Vietnam Motorbike Laws and Licences

What foreign riders legally need in Vietnam: licence classes, international driving permits, helmet rules, fines and insurance. Legal articles state the rule and the practical reality separately, and record when each page was last reviewed.

66 guides in this topic.

• The 1968 Vienna Convention and Riding in Vietnam Why the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic decides whether your International Driving Permit works in Vietnam, how Vietnam joined it, and how to check yours before you fly. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Do You Need a Licence for a 50cc Motorbike in Vietnam? The current legal position for 50cc-and-under bikes in Vietnam: classified as xe gắn máy (mopeds), no driving licence required, rider must be 16 — and how the 16-18 training rules actually work. law-licencesVERIFIED
• How Much Does an A1 Licence Cost in Vietnam A1 licence costs in Vietnam: state exam fees of 60,000 VND theory and 70,000 VND practical per attempt plus the licence issuance fee under Circular 154/2025/TT-BTC, with training-centre packages typically around 1-2 million VND all-in. law-licencesVERIFIED
• A1 Licence Vietnam: What You Can Legally Ride What a Vietnamese A1 licence lets you ride under Law 36/2024/QH15: petrol bikes up to 125cc, electric up to 11 kW, age 18+, and the pre-2025 transitional rule that keeps older A1s valid to 175cc. law-licencesVERIFIED
• B1 Three-Wheel Motorbike Licence Vietnam The Vietnamese B1 licence covers three-wheeled motorbikes under Article 57 of Law 36/2024/QH15 — who needs it, what it covers, and how it differs from the old A3 class. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Can Tourists Legally Ride a Motorbike in Vietnam? Yes, if licensed correctly: a Vietnamese licence, or a licence/IDP from a 1968 Vienna Convention country with a motorcycle category, carried together. What the law says, and what happens without it. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Child Passengers on Motorbikes in Vietnam Children on motorbikes in Vietnam: a second passenger is allowed when it is a child travelling with an adult, every child needs a proper helmet, and the under-6 exemption covers helmetless carriage only in narrow cases. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Compulsory Motorbike Insurance in Vietnam Every motorbike on Vietnamese roads must carry compulsory civil-liability insurance under Article 56 of Law 36/2024/QH15 and Decree 67/2023/NĐ-CP; riding without it is fined 200,000–300,000 VND and leaves accident victims uncompensated. law-licencesVERIFIED
• What Documents Must You Carry While Riding in Vietnam Documents a motorbike rider must carry in Vietnam under Law 36/2024/QH15: an appropriate licence, the vehicle registration certificate and compulsory insurance. Riding without valid insurance costs 200,000-300,000 VND; riders who cannot produce papers at a stop risk the bike being held until they do. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Drink Driving Limits for Motorbikes in Vietnam Vietnam applies zero tolerance to alcohol for all riders: any detectable alcohol is an offence, with motorbike fines of 2–3 million VND in the lowest band, up to 8–10 million and licence suspension above 80 mg. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Electric Bike and Electric Scooter Licence Rules in Vietnam How Vietnam classifies electric two-wheelers under Law 36/2024/QH15: pedal e-bikes as non-motorised bicycles, 4 kW-and-under machines as mopeds, A1 up to 11 kW and A above that. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam Motorbike Licence for Long-Term Expats Long-term expats in Vietnam should move from an IDP to a Vietnamese motorbike licence: exchange a valid national licence under Circular 12/2025 with 3+ months residence, or sit the A1 test — here is how to choose. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Fine for an Expired Motorbike Licence in Vietnam Vietnamese A1, A and B1 motorbike licences never expire, so the expired-licence question for motorbike riders turns on licences that are no longer valid — riding on one is punished as riding with no licence at 2-4 or 6-8 million VND. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Fake or Forged Licence Penalties in Vietnam Using a forged or tampered motorbike licence in Vietnam is punished in the same band as riding with no licence — 2,000,000-4,000,000 VND up to 125cc and 6,000,000-8,000,000 VND above — with the document confiscated and criminal liability possible. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Licence for Fast Electric Motorbikes in Vietnam Fast electric motorbikes in Vietnam — anything above 50 km/h design speed or above 4 kW — are full motorbikes needing an A1 or A licence under Law 36/2024/QH15, unlike licence-free pedal e-bikes. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Documents Required for Foreign Licence Exchange in Vietnam The exact dossier for exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Vietnamese one under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA: application form, certified Vietnamese translation of the licence, passport, 3+ months residence papers and the health certification. law-licencesVERIFIED
• How Foreigners Exchange a Licence for a Vietnamese One How foreign residents exchange a national driving licence for a Vietnamese motorbike licence under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA: residence papers of at least 3 months, a translated and authenticated licence, and the rule that IDPs cannot be exchanged. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Can Foreign Students Get a Vietnamese Motorbike Licence Yes — foreign students in Vietnam with 3+ months of residence can exchange a national licence under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA or sit the A1 test; dorm registration can serve as residence evidence. Practical guide for student riders. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam Helmet Law: Rules for Riders and Passengers Helmet rules in Vietnam under Law 36/2024/QH15: compulsory and properly fastened for motorbike, moped and pedal e-bike riders and passengers, quality standards, and the 400,000–600,000 VND fine. law-licencesVERIFIED
