Can a South Korean Drive in Argentina? — Yes, but the IDP Is Mandatory

For South Korean travellers the headline on Argentina is a “yes, but”: you can drive here, and unlike many countries where the International Driving Permit is a nice-to-have, in Argentina it is required. South Korea sits outside the EU, so the law and the rental desks both expect to see the IDP sitting alongside your Korean licence. Arrange it at home before you fly — it is a translation document, not a new test — and carry it with your licence and passport as a set. Turn up without it and a hire company can refuse to release the car.

No side-switch — but slow down in the cities

Here is the reassuring part: Argentina drives on the right, the same as South Korea, so there is none of the mirror-image relearning that catches drivers elsewhere. What does surprise visitors is the urban limit of around 40 km/h — lower than you might assume for a country with such long open roads. Out of town it inverts: rural roads run up to 110 km/h and motorways to 130, so the contrast between crawling city traffic and fast inter-city driving is sharp. Buenos Aires traffic in particular rewards patience over assertiveness.

Fines vary by province, the alcohol rule does not

Argentina is a federal country, and that matters behind the wheel. The drink-drive limit is the same everywhere: zero, since Law 27.714 (May 2023), which is stricter than Korea’s 0.03. The same patchwork applies to penalties: a routine speeding fine runs roughly ARS 10,000–30,000 (≈ €10–30) but varies by province. Distances are vast, and Patagonia in particular is remote, so carry fuel, water and offline maps for the long empty stretches. The general emergency number is 911; check the pump board for the grade before filling a rental.

Confirm your document position with the Driving Permit Checker, read the country detail on our Argentina driving guide, and if a fine does land, our guide to who pays driving fines abroad explains how it reaches you through the rental company.