These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.

Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your Experience, we encourage you to check with official sources or seek legal advice.

Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the laws or procedures have not changed recently.*

Do I need a special license or permit to drive my guests to and from my experience or my accommodation listing if I don’t charge them for the ride?

You don’t need a special license or permit to drive your guests as long as you are not charging them for the ride.

In order to drive guests without getting an extra license or permit, you:

• cannot charge them for the transportation you provide (either directly or by adding the cost of transportation to your Experience Fee); and
• should clearly mention in your listing description that transportation will be provided “at no charge”.

If you want to charge your guests for the ride, you need to get special licenses.

• Example: Mr. Kim takes his guests on a meditative walk through Gyoungbokgung Palace and wants to give them a free ride to/from the experience. Mr. Kim’s listing makes it clear he will pick up guests who need a ride to get to his experience at no charge to the guest. Mr. Kim does not need special licenses (aside from his regular driver’s license) to do this.

If I want to charge for the ride, do I need a special license or permit to drive guests to and from my experience or my accommodation listing?

Yes. If you wish to provide transportation to another person and charge for such transportation service, you must first obtain a “passenger transport business license” (“여객자동차운송사업면허”). This effectively means that, in order for private persons such as yourself to provide transportation and charge your guests for the ride, you should first obtain a taxi license (“개인택시운송사업면허”).

More information on the requirements to obtain a taxi license in Korea is available here.

What if I charge my guests for my experience, but: i) offer transportation without charge; ii) arrange for use of transportation at a cost; or iii) guide my guests to use transportation at their own cost?

If you charge your guests for the experience you offer, regardless of whether you charge for transportation, you may need to obtain a tourism business registration depending on your type of experience (see our information section on “Guiding Tours in South Korea” for more details).

If you need to register as a tourism business, you will have to do so at least 1 week before your experience starts. To do this, you’ll need to:

• file a registration application with your local government office. The registration application generally should include the following documentation: i) a business plan; ii) lease agreement for the applicant’s office; iii) a document stating your business assets, and documents evidencing the same;
• as of the date of application, have assets of not less than KRW 100 million, and must own, or have the right to use, an office; and
• have subscribed to an insurance guaranteeing compensation for any damages caused to Guests due to accidents caused by your tourism business, or commit a security deposit with the tourism association relevant to your contemplated tourism business, and maintain the same throughout the period of your business. The amount of the above insurance for the initial year of business is at least KRW 50 million, and thereafter determined based on the turnover amount of the business for the previous business year.

Currently, the registration application costs KRW 30,000 in processing fees.