Shops in Hanoi ask for very little before handing over a bike. The law asks for more. Here is the honest split between the two.
What the rental shop requires
In practice: an identity document for the rental agreement (your passport), a cash deposit - typically 2,000,000-5,000,000 VND depending on the bike - and the agreed rental price up front. Payments run by cash, bank transfer or QR code. A phone number lets the shop reach you about the bike. Nothing else is normally needed to sign the contract.
What Vietnamese law requires to ride
The shop’s requirements and the law’s requirements are different lists. To ride legally you need:
- A licence valid in Vietnam. For most visitors this means a home-country motorcycle licence plus a 1968-convention IDP, or a Vietnamese licence. Under 50 cc, no driving licence is needed.
- Minimum age: 16 for a moped (50 cc or less), 18 for an A1-class motorcycle.
- Compulsory third-party insurance on the vehicle - the owner normally carries this on the bike; ask to see the certificate.
- A helmet for rider and passenger.
The gap, and what it costs
No Hanoi shop will stop you riding out without a licence. The traffic police will: riding with no valid licence is fined 2,000,000-4,000,000 VND for bikes up to 125 cc and 6,000,000-8,000,000 VND above that, and the bike can be held until the situation is resolved. An unlicensed rider who also causes an accident faces much worse, including potential criminal liability. Renting is easy; riding legally is the part only you control.
Requirements that are discretion, not law
Shops may decline very young riders, riders who cannot demonstrate basic control, or rentals they judge risky - that is normal business judgement. Some ask to hold your passport against the deposit; the passport article explains why you should insist on a cash deposit instead.
Bring the passport, bring a valid licence combination, budget the deposit, and the requirements are met. Confirm current bike availability with the shop before you travel - stock changes week to week.