Yes — motorbike insurance is compulsory in Vietnam, and it is not the optional comprehensive kind. Article 56 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15) requires every vehicle owner participating in traffic to hold compulsory civil-liability insurance, detailed in Decree 67/2023/NĐ-CP. The certificate must be carried when riding.
What it covers
Compulsory insurance is third -party cover. It pays compensation to people the insured rider injures or to property damaged in an accident the rider causes, within the limits the decree sets. It does not pay for damage to the rider’s own bike, and it does not pay the rider’s medical costs. What it buys is legal compliance and a backstop for the harm you might cause to someone else.
Rental shops carry this cover on their fleets, and the certificate copy normally sits with the bike’s registration copy. Riders renting should check both are there before leaving.
The fine for riding without it
Under Article 18(2) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP, a motorbike rider who cannot produce a valid compulsory insurance certificate is fined 200,000–300,000 VND — the same band as forgetting any other required document. The real exposure is not the fine. Without valid insurance, a rider who causes an accident pays compensation out of their own pocket, at amounts the insurance scheme exists to cap.
A note on rental deposits
When an accident happens on a rental bike, the compulsory policy covers the third party; anything beyond it — damage to the rented machine, deductible terms, deposit deductions — depends on the shop’s rental conditions. Nguyen Tu does not provide personal-accident or damage insurance to renters; the compulsory third-party cover on the vehicle is a legal minimum, not a replacement for riding carefully.
Ask the shop directly what the certificate covers and carry the copy whenever the bike is on the road.
Information, not legal advice. Verified against Law 36/2024/QH15 and Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP on 2026-09-22.