• How to Get an A1 Licence in Vietnam: Step-by-Step Getting a Vietnamese A1 motorbike licence step by step: minimum age 18, health certificate, training course at a licensed centre, the theory and practical exams, and the fees that apply from 2026. law-licencesVERIFIED
• How to Pay a Traffic Fine in Vietnam Vietnamese traffic fines are due within 10 days of receiving the penalty decision, payable at the State Treasury or a bank, by transfer, through postal services, or online through the National Public Service Portal — with instalments possible for large amounts. law-licencesVERIFIED
• How Long Can You Ride on an IDP in Vietnam Vietnam imposes no separate time limit on a 1968 Vienna Convention IDP — the permit's own expiry and the national licence behind it govern, per Article 57(8) of Law 36/2024/QH15. Residence changes the practical answer for long-termers. law-licencesVERIFIED
• International Driving Permits in Vietnam: IDP Rules for Motorbikes Which IDPs Vietnam recognises for motorbike riding: 1968 Vienna Convention permits with a motorcycle category, carried with your national licence, and the exchange route under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Is Lane Splitting Legal in Vietnam Vietnamese law has no rule named lane splitting, but riders filtering between lanes fall under the lane-use rules of Article 13 of Law 36/2024/QH15 and fines of 200,000-800,000 VND under Decree 168 depending on how it is done. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Leaving the Scene of a Motorbike Accident in Vietnam Fleeing a motorbike accident in Vietnam costs 8,000,000-10,000,000 VND with six licence points deducted under Article 7(9)(c) of Decree 168/2024 — and where the crash causes harm, leaving the scene turns a fine case into a criminal one. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Lending Your Motorbike to an Unlicensed Rider in Vietnam The owner-side penalty in Vietnam for handing a motorbike to a person without a valid licence: 8,000,000–10,000,000 VND for individuals under Article 32(10) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP, plus the rider's own fine. law-licencesVERIFIED
• What Happens When You Lose All Licence Points in Vietnam Losing all 12 licence points in Vietnam means the licence stops being usable — at least 6 months off the road, then a road-law knowledge test under Decree 168/2024 and Circular 65/2024 to restore the full 12 points. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Replacing a Lost Motorbike Licence in Vietnam Lost a Vietnamese motorbike licence? The reissue procedure under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA: what dossier you file, where, how long it takes, and the rules on expired licences that need a retest. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Minimum Age to Ride a Motorbike in Vietnam Legal minimum ages in Vietnam from 2025: 16 for mopeds (xe gắn máy), 18 for motorbikes requiring an A1 licence, with the fine for riding a motorbike before turning 18 under Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP. law-licencesVERIFIED
• What to Do After a Motorbike Accident in Vietnam Legal duties after a motorbike accident in Vietnam under Article 80 of Law 36/2024/QH15: stop immediately, warn of danger, preserve the scene, help the injured and notify police — with fines up to 14 million VND for violations causing a crash. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Can Motorbikes Use Bus Lanes in Vietnam No — bus lanes in Vietnam are dedicated lanes reserved for buses, and under Article 13(4) of Law 36/2024/QH15 other vehicles may not enter them. A motorbike riding a bus lane is a wrong-lane violation at 600,000-800,000 VND. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Motorbike Fines in Vietnam: Current Overview (Decree 168/2024) Current motorbike fine levels under Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP with clause references: red lights, wrong way, sidewalks, helmets, phones, alcohol bands, licence offences and accident-causing conduct. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Motorbike Lane Rules in Vietnam Which lanes motorbikes may use in Vietnam under Article 13 of Law 36/2024/QH15: stay in the correct lane, never cross the median, and expect a 600,000-800,000 VND fine for wrong-lane riding. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Does Vietnam Have a Motorbike Learner Permit No — Vietnam issues no learner permits for motorbike classes. Since 1 September 2025, Circular 14/2025/TT-BXD requires a completed training course at a licensed centre before you sit the A1 or A test. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam Motorbike Licence Points System How the 12-point licence system works in Vietnam under Law 36/2024/QH15 and Decree 168/2024: points deducted per violation, no expiry on the licence itself, and what each common motorbike violation costs in points. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam Motorbike Licence Validity and Renewal Vietnamese motorbike licences A1 and A have no expiry date under Article 57 of Law 36/2024/QH15 — here is what that means, which licences are time-limited, and when paper licences must be exchanged. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Night Riding: Motorbike Light Rules in Vietnam Motorbike light rules at night in Vietnam: lights are mandatory from 18:00 to 06:00 and in fog or heavy rain, with a 200,000-400,000 VND fine for riding unlit, 600,000-800,000 VND in tunnels, and defects fined under Article 14. