Title
Apostille Korea expands remote driving licence reissue for people stranded abroad With COVID-19 restricting border crossings, renewing or replacing an international driving permit from overseas has become far harder.
- Related countries
- 한국
Content
Apostille Korea said it has expanded a contactless service that lets people abroad obtain an international driving permit or a Korean driving licence that has been lost or is due for renewal, at a time when flights have been cut. Applications are taken online, and the company handles the issuance procedure in Korea through to delivery overseas.
- Renewing or replacing an international driving permit that expires abroad, or a driving licence lost there, involves a complicated procedure.
- The existing options were to return to Korea in person or to appoint a proxy, which requires a power of attorney, a passport copy, identification and visits to government offices.
- With COVID-19 border restrictions and a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival, returning became difficult, and proxy issuance takes at least a week.
- Apostille Korea takes applications non-face-to-face and handles issuance and overseas delivery, including exchanging a foreign licence for a Korean one and reissuing class 1 and class 2 licences from abroad.
Why licence renewal stalls overseas
An international driving permit is valid only for a set period, so it can expire while the holder is abroad. The same problem arises when a Korean driving licence is lost overseas. To renew or replace one, the holder has had to spend the time and money to return to Korea, or appoint a proxy at home. Going through a proxy requires a power of attorney, a copy of the passport and identification, along with visits to the relevant government offices. As COVID-19 spread, countries restricted entry and exit, and travellers arriving in Korea faced 14 days of self-quarantine. For emigrants, students and business residents abroad, as well as travellers, renewal became difficult in practice. Even when a proxy application is filed through an acquaintance, international post in both directions means a wait of at least a week.
How the contactless process works
Apostille Korea operates a route in which the applicant files online instead of visiting a government office in person. Once the application is received, the company carries out the issuance procedure in Korea and ships the finished document overseas. Foreign driving licences issued abroad can also be exchanged for a Korean licence once they carry an apostille. Reissue of Korean class 1 and class 2 licences from overseas is handled as well, and class 1 renewal requires a medical check-up record from within the past two years. The company advised holders to check the validity of an international driving permit in advance and to guard against loss or theft while border crossings remain restricted.
Frequently asked questions
Can an international driving permit be renewed locally once it expires abroad?
An international driving permit has to go through the issuance procedure in Korea, so it cannot simply be renewed on the spot overseas. A contactless agency service allows issuance and overseas delivery without returning home.
What is needed when applying through a proxy?
A power of attorney, a copy of the passport and identification are among the documents required, and the relevant government offices must be visited in person. Counting international post in both directions, it takes at least a week.
Can a foreign driving licence obtained abroad be handled as well?
The procedure for exchanging it for a Korean driving licence once it carries an apostille is handled. Reissue of Korean class 1 and class 2 licences from abroad is also possible, and class 1 renewal requires a medical check-up record from within the past two years.
Source: IT비즈뉴스 · 2020-03-05