Hi, I'm starting to get confused about the IDP required to drive a rental car in South Korea. I taught I knew exactly what to do: go to my city hall and request an international driving permit.

I'm not so sure anymore as there seems to be a difference between an International Driving Permit and International Driving License (both words carry the same meaning if I translate them). Secondly in the confirmation mail from Avis they specifically state that the IDP needs to be issued by a consulate or Embassy.

Maybe both these things are the result of some language issues but I want to be sure that an International Driving Permit issued by my city hall (how I always did it) will be accepted in South Korea.

Thanks for some clarification.

Here some more information as well as the exact wording I received:

I received a mail from Avis that stated that this IDP needs to be issued by a consulate or Embassy. These are their exact words:

"a IDP must have been issued by the Embassy or Consulate and the country must be registered by Geneva or Vienna convention.

Only paper form of IDP is accepted. Plastic form of driving license is not valid."

Last time my IDP was issued by our city hall. If the document needs to be issued by an Embassy is this the South Korean Embassy in my country?

I went to http://visitkorea.or.kr to see what information I could find there. They mention that only an International Driving Permit will be accepted, not an International Driving License". Both translate into "internationaal rijbewijs" in Dutch so I'm not sure what the difference is and what kind of document I should ask for.

This is what I can find on visitkorea:

"In order to rent a car in Korea, you must have a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) or a valid driver's license issued in Korea. An International Driving Permit (IDP) allows citizens of a foreign country with a valid driver's license to drive while in Korea. You must obtain your IDP in the same country that issued your driver's license. Some car rental companies require both the IDP and the local driver's license (i.e., driver's license issued by the country of residence), so it is advised to check the rental requirements of the relevant companies in advance. Those with a Type 2 (2종) driver's license issued in Korea can drive a car carrying up to up to nine passengers, while those with a Type 1 (1종) driver's license issued in Korea can drive larger vehicles accommodating ten or more passengers. For IDP holders, the type of vehicle you are permitted to drive will depend on the classification stamped on your IDP.

* An International Driving License will NOT be accepted. Driver must either have a valid International Driving Permit or a license issued in Korea."