Belgium on a South Korean Licence — IDP, Priority-Right & Trilingual Signs

South Korean drivers get the easy half of Belgium for free — both countries drive on the right, so there’s no side switch to unlearn. The adjustments are smaller and quieter, and they catch people who assume “Europe is Europe.”

Carry the IDP, and watch priority from the right

Bring an International Driving Permit with your Korean licence and passport. It’s recommended, rental desks expect it, and you can only obtain it at home. On the road, the rule that surprises Korean visitors most is priorité à droite: at a junction with no marking to the contrary, a car emerging from your right has priority, even where you feel you’re on the main road. Belgian drivers pull out expecting it. Look for the yellow priority diamond; where it’s absent, give way to the right. The Brussels ring (R0) is where this is least forgiving.

The signs change language as you cross regions

There’s no single road language. Flanders signs in Dutch, Wallonia in French, the east in German, Brussels bilingual. A motorway target reads Antwerpen one way and Anvers the other — same city. Set your navigation to recognise both spellings, because exits won’t translate themselves.

Speeds and the alcohol line

Limits are 50 in town (30 in central Brussels), 70–90 rural, 120 motorway — close to Korea but with heavier average-speed camera coverage on motorways; 10 km/h over is around EUR 53, which you can check on the Speeding Fine Calculator. The alcohol limit is 0.05, looser than Korea’s 0.03 but breath-tested often. Confirm your documents via the Driving Permit Checker and read the full picture on our Belgium driving guide. The car needs a triangle, vest, first-aid kit and extinguisher; petrol is about EUR 1.90/litre, emergency 112.