South Korea on a Dutch Licence — IDP Required, EU Rights Don't Apply

South Korea is an easy drive for someone used to busy, well-run roads — and the Netherlands is good training for that. The one thing that surprises Dutch visitors is that your EU licence stops counting the moment you land, so the permit has to be sorted before you go.

The IDP is required. South Korea recognises the 1949 Geneva International Driving Permit, and your Dutch licence is valid only when carried with it. There is no EU exemption here, no airport counter and no grace period — a rental desk will not release a car without the permit. Pick one up from the ANWB or your gemeente before departure, and confirm the detail with the Driving Permit Checker.

Unusually, the speed change runs in your favour. Korean motorways allow 110 km/h, above the Dutch 100, though the limit is held firmly by fixed and average-speed cameras, so the extra room is modest. Towns are 50 and rural roads 80. Drifting around 10 km/h over typically costs about KRW 30,000 (roughly EUR 20). Korean cities change lanes faster and more assertively than Dutch traffic, but the surfaces are excellent and you drive on the right exactly as at home — no side switch to relearn.

The stricter rule is alcohol: the limit is 0.03 against the Dutch 0.05, with regular roadside checkpoints, so plan zero before driving. Penalties for drink-driving are severe and include licence confiscation.

Petrol is around $1.42/litre, cheaper than home, and the emergency number is 112. Keep your IDP, licence and passport together, download offline maps for rural roads signed only in Korean, and read the licence section of the South Korea driving guide before you book a car.