🔄 Last updated: 12 July 2026
You rent a motorbike in Da Nang. You have an "international driving permit" — you got it back home before the trip, through the proper channel, from the proper body.
You feel covered.
You may be riding completely illegally — and have no idea.
And the worst part isn't the fine.
The worst part is this: if you crash without a valid licence, most insurance policies have grounds to REFUSE THE CLAIM.
Not your medical bills. Not the damage you caused to someone else.
None of it.
😰 PART 1 — THE PAIN: there are FOUR things called an "international driving permit"
And they are not the same. This is where people fall.
| Type | Issued by | Valid in Vietnam? |
|---|---|---|
| IDP — Vienna Convention 1968 | State authorities of Vienna 1968 member countries | ✅ YES — but ONLY alongside your original licence |
| IDP — Geneva Convention 1949 | e.g. AAA (United States), and several other countries | 🔴 NO — Vietnam is not a party to that convention |
| "IAA International Driving Licence" | A private organisation, not a state authority | 🔴 NO |
| IDP issued by Vietnam itself | Vietnam Road Administration | 🔴 NO — it is for use abroad only |
Read the second row again.
🇺🇸 THE BIGGEST TRAP
Vietnam is a party to the Vienna Convention 1968.
The United States is not. The US follows the Geneva Convention 1949.
Which means the IDP you bought at AAA before your flight may NOT be recognised in Vietnam.
And you won't find out until something happens.
The same applies to citizens of any country issuing IDPs under Geneva 1949, or under no convention at all.
⚖️ PART 2 — THE TRUTH: the TWO-DOCUMENT rule
Even with the right kind of IDP (Vienna 1968), you're not done.
🔑 AN IDP ALONE IS WORTHLESS.
An IDP is not a licence. It's a companion certificate to your national driving licence.
No original licence = no licence at all.
This isn't advice. These are the exact penalties in law:
Driving a car with an international driving permit issued by a country party to the 1968 Convention but without carrying the national driving licence appropriate to the vehicle → a fine of VND 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 (Art. 18(8)(b), Decree 168/2024).
Riding a two-wheeled motorbike over 125 cm³, or with an electric motor over 11 kW, holding an IDP under the 1968 Convention but without the national driving licence → a fine of VND 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 (Art. 18(7)(c), Decree 168/2024).
Six to ten million đồng — for leaving one piece of paper at the hotel.
🚨 And something almost nobody knows
Article 29 of Circular 12/2025 of the Ministry of Public Security provides that an IDP issued by Vietnam under the 1968 Convention has NO validity within Vietnamese territory.
So if you live in Vietnam and go get an "international driving permit" issued by Vietnam in order to drive in Vietnam — you've just bought something entirely useless for that purpose.
It only works abroad.
🔔 One habit protects you from both problems
Foreigners fined in Vietnam usually aren't people who disregard the law.
They're people for whom some document quietly expired — a visa, a residence stamp, or an IDP.
One habit solves all three: track your expiry dates.
👉 Turn on free visa expiry reminders with Visa Tracker — free, no account needed. And while you're there, check the expiry date on your IDP too.
⚠️ Note: an IDP cannot be renewed in Vietnam — it is only reissued in the country that issued your original licence.
✅ PART 3 — THE FIX: which group are you in?
🧳 Group A — Short-term visitor with a Vienna 1968 IDP
You may drive — under four absolute conditions:
- ✅ Always carry the IDP
- ✅ Always carry the ORIGINAL national licence (the original — not a photo)
- ✅ The correct category — a car licence does not authorise a large motorbike
- ✅ The IDP is still valid — an expired IDP = no licence
🇺🇸 Group B — Geneva 1949 IDP, or an "IAA" permit, or nothing
🔴 YOU MAY NOT DRIVE IN VIETNAM.
Not "risky". Not "you might get fined".
You do not hold a valid licence.
Your options:
- Don't drive. Use Grab, taxis, motorbike taxis. Vietnam's ride-hailing network is cheap and everywhere.
- Or convert to a Vietnamese licence — if you qualify (see Group C).
Don't rent a motorbike and hope.
🏠 Group C — You LIVE in Vietnam
IDPs are designed for short-term visitors. If you reside here long-term, the correct route is to CONVERT TO A VIETNAMESE LICENCE.
Under Article 24(1) of Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA: a foreigner residing, working or studying in Vietnam, holding a valid national driving licence, and holding one of the following — a diplomatic ID card, an official-duty ID card, or a temporary or permanent residence card valid for 3 months or more — may, if they wish to drive in Vietnam, have it converted to the corresponding Vietnamese licence category.
🔑 The key condition: a TEMPORARY or PERMANENT RESIDENCE CARD of 3 months or more.
And here is where everything connects:
An E-Visa and visa exemption do NOT give you a residence card.
Which means: if you live in Vietnam by doing a visa run every 90 days, you may not qualify to convert your licence — and you're also not in the group intended to use an IDP long-term.
⚠️ A crucial update on authority: driver testing, issuance and conversion now sit with the Ministry of Public Security (Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA), no longer with the transport authorities. Every older guide telling you to visit the Department of Transport is out of date.
