you about them, so pay attention.
Alcohol limit is 0.03% BAC, so basically zero. Don't drink and drive.
Tolls: get a Hi-Pass card (from a convenience store, top up with cash) for the blue automated lanes, or use cash/card lanes. Seoul→Busan is ~₩30,900. Jeju has no expressway tolls.
Child seats are legally required under age 6. Reserve one in advance. One additional driver can usually be added (both present at pickup).
Use Naver Map or Kakao Navi for directions. Google Maps has no driving directions here.

Good road trip routes

Jeju: the most popular one. A coastal ring road, beaches, waterfalls, tea fields, and Hallasan. English on major signs, easy driving. Public transport is thin once you leave the two cities, so a car helps a lot (see getting to Jeju).
East coast: Seoul → Gangneung/Sokcho for Seoraksan and beaches (Gyeongbu/Yeongdong expressways).
Southern loop: Gyeongju's history, Busan's coast, Tongyeong's islands.
For a one-day taste, most day trips are doable by train/bus. Keep the car for regions transit doesn't reach well.

Jeju rental disputes: about half of Korea's rental-car damage disputes happen on Jeju, spiking in summer. Most can be avoided if you film a full video around the car at pickup and return, understand your deductible (면책금) and loss-of-operation fee (휴차료), take the top insurance tier, and in an accident call 112 for a police report. For help in English, the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline can interpret live during a dispute.

Common questions

Can I rent with just my home licence?

No. Tourists need the IDP too, and residents need a Korean licence. Bring the physical documents.

Do I have to buy the Korean insurance?

For foreigners, basically yes. Companies won't accept your foreign card's coverage in place of their CDW. Take Super CDW to minimize the deductible.

Where do I book?

Klook, Trip.com, or agency sites. The big Western platforms often don't list Korean rental companies.

Which nav app for driving?

Naver Map (CarPlay) or Kakao Navi. Not Google Maps, since it can't give driving routes in Korea.

Sources: Lotte Rent-a-Car, KoROAD, Korea Consumer Agency (Jeju dispute data), and 2026 rental guides (DiscoverRealKorea, The Soul of Seoul, The Seoulist). IDP = 1949 Geneva; rates approximate and seasonal.

Last verified: July 2026. Rental rules, prices and IDP recognition change, so confirm with the rental company and KoROAD before travel. General information, not legal advice.

Planning a road trip?

Ask for route ideas, rental tips, and insurance advice. Post in the community and tag it Transport.

Ask the community →