Do you need an International Driving Permit to ride in Vietnam?

This guide describes the rules as of September 2026. Traffic law changes, and so does the way it is enforced. Treat this as a starting point, not legal advice, and check with your country's embassy, the Vietnamese embassy or consulate, and your insurer before you travel.

Short answer: yes. To ride a motorbike yourself in Vietnam as a visitor, you need your home driving licence and an International Driving Permit (IDP) of the right kind, with the motorcycle category. Plenty of travellers ride without one, and plenty of rental shops will hand over a bike anyway — but that does not make it legal, and it can matter a great deal if something goes wrong.

1968 or 1949: why the convention matters

International Driving Permits are issued under two different international treaties: the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. The booklets look similar, but the cover says which convention it belongs to.

Vietnam is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention and recognises IDPs issued under it. It is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention, so a 1949 permit is not recognised on its own for riding in Vietnam.

Which one you can get depends on where your licence is from. Many countries, including the UK and most of the European Union, issue the 1968 permit. Some countries — the USA, Canada and Australia are the ones travellers most often ask about — have historically issued only the 1949 version. Rules change, so check with the organisation that issues IDPs in your country, and ask specifically for a 1968 Convention permit if they offer both.

Category A: the motorcycle box

An IDP lists the vehicle categories you are allowed to drive, copied from your home licence. For motorbikes, you need category A. If your home licence only covers cars, your IDP will only show category B — and a car permit does not let you ride a motorbike in Vietnam, whatever its engine size.

In practice that means:

• your home licence must include motorcycles, and
• the IDP issued from it must show category A as valid.

If your licence covers only small motorbikes at home (for example a learner or a restricted category), check whether the IDP reflects that, and ask your issuing body what it covers.

What to carry on the road

When you ride, keep these on you:

• your home driving licence
• your International Driving Permit (1968, category A)
• your passport or a copy of it, depending on what your rental agreement and accommodation require
• the bike's registration card — in Vietnam a small blue card, often called the blue card. A rental bike should come with it; ours do, along with a written rental contract.

An IDP is only valid together with the licence it was issued from. It also has an expiry date — usually a year for the 1949 permit and up to three years (or until your licence expires) for the 1968 one. You have to get it in the country that issued your licence, before you leave; you cannot get one in Vietnam.

Police checkpoints

Traffic police in Vietnam run roadside checks, especially on main highways, around town entrances and during public holidays. They can ask for your licence, your IDP and the bike's papers. Riding without a valid licence can lead to a fine and the bike being held, which is a long and expensive problem on a rental. Vietnam raised many traffic fines from January 2025, so do not rely on old stories about small on-the-spot payments.

A few other rules that catch travellers out:

• Helmets are compulsory for rider and passenger, fastened, on every road.
• Zero alcohol. Vietnam has a zero limit for alcohol when riding. One beer at lunch is enough to break it.
• Ride on the right and use your lights at night — it sounds obvious until you are in heavy traffic in a new country.

If you are stopped, stay calm and polite, show your documents, and call your rental shop if there is a problem.

Insurance: the part that really matters

The bigger risk is not a fine. It is an accident. Most travel insurance policies only cover motorbike riding if you are licensed to ride that kind of bike in the country where you are riding — and in Vietnam that means a 1968 IDP with category A plus your home licence. Many policies also require a helmet, set a limit on engine size, or only cover motorbikes as an add-on.

Before you ride, read your policy for the words motorcycle, moped, licence and engine size, and ask your insurer in writing if it is not clear. Hospital treatment and medical evacuation are expensive, and a claim that is refused because of the licence can cost far more than the whole trip. We do not sell insurance, so your own travel policy is the one that counts.

Staying longer in Vietnam

Rules for foreigners who live in Vietnam are different: residents can apply to convert a foreign licence into a Vietnamese one. That process has its own requirements and is outside the scope of this guide — ask the local transport department or a local lawyer.

What this means with us

• Self-ride rentals — scooters and adventure bikes, in Dalat or one-way across Vietnam — need a 1968 International Driving Permit with the motorcycle category, plus your home licence.
• Only have a 1949 permit? Message us before you book and we will talk it through with you honestly.
• No motorbike licence at all? You can still ride the roads: on our guided tours and Easy Rider journeys you sit on the back of a local guide-rider's bike, and no licence is needed.

Whatever you decide, look at your insurance first, then your licence, then the bike.