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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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 Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:00 am Post subject: Is a 1949 IDP valid for use in Korea whilst working there? |
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The IDP is usually issued for tourism, and it says too check if it is valid if you are living and working somewhere.
So should the International Driving Permit (1949) be good to use along with my UK license, and will it be OK if it has my UK address on it?
Thanks |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:35 am Post subject: |
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luckily I think I can post date it up to three months, so I'll probably do it for a few months ahead because need to get a car and have some hagwon driving school lessons to learn the K road 'system'. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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An IDP is NOT valid in Korea if you are on a long term visa.
If you are here for more than 90 days, you are required to have a Korean license. Trade yours in, go earn one, whatever - but if you get busted on a IDP after being here 90 days, it's a problem. |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:55 am Post subject: |
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Woah thanks guys, I was just on my way to the post office (only would have cost me 8 quid though.)
Oh well ROK license it is then.
Edit scratch that last question, video answers everything. Wow 11,000 won, I love the reasonable price of admin stuff in Korea! Says a lot that the Korean embassy in London is charging 160,000 won to red stamp a visa form though.
Edit: I've just seen this:
Once you�ve got all of this, then you�re ready to roll! Take everything your closest Department of Motor Vehicles, sign some papers, pass your physical exam, buy some stamps, and � voila! You can legally drive in Korea. Be warned, though; going this route means that you have to trade in your home country�s driver�s license for a Korean one. You can get your license back at any time if you trade back your Korean one. You�re essentially doing a swap. We don�t really understand the reasoning behind the swap, so if any of you know why this is done please tell us!
Cheap country, but also crazy senseless rules. Why the hell would they need to keep hold of my UK license??
Does anyone know how easy or difficult it is to do the swap back if I'm going home to the UK for a big holiday?
Blimey. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| It's not really a "swap." It is, in that you turn your foreign licesnse in. BUT, when you need it, (i,e. traveling overseas and need it for use with an IDP, or traveling to your home country) you simply go in, show them your tickets, and pick up your original. They won't require you to turn in your Korean license, and while technically you ARE supposed to turn your foreign licesnse back in when you return, they don't enforce it and there is no penalty for not doing so. |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:11 am Post subject: |
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| nathanrutledge wrote: |
| It's not really a "swap." It is, in that you turn your foreign licesnse in. BUT, when you need it, (i,e. traveling overseas and need it for use with an IDP, or traveling to your home country) you simply go in, show them your tickets, and pick up your original. They won't require you to turn in your Korean license, and while technically you ARE supposed to turn your foreign licesnse back in when you return, they don't enforce it and there is no penalty for not doing so. |
Ah, the land of crazy rules, but also the land of non enforcement; like it! Thanks for the tip!! |
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Skippy
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Daejeon
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:30 am Post subject: |
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Hold up a sec. I have also heard that even some recent changes. The swap is not doable anymore. The Kor gov is now asking for documents to be verified.
People have been needing to go up to Seoul/home country consulate and get their license copied.notarized and stamped!
I could be wrong or mistaken on details. Something worth looking in to. |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Skippy wrote: |
Hold up a sec. I have also heard that even some recent changes. The swap is not doable anymore. The Kor gov is now asking for documents to be verified.
People have been needing to go up to Seoul/home country consulate and get their license copied.notarized and stamped!
I could be wrong or mistaken on details. Something worth looking in to. |
Another goddamned apostille? They are going to make me apostille my face next. |
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Drew10
Joined: 31 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:49 am Post subject: |
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| Skippy wrote: |
Hold up a sec. I have also heard that even some recent changes. The swap is not doable anymore. The Kor gov is now asking for documents to be verified.
People have been needing to go up to Seoul/home country consulate and get their license copied.notarized and stamped!
I could be wrong or mistaken on details. Something worth looking in to. |
I just recently did the swap. It's still doable but a major Pain.
I'm American, so I can only speak from that POV.
I had to go to the U.S Embassy in Seoul. I filled out an affidavit swearing my license was real and valid. They verified I was who I said I was and notarized the affidavit.
I then took the affidavit, my passport, ARC and some money to the DLA. There, I had to fill out some paperwork, go to a different part of the building to take a physical exam (which turned out to be an eye test), paid 6k for the guy to take my picture there as I didn't have any prepared, go back to the first area and buy some stamps (I think 3 total at 10k a pop but I'm not totally sure on that). I then gave the lady my U.S license and she directed me upstairs to take a test in "English". Once I passed the test, the lady watching the test takers stamped my paperwork, I took it back downstairs and gave it to the first lady who told me to wait 20 minutes while they got my license ready. I walked out of the DLA with my class 2 license that day.
I personally feel the affidavit part of the process is complete garbage. It clearly says on the affidavit that they aren't verifying the license is real, just that I am who I say I am. So basically, I spent 60k just to get a piece of useless paper notarized. Also, when I gave the lady at the DLA my U.S license she ran it under a black light to verify it's authenticity. If we could go back to not requiring the affidavit from the embassy as part of the swap process it would be much much better. |
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Kimchifart
Joined: 15 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:28 am Post subject: |
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Yeah I'm really getting sick of the whole apostille BS. I'm really not sure if it's worth the crap I'm going to have to go through just to drive, especially when the driving test is a much stricter and more thorough process in the UK and that the basic level of driving is much safer.
[rant] For my E2, the solicitor stamped my degrees without even verifying basic facts or that they were genuine, then the FCO checked the solicitor's stamp was genuine. There is NO verification of the documents during the entire process making the entire process absolutely redundant. Getting all my E2 docs/stamps etc. together this time has cost me almost 600,000 won. It's total BS and wasting everyone's damn time, energy and money. [/rant] |
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