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Carrying Passengers on a Motorbike in Vietnam Vietnam motorbike passenger rules under Article 33 of Law 36/2024/QH15: one passenger only, with narrow exceptions for a second, a 400,000–600,000 VND fine for carrying two outside the exceptions, and helmet requirements for every person on the bike. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Required Equipment on a Motorbike in Vietnam The equipment a motorbike must carry to be legal on Vietnamese roads — working brakes, headlight, turn signals, horn and left mirror — with fines from 400,000 to 600,000 VND per defect under Article 14 of Decree 168/2024. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Speed Limits for Motorbikes in Vietnam Motorbike speed limits in Vietnam under Circular 31/2019/TT-BGTVT: 60 km/h on urban dual carriageways, 50 km/h on narrower urban roads, 40 km/h for mopeds, with speeding fines from 400,000 VND to 8 million VND under Decree 168. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Are Motorbikes Allowed on Vietnamese Expressways No — motorbikes of every class are banned from Vietnamese expressways under the 2024 road traffic law, with a 4-6 million VND fine and a six-point licence deduction for riders who enter, and far heavier consequences if a crash results. law-licencesVERIFIED
• The Fine for Riding Without a Licence in Vietnam Riding a motorbike without a licence in Vietnam costs 2,000,000–4,000,000 VND up to 125 cc and 6,000,000–8,000,000 VND above that under Article 18 of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP, with the bike subject to being held and owner-side penalties. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Non-1968 Convention Countries: How to Ride Legally in Vietnam Riders from countries outside the 1968 Vienna Convention — including 1949 Geneva IDP holders — cannot ride on their home documents in Vietnam. The legal options: exchange a national licence as a resident, or obtain a 1968-convention permit where available. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Old Licence Classes After 2025: Transitional Rules Pre-2025 Vietnamese motorbike licences A1, A2 and A3 remain valid under Article 89 of Law 36/2024/QH15 — what each old class still lets you ride and how the old classes map onto the new A1/A/B1 system. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Overtaking Rules for Motorbikes in Vietnam Overtaking on a motorbike in Vietnam: pass on the left where the view is clear, never on the right unless permitted, expect a 600,000-800,000 VND fine for overtaking on the right, and know when the law says you must not pass at all. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Using a Phone While Riding in Vietnam Using a phone while riding a motorbike in Vietnam costs 800,000-1,000,000 VND under Article 7(4) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP — including navigation in hand. What is banned, what is not, and how riders handle it. law-licencesVERIFIED
• When Vietnamese Police Can Impound Your Motorbike Decree 168/2024 lists the exact violations for which Vietnamese traffic police can hold a motorbike — no valid licence, no plates, no registration, serious speeding, red-light running, wrong-way riding and accidents among them — and holding is separate from the fine. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Running a Red Light: The Fine in Vietnam Running a red light on a motorbike in Vietnam costs 4,000,000-6,000,000 VND with four licence points deducted under Article 7(7)(c) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP — one of the heaviest ordinary riding fines, and far more if the manoeuvre causes a crash. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Can You Ride a 125cc with a Car Licence in Vietnam No — a Vietnamese or foreign car licence does not cover motorbikes. Under Article 57 of Law 36/2024/QH15 you need an A1 licence for a 125cc, and riding on a car licence is treated as riding unlicensed. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Riding on the Sidewalk in Vietnam: What the Law Says Riding a motorbike on the sidewalk in Vietnam is illegal and fined 4,000,000-6,000,000 VND under Article 7(7) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP — the same band as running a red light. Narrow exemptions exist for crossing and entering premises. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Riding While Your Licence Is Suspended in Vietnam Vietnam does not stack a separate fine for riding during a licence suspension — the suspension makes the licence invalid, so riding on it is punished as riding with no licence at 2-4 million VND up to 125 cc and 6-8 million VND above, and new violations extend the reckoning. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Riding Without Number Plates in Vietnam Riding a motorbike without plates in Vietnam costs 4,000,000-6,000,000 VND under Article 14(3) of Decree 168/2024, with six licence points deducted and the plates confiscated where they are fake — one of the heavier ordinary rider fines. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Right Turn on Red in Vietnam: When It Is Allowed Can you turn right on a red light in Vietnam? Only in specific cases — a police signal, an auxiliary sign, or a dedicated right-turn lane — otherwise red means stop, with a 4,000,000–6,000,000 VND fine for disobeying the signal. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Speeding Fines for Motorbikes in Vietnam Speeding fines for motorbikes under Decree 168/2024: 400,000-600,000 VND for 5-10 km/h over, 800,000-1,000,000 VND for 10-20 over, 6,000,000-8,000,000 VND above that with four points, and 8,000,000-10,000,000 VND plus suspension for group speeding. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Stopped by Traffic Police in Vietnam: What to Do What happens — and what you must do — when traffