Can Foreigners Get a Driving License in Vietnam

A foreigner can in principle study and take a local driving test in Vietnam, but this is not a quick tourist shortcut. Public explanations for foreigners link the driving test route to people who are legally staying, working, or studying in Vietnam. The practical gate is your stay status, document length, local registration, health check, language, and the test center that accepts your file.

The difficult part is procedure, not only law. Theory materials, medical checks, driving school registration, practical testing, and the category you need may differ by province. Sources such as Vietnam Law Magazine on driving tests for foreigners and Vietnam News on licence conversion and testing context describe a test route for foreigners residing, working, or studying in Vietnam, but you should confirm admission with the local school or authority before paying for lessons.

For many visitors, the safer options are a correct foreign licence plus official 1968 IDP, no self-driving, or hired transport. For residents, workers, and students, Vietnamese licence exchange may be clearer than taking a full test if you already hold a valid foreign licence in the right category.

Yes, getting or exchanging a licence without citizenship can be possible. Vietnamese citizenship is not the central condition in the foreigner scenario. Vietnam Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA and public procedures discuss foreigners who reside, work, or study in Vietnam rather than requiring naturalization.

For exchange, Vietnam public service procedure for foreign licence exchange describes foreigners with a valid national driving licence and a stay document such as temporary residence card, residence card, stay card, or permanent residence card valid for at least 3 months. This is not a guarantee: category, translation, document condition, name match, issuing authority, and local filing office still matter.

If you only have a short tourist stay, do not build your plan around quickly getting a Vietnamese licence. Check whether your foreign documents legally work for the vehicle, or use Grab, Xanh SM, Maxim, inDrive, taxi, bus, transfer, or a private driver.

Vietnam Circular 29/2015/TT-BGTVT on IDP use describes IDP use in Vietnam for permits issued by states party to the 1968 Vienna Convention. The driver must carry both the international driving permit and the national licence it is based on, and the category must match the vehicle.

This is why 1968 IDP and 1949 IDP are not interchangeable phrases. Some countries often discussed by travelers, including the US, Canada, and Australia, require extra checking because their common international permit route may not match Vietnam’s 1968 IDP scenario. Verify the issuing country against UN Treaty Collection: Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, your national issuing authority, and your insurer before renting.

A private “international driving license” bought online is different again. VietnamPlus on IAA permits not being valid in Vietnam warns that IAA-style international driving permits are not valid in Vietnam. A convincing plastic card does not replace a permit issued by the competent authority.

For Russian citizens, the usual check is a valid Russian national licence plus an official Russian IDP under the 1968 Convention, with the right category. ConsultantPlus on Russian international driving permits states that a Russian international permit is issued on the basis of the national licence and is valid for up to three years, not beyond the national licence expiry.

For Belarusian licences, avoid the simple claim “Belarus licence alone is definitely enough”. Belarus appears in UN Treaty Collection: Vienna Convention on Road Traffic under the 1968 Vienna Convention, but you still need to check the document format, official IDP or translation, category, insurer position, and whether the rental or police situation involves temporary stay or residence.

For Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and other Russian-speaking or CIS-related cases, check the issuing country, not “CIS” as a group. A person’s citizenship and the country that issued the licence can be different, especially for people who lived in another Asian country before Vietnam.

ASEAN Agreement on recognition of domestic driving licences provides for recognition of domestic driving licences issued by ASEAN countries during temporary stays in another ASEAN country, and Centre for International Law record on ASEAN licence recognition records Vietnam’s accession to that agreement. This is a separate scenario from 1968 IDP.

Indonesian, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Philippine, and other ASEAN licences may therefore need a different check. The hard question is whether the recognition applies to your exact status if you are not a citizen of the ASEAN country that issued the licence, whether an English version or translation is needed, and whether your insurer accepts the setup.

For a long stay in Vietnam, do not rely only on a foreign Asian licence because it worked elsewhere. Check Vietnamese exchange if you live, work, study, or ride regularly.

Vietnam Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024 updates licence classes from 2025: A1 covers two-wheeled motorcycles up to 125cm3 or electric motorcycles up to 11kW, while A covers motorcycles over 125cm3 and A1 vehicles. So do not rely on the word scooter; check engine size and category.

A vehicle under 50cc is a moped under Vietnamese law only when it has a design speed not exceeding 50km/h and, for a petrol engine, working capacity not exceeding 50cm3, or for an electric engine, capacity not exceeding 4kW. For mopeds, an A1 driving licence is not the route: Vietnam Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024 says people aged full 16 or older may drive mopeds. So the practical answer is: a separate driving licence is not currently required for a true moped, but the rider still needs to meet age rules, use a roadworthy registered vehicle, obey traffic rules, wear a helmet, respect passenger/cargo limits, and keep insurance implications in mind.

The practical risk is that many rental “small scooters” are actually 110-125cc. That is not the no-licence moped scenario and it brings category A1 back into the question. The reliable way to tell is the registration card, exact model, and engine specification before payment. A true 50cc moped is also weak for highways, hills, long rides, and riding with a passenger.

Class B is for cars in the matching car category. A car licence does not automatically authorize a motorcycle or scooter, and a motorcycle category does not authorize a car. Insurance can turn on this distinction after a crash.

Exchange is usually worth checking if you live in Vietnam for months, ride regularly, drive a car, carry family, commute, or want fewer disputes with rental shops, police, and insurers. Vietnam public service procedure for foreign licence exchange describes exchange of valid foreign licences for corresponding Vietnamese categories for foreigners residing, working, or studying in Vietnam.

The current procedure card current Vietnam public service card for foreign licence exchange lists 5 working days and a 135,000 VND issuance fee, but you should select the current city and procedure before filing. Prepare passport, visa or TRC, foreign licence, certified Vietnamese translation, application form, photo or on-site digital photo, health certificate if required, and originals for comparison.

Temporary foreign licences, standalone international licences, expired, damaged, suspicious documents, licences with identity discrepancies, and documents not issued by competent authorities may be refused. If names differ between passport, licence, and translation, solve that first.

Before renting, check engine size, licence category, owner documents, compulsory civil liability insurance, deposit, passport policy, damage pricing, helmet, night riding, rain, mountain routes, and alcohol exclusions.

A shop may rent a bike without checking your licence. That does not make the driving lawful and does not guarantee an insurance payout. Ask your insurer about lawful driving, motorcycle or scooter coverage, engine size, driver versus passenger, helmet requirements, alcohol exclusions, medical evacuation, and police report requirements.

If your documents do not fit, use GrabBike, Xanh SM Bike, taxi, transfer, or a driver. For airport rides, clinics, Da Nang to Hoi An, Nha Trang to Cam Ranh, Ba Na Hills, Hai Van Pass, and intercity routes, hired transport can be safer and cheaper than a licence dispute after an accident.