Two different things are both called “insurance” in a motorbike rental, and confusing them is expensive. Split them first.
Insurance that is included: the vehicle’s
Every registered motorbike in Vietnam must carry compulsory third-party (TNDS) insurance - it is the law, and it attaches to the vehicle, not the rider. A legal rental comes with it. What it covers: damage and injuries the bike causes to other people and their property, within its limits. What it does not cover: you. Not your injuries, not your medical bills, not your lost holiday.
Ask to see the insurance certificate at handover with the registration certificate. If the bike has no valid compulsory insurance, riding it is itself a violation (a 200,000-300,000 VND fine band for the rider), and the shop was never worth renting from.
Insurance that is not included: yours
Nguyen Tu does not provide motorbike insurance for riders. Customers arrange their own. Concretely, what a renter actually needs is:
- Travel or medical insurance from home that explicitly covers riding a motorbike in Vietnam - many policies exclude two-wheelers entirely or exclude riding without a valid licence.
- Cover for personal liability beyond the vehicle’s compulsory insurance - a serious accident can exceed the compulsory limits fast.
The licence note inside the insurance note
Even a policy that covers motorbiking generally excludes riding without a licence valid in the country. If your licence route is not sorted, your insurance is probably not either - the licence articles cover the routes.
What to do at handover
One question: “Can I see the bike’s insurance certificate?” Then one question to your insurer: “Does my policy cover me riding a motorbike in Vietnam, at these engine sizes, with my licence?” Those two answers are the whole insurance picture of a rental. The next article covers the rider-side insurance question in full.