Apostille Korea secures the embassy confirmation needed to exchange a foreign licence Test requirements differ depending on whether Korea recognises the issuing country, and the embassy confirmation can only be obtained abroad.

Apostille Korea said it obtains the embassy confirmation letter required when a foreign driving licence is exchanged for a Korean one. Because the document can only be processed abroad, it is regarded as the hardest item for applicants to prepare alone.

Test requirements split by recognition status

The Korea Road Traffic Authority runs the foreign driving licence exchange scheme so that holders of a valid overseas licence can convert it into a Korean licence without undue difficulty. Its driving licence service states that a foreign licence alone does not permit driving in Korea, while confirming that a holder of a licence issued by a competent foreign authority may apply for an exchange through the proper procedure. If the country that issued the licence is one Korea recognises, the holder only has to pass the aptitude test, which is a physical examination. If the issuing country is not recognised, the written exam must be passed in addition to the aptitude test. Even for non-recognised countries, however, the written exam can be waived depending on residence status or family composition, so the conditions are worth checking closely. The scheme can also serve as a fallback, as in the case of someone transferred abruptly from head office to a Korean branch who realised only after arriving that no international driving permit had been arranged.

The embassy confirmation decides the outcome

Anyone who assembles five to six documents, including the original passport and the original foreign licence, can use the exchange scheme. Among them, the item applicants find hardest to prepare alone is the embassy confirmation letter for the licence. It certifies that the applicant's original foreign licence was issued lawfully and properly, and it can only be processed in the issuing country. In apostille convention states the certification comes from that country's foreign ministry; in non-member states it comes from that country's embassy. Some embassies, however, have suspended this service, and depending on conditions in the country, the confirmation is sometimes issued by that country's embassy in a neighbouring state. Without an accurate picture of the situation in each country, applications and supporting documents already filed can end up discarded, so working through a specialist agency can be more efficient than going it alone.

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Source: FNTIMES · 2017-07-06