Japan to Korea 2026: No Road Link, Police-Issued IDP First
Japan
South Korea
You cannot drive from Japan to Korea; no road links them. In Korea you need a Geneva-convention IDP, issued in Japan by your prefectural licence centre, and you switch to the right.
You cannot drive from Japan to South Korea: no road, bridge or tunnel links them, so the driving starts after you land and collect a car. Two things change at once. Korea will not take a Japanese licence on its own, and it drives on the right.
Your case: The permit has to be in your hand before you leave Japan. The South Korea driving guide covers the road rules waiting on the other side.
The permit comes from the police, not JAF
Korea’s Road Traffic Act lets foreign visitors drive for one year from entry with an international permit issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention, carried with the home licence and shown to police on request. In Japan, that permit (国外運転免許証) is issued by the prefectural police at driving licence centres and some designated police stations. In Tokyo the fee is JPY 2,250, it is normally issued the same day, and it is valid for one year from the date of issue. Holders of the My Number card licence alone may need the conventional card for some destinations, the Tokyo police note. The driving permit checker confirms the combination.
Everything mirrors
South Korea drives on the right, Japan on the left. You sit on the left of the car and every turn reverses, so the first hour, out of the rental lot and onto your first multi-lane road, is the one to take slowly.
Speeds and alcohol
Ordinary roads in towns are 50 km/h. Outside towns, ordinary roads are 60 km/h, or 80 km/h where the carriageway is divided. Expressways are 100 km/h, rising to 120 km/h only on routes designated for it. Limits drop by 20% or 50% in rain, snow or fog. The alcohol limit is 0.03%, the same as Japan; do not drink at all if you are driving. A rough idea of penalties is in the speeding fine calculator.
Sources
- Korean government legal portal (easylaw), driving with a foreign licence or international permit (Road Traffic Act art. 96; one year from entry; 1949, 1968 and bilateral permits): easylaw.go.kr
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, applying for an international driving permit (licence centres, JPY 2,250, one year from issue): keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp
- Enforcement Rule of the Road Traffic Act, art. 19 (speed limits and weather reductions): law.go.kr
- WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Republic of Korea and Japan profiles (0.03 g/dl in both): who.int, who.int
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
Side-by-side driving rules comparison
Renting a Car?
Compare prices from all major rental companies. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare Car Rental PricesSome links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How our affiliate links work.
More Free Tools
Explore TyreMap
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Korea's Road Traffic Act lets foreign visitors drive for one year from entry on an international permit issued under the 1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna convention. In Japan the permit is issued by the prefectural police at driving licence centres; in Tokyo the fee is JPY 2,250 and it is valid for one year from issue.
The right, the opposite of Japan. You sit on the left of the car, and your instinct at every junction points the wrong way at first, so take the first hour slowly.
0.03% blood alcohol, the same figure as Japan. Treat it as zero before driving.