Korean Drivers in Singapore 2026: Left Lanes, ERP Gantries
South Korea
Singapore
Carry a 1949 IDP with your Korean licence; Canada says visitors must. Singapore keeps left, expressways stop at 90 km/h, and ERP gantries bill the car's in-vehicle unit automatically.
Singapore’s roads are smooth, signed in English and strictly policed, which makes them an easy first drive abroad in most respects. For a driver from Korea, two things are different: which side you keep to, and a road-pricing system that charges the car as you drive.
Permit first
Canada’s travel advice for Singapore is direct: visitors must carry an International Driving Permit. The UK government’s permit table lists the 1949 IDP for car hire and stays over 30 days. Korea is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so the permit your licensing office issues is the right one. Carry it with your Korean licence and passport. A resident who stays beyond 12 months has to convert to a Singapore licence. Other stops on your trip can be checked with the Driving Permit Checker.
Left-hand traffic
Korea keeps right; Singapore keeps left. You sit on the right of the car and turn across traffic to the right. The slips come at quiet junctions and car-park exits, so take your first drive somewhere calm before joining an expressway. The minimum age for a car is 18 in both countries.
Gantries that bill the car
The Land Transport Authority charges a fee whenever you pass an Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantry during its operating hours, on expressways and in the city cordon, with no charges on Sundays and public holidays. The car’s in-vehicle unit pays from a stored-value card or a linked account. If the balance runs short, a violation is recorded; pay within five days or a SGD 10 admin fee is added. Ask the rental firm how its cars are set up, and top up the card before the first gantry rather than after it.
Speed limits compared
Singapore caps expressways at 90 km/h. A standard Korean expressway allows 100 km/h, with 120 on designated routes, so a Korean driver will find the Singapore ceiling lower than at home. For other roads Singapore posts its limits on signs, and the number on the sign is the one that counts. Canada notes that traffic rules are strictly enforced, so keep a margin of your own when visibility drops in heavy rain.
At the rental counter
Bring the licence, the 1949 permit and your passport, and ask the agent to confirm how the in-vehicle unit is paid and how much stored value is on the card. A rental car in Singapore is right-hand drive, so the seat and pedals feel like a Korean car’s mirror image. Adjust the mirrors and find the indicator stalk before you leave the car park. Expressways have fewer junctions to get wrong than city streets, but they come with the 90 km/h cap and gantries, so a first outing on a quiet suburban road is a better start.
Korean visitors sometimes plan long stays. A resident beyond 12 months has to convert to a Singapore licence, so an extended posting changes the rules: the permit that works for a holiday does not cover a move.
Planning around the gantries
The ERP system only charges during its operating hours, so check them before you leave. Plan your route on a map before you start, avoid circling the cordon looking for parking, and keep the stored-value card topped up. If the card runs out of balance, the system records a violation rather than blocking the car, which is why the five-day window matters. Hand the car back with the card in the unit, as the rental firm will expect to reconcile the charges.
Alcohol
The alcohol limit is 0.08%, higher than Korea’s 0.03%, but Canada notes sentences of up to 10 years in prison for drink-driving, so do not drink at all.
Kit and emergency numbers
Korea requires a warning triangle in the car; Singapore only recommends one. Emergencies in Singapore are police 999, ambulance and fire 995. At home you dial 112 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance, so only the fire and ambulance habit partly carries over. The Singapore driving guide has the local detail.
Sources
- Global Affairs Canada, Singapore travel advice (must carry an IDP; 12-month conversion; strict enforcement; up to 10 years for drink-driving; 999/995): travel.gc.ca
- GOV.UK, international driving permit table (Singapore: 1949 IDP for car hire and stays over 30 days): gov.uk
- Land Transport Authority, OneMotoring, Electronic Road Pricing (operating hours, in-vehicle unit payment, violations and SGD 10 fee): onemotoring.lta.gov.sg
- UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Republic of Korea and Singapore parties): treaties.un.org
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Singapore profile (90 km/h motorway; 0.08 g/dl): who.int
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Republic of Korea profile (0.03 g/dl): who.int
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with an International Driving Permit. Global Affairs Canada says visitors must carry one, and GOV.UK lists the 1949 permit for car hire and stays over 30 days. Korea is a 1949 convention party, so the permit from a Korean licensing office fits. Residents must convert after 12 months.
The Land Transport Authority charges a fee when you pass an ERP gantry during its operating hours, with no charges on Sundays and public holidays. The car's in-vehicle unit pays from a stored-value card or a linked account; with too little balance you get a violation and a SGD 10 admin fee if it is not settled within five days.
0.08%, higher than Korea's 0.03%, but Canada notes that drink-driving can bring up to 10 years in prison. Treat it as zero.
Expressways are capped at 90 km/h, which is below Korea's 100 km/h on a standard expressway. Other roads carry signed limits; read the sign, since we publish no map of them.