Greece on a South Korean Licence — IDP Required for Non-Latin Script + €40 Fines

A Korean passport-holder picturing a self-drive loop through the Peloponnese or a Cretan coast road has one piece of paperwork that genuinely matters, and it is not the licence itself.

Can you drive in Greece on a South Korean licence?

Yes — your Korean licence is accepted, but only when carried with an International Driving Permit. This is the point people get wrong: for EU drivers Greece waves the IDP through, but a South Korean licence is printed in Hangul, not Latin script, so the IDP is the official translation Greek police and rental counters expect to see. Arrange it in Korea before you fly; you cannot obtain one once you land. Carry the IDP, your home licence and your passport as a set.

The good news: no side switch

South Korea and Greece both drive on the right, so the disorienting first-day adjustment that catches drivers heading to Japan or the UK simply does not apply. What does take adjusting to is style rather than side — Greek driving on the mainland can be assertive, lane discipline is loose in cities, and island roads are narrow, twisting and often edged by drops rather than barriers. The official road-difficulty read is “moderate,” and that is fair.

Speeds and the cost of getting them wrong

Town limits sit at 50 km/h, rural roads at 90, and motorways run up to 130 km/h — higher than the 110 you are used to on Korean expressways, so there is room to relax, not a reason to rush. Enforcement is a mix of fixed cameras and mobile patrols, and creeping about 10 km/h over typically draws a fine near EUR 40, payable on the spot, so keep a card or cash handy.

Alcohol: looser on paper, not in practice

Greece allows 0.05 BAC, which is actually more permissive than South Korea’s 0.03. Do not read that as licence to have a few — summer checks on Crete, Rhodes and the Cyclades are routine, and the safe habit is none at all before driving. Your car should also carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher; missing equipment is a roadside-fine risk.

Check the country specifics on our Greece driving guide, confirm your paperwork with the Driving Permit Checker, and size up any penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator.