South Korean Licence in Turkey 2026: Notarised Translation
South Korea
Turkey
A Korean IDP will not help in Turkey: it is a 1949 permit, which Turkey no longer accepts. Have your licence translated into Turkish and notarised, and carry both with your passport.
Turkey is a long-distance driving country: the coastal roads down to Antalya and the Cappadocia highways reward having your own car. For a South Korean visitor the side of the road is familiar. The paperwork is where the trip can go wrong.
Why the Korean IDP stays at home
A foreign licence can be used in Turkey for six months from entry. What goes with it is the problem. Korea has been a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention since 1971 and never ratified the 1968 Vienna text, so the permit the Korean licensing authority issues is always the 1949 kind. UK government travel advice for Turkey states that “the 1949 IDP is not accepted any more” and names two documents instead: a 1968 permit or a licence notarised in Turkish.
The first is out of reach for a Korean licence, which leaves the translation. Have the licence translated into Turkish and notarised, and keep the translation, the original licence and your passport together in the car. Rental desks will ask to see the set.
No side switch, but a harder road culture
Both Korea and Turkey drive on the right, so junctions and roundabouts work the way you expect. What changes is tempo. Turkish driving is more assertive: lane discipline is loose, overtaking is bolder, and Istanbul traffic in particular is relentless. Leave bigger gaps than you would at home and don’t read too much into indicators.
Speeds and fines
Limits run 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on rural roads and 130 km/h on motorways (140 on build-operate-transfer toll motorways), well above Korea’s 100 km/h expressway default. Enforcement mixes fixed cameras and mobile radar, and since February 2026 speeding is fined in km/h bands, starting at TRY 2,000 (about EUR 50) for 6-10 km/h over in a built-up area.
Read the full rules on the Turkey driving guide, estimate a penalty with the Speeding Fine Calculator, and use the Driving Permit Checker for other licences. The emergency number is 112.
Sources
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Turkey, road travel (1949 IDP not accepted; 1968 IDP or licence notarised in Turkish): gov.uk
- Turkey, Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği art. 88 (six months from entry), amended Resmî Gazete 5 June 2020: resmigazete.gov.tr
- UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (Republic of Korea by succession 1971): treaties.un.org
- UN Treaty Collection, 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Republic of Korea signed, not ratified): treaties.un.org
- KGM (General Directorate of Highways), speed limits: kgm.gov.tr
- Karayolları Trafik Kanunu amendment, Resmî Gazete 27 February 2026 (speeding bands): resmigazete.gov.tr
Speed limits, fines, equipment & license requirements
Your home country driving rules for reference
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Frequently Asked Questions
No. Korea is a party to the 1949 Geneva convention only, so every Korean IDP is a 1949 permit, and UK government travel advice says Turkey does not accept the 1949 IDP any more. The alternatives it lists are a 1968 permit, which Korea does not issue, or a licence notarised in Turkish. For a Korean driver the notarised translation is the route that works.
Up to six months from the date you enter, under article 88 of Turkey's Highway Traffic Regulation. Keep the notarised Turkish translation with the licence for that whole period.
Yes, both drive on the right, so there is no side switch. The real adjustment is the pace and aggression of the traffic, especially in Istanbul, rather than the side of the road.
Since the February 2026 reform, speeding fines are set in km/h bands; in a built-up area, 6-10 km/h over costs TRY 2,000 (about EUR 50). Fixed cameras and mobile patrols both operate.