→ 7 pieces of information that are now outdated — and how to spot a stale article
💀 PART 4 — The real consequence isn't the fine
A VND 6–10 million fine is the small problem. Here's the big one:
Most travel and international health insurance policies contain an exclusion for accidents where the insured was operating a vehicle WITHOUT A VALID LICENCE for the place of the accident.
If you crash in Vietnam without a valid licence, you may be personally exposed to:
- Your own medical costs — potentially enormous if you need emergency care, surgery, or medical repatriation
- Compensation to others — the person you hit, the vehicle you damaged
- Legal liability if someone is seriously injured
⚠️ We can't speak for your insurer. Terms vary between policies.
But do this today: open your policy, find the exclusions section, and read the clause about operating a vehicle.
Read it BEFORE you rent a motorbike — not after.
📋 QUICK REFERENCE
| What you hold | Can you drive in Vietnam? |
|---|---|
| IDP (Vienna 1968) + original licence + right category + still valid | ✅ Yes |
| IDP (Vienna 1968) but you left the original at home | ❌ Fine of VND 6–10 million |
| Geneva 1949 IDP (e.g. US AAA) | ❌ Not recognised |
| "IAA" international licence (private body) | ❌ No validity |
| IDP issued by Vietnam, used inside Vietnam | ❌ No validity (Art. 29, Circular 12/2025) |
| Only a national licence, no IDP | ❌ No |
| A Vietnamese licence (converted) | ✅ Yes — the safest route |
⚠️ Common misconceptions
❌ "I have an international driving permit, so I can drive anywhere." → FALSE. An "international driving permit" is not one thing. There are at least four kinds, and Vietnam recognises only one — the IDP under the Vienna Convention 1968, together with the original licence.
❌ "My IDP is from AAA (USA), so it's definitely fine." → CHECK IMMEDIATELY. US-style IDPs are issued under the Geneva Convention 1949 — a convention Vietnam is not party to.
❌ "I leave the original at the hotel for safekeeping and just carry the IDP." → THIS IS THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE. Under Decree 168/2024, missing the original licence means a fine of VND 6–10 million. The IDP alone has no validity.
❌ "My car licence covers a motorbike." → FALSE. You need the matching category for the vehicle. Many Western visitors hold a car licence but have never held a motorcycle licence — and motorbikes in Vietnam require their own category.
❌ "I live in Vietnam on an E-Visa, so I can convert my licence." → NOT NECESSARILY. Circular 12/2025 requires a temporary or permanent residence card of 3 months or more. An E-Visa is not a residence card.
❌ "I'll just rent a bike — the rental shop doesn't ask for documents." → THE RENTAL SHOP IS NOT THE POLICE, AND IT IS NOT YOUR INSURER. Them not asking does not make you legal.
❌ "Small motorbikes don't need a licence." → CHECK THE RULES CAREFULLY BY ENGINE SIZE AND POWER. The categories differ, and Decree 168/2024 explicitly names the 125 cm³ and 11 kW thresholds. Don't guess. Ask the authorities or a lawyer before you ride.
❌ "I'll go to the Department of Transport to convert my licence." → THAT HAS CHANGED. Licence issuance and conversion now sit with the Ministry of Public Security (Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA).
Sources
- Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP — administrative penalties for road traffic order and safety; Article 18 (Art. 18(8)(b): cars, VND 8–10 million; Art. 18(7)(c): motorbikes over 125 cm³ or over 11 kW, VND 6–8 million — where the rider holds a 1968-Convention IDP but not the national driving licence)
- Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA — Ministry of Public Security, on driver testing and licence issuance; issuance and use of international driving permits:
- Art. 24(1) — conditions for converting a foreign licence to a Vietnamese one (temporary or permanent residence card of 3 months or more)
- Art. 29 — an IDP issued by Vietnam has NO validity within Vietnamese territory
- Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968 — Vietnam is a party
- Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949 — the basis of IDPs in several countries (including the United States)
- Phap Luat TP.HCM (Law Newspaper) — "Is an international driving permit valid in Vietnam?" (opinion of a lawyer of the HCMC Bar Association)
⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTE: This article compiles publicly available information as of the update date and is NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Driving-licence rules are complex, vary by nationality, licence type, vehicle category, length of residence and document status, and are in a transitional period following the transfer of authority to the Ministry of Public Security. Public sources online contradict each other heavily on this topic — which is precisely why this article cites only numbered legal instruments.
BEFORE YOU DRIVE ANY VEHICLE IN VIETNAM, CONFIRM DIRECTLY WITH THE COMPETENT POLICE AUTHORITY OR A LAWYER. Do not rely on this article — and do not rely on what the rental shop tells you.
ViEntry is a technology platform connecting users with independent visa and eSIM service operators. ViEntry does NOT provide driving-licence services, is NOT a regulatory authority, and takes NO responsibility for your decision to drive. We wrote this because it is the single largest risk foreigners in Vietnam routinely underestimate.
Not sure which convention your IDP falls under? Ask the issuing body in your country — and ask BEFORE you fly. Telegram @vientry_support · WhatsApp +84 963 091 001 · Hotline 0963 091 001
