Before you start

Cash or a card to buy and top up a T-money card at any convenience store
A smartphone with Kakao T installed (sign-up works with a foreign number)
For driving as a visitor: your home licence + an IDP obtained in your home country before arrival
For exchanging to a Korean licence: an Alien Registration Card (ARC) — residents only

Step-by-step

1
Get a T-money card and ride the subway + buses
Buy a T-money card (₩2,500-4,000 / ~US$2-3) at any CU, GS25 or 7-Eleven, or a station machine, then top it up with cash at the same counter or machine. Tap in and out on every subway ride and bus; a single subway trip is about ₩1,550 (~US$1.15) and transfers between subway and bus within 30 minutes are essentially free. If you'll commute daily, consider the 30-day Climate Card (₩62,000-65,000 / ~US$45-48) for unlimited subway, bus and public bikes within Seoul.
In personWho: You5 minutes to buy and chargeCard ₩2,500-4,000 (~US$2-3); fares ~₩1,550/ride (~US$1.15)
2
Install Kakao T for taxis (and bikes, navigation, etc.)
Kakao T is THE mobility app in Korea — taxis, deluxe (모범) taxis, Kakao T Bike, driver services and navigation in one. You can sign up with a foreign phone number (approval can take a day or two). Adding a Korean credit card needs real-name verification / a Korean number, so most newcomers swipe to 'Pay to the driver' and pay by cash, foreign card or T-money at the end. Regular taxis are metered and cheap (Seoul base fare ₩4,800 / ~US$3.55); Uber operates here as 'Uber Taxi' dispatching the same licensed taxis.
Mobile appWho: You10 min to install; same-day to a few days to verifyStandard taxi base ₩4,800 (~US$3.55); deluxe ₩7,000 (~US$5.20)
3
Drive on your foreign licence + IDP for up to 1 year
If you'd rather drive, get an International Driving Permit in your home country BEFORE you arrive (Korea recognises 1949 Geneva Convention IDPs, including US-issued ones). You may drive for one year from your date of entry, carrying the IDP together with your original home licence and passport — the IDP alone is not valid. Korea drives on the right. This is meant for visitors; once you're a registered resident, KoROAD recommends exchanging for a Korean licence instead.
In personWho: You (apply in home country)Valid up to 1 year from entryIDP fee in your home country (~US$20)
4
Exchange your foreign licence for a Korean one (KoROAD)
As a resident with an ARC, go to a Driver's License Examination Office (운전면허시험장) run by KoROAD. Bring your foreign licence, an apostille or embassy confirmation proving it's genuine (some embassies no longer issue these, so get an apostille at home), your passport with entry/exit records, ARC and three 3.5x4.5 cm photos. If your country has reciprocity with Korea you skip the written test and just pass an eyesight/aptitude check; otherwise you also sit a 40-question written test (available in English). It's usually completed the same day; your foreign licence is held by KoROAD and returned when you permanently leave Korea.
In personWho: YouOften same day (half a day at the office)Issuance fee ~₩7,500-10,000 (~US$6-8) + apostille
5
Optional — buy and run a car
A dealer registers a new car for you at the district office (ARC + passport copies required). Mandatory auto insurance (자동차보험) is required and open to foreigners via insurers like Samsung Fire, Hyundai Marine and AIG. Get a Hi-Pass transponder for expressway tolls — many Seoul-area gantries are now booth-free and need one (Hi-Pass also gives a small discount). Cars need a comprehensive inspection from their 4th year, then every 2 years. Be warned: Seoul parking is scarce and pricey (~₩1,000-4,000 / ~US$0.75-3 per hour), and EVs are increasingly popular.
In personWho: You + car dealer + insurer1-2 weeks to register and insureInsurance varies; parking ~₩1,000-4,000/hr (~US$0.75-3)

Documents you’ll need

Passport (with entry/exit records for the licence exchange)
Alien Registration Card (ARC) — required to exchange to a Korean licence
Foreign driver's licence + apostille or embassy confirmation of its authenticity
Three colour photos (3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, taken within 6 months)

Things most newcomers don’t know

Don't bother driving in Seoul — the public transit is genuinely world-class and will get you almost anywhere faster and cheaper than a car.

The subway/bus network is vast, punctual, fully English-signed and unified on one T-money card with near-free transfers; combined with traffic and brutal parking, a car is more hassle than help for most expats.

Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government / TMoney (Climate Card & transit)

Your home licence + IDP only works for one year, and the IDP must be issued in your home country before you fly.

Korea recognises Geneva Convention IDPs for 1 year from entry, but you cannot obtain a Korean-recognised IDP after arrival — so residents staying longer must plan to exchange for a Korean licence.

Source: KoROAD / U.S. Embassy Seoul — Driving in Korea

If your country has reciprocity with Korea, the licence 'exchange' skips the road test and written test — it's basically an eyesight check and a fee.

KoROAD waives the written exam for acknowledged countries (a few exceptions exist), making it far easier than testing from scratch — but you must surrender your foreign licence, which is returned when you leave Korea.

Source: KoROAD — Driver's License Exchange (safedriving.or.kr)

Kakao T is non-negotiable for taxis, and you don't need a Korean card to use it.

It dominates taxi dispatch (Uber just feeds the same taxis); you can sign up with a foreign number and choose 'Pay to the driver' to pay by cash, foreign card or T-money, sidestepping the Korean real-name card verification that blocks many newcomers.

Source: Kakao T foreigner guides (2026)

Common mistakes to avoid

Forgetting to tap OUT on the subway or bus — the system then can't calculate distance, voids your transfer discount and may charge the maximum fare.
Assuming your IDP alone is enough to drive — you must carry it together with your original home licence (and it expires 1 year after entry).
Trying to get an IDP after you've already arrived in Korea — IDPs must be issued in your home country, so sort it before you leave.
Expecting to add a Korean credit card to Kakao T on day one — real-name verification needs a Korean phone number, so use 'Pay to the driver' until you're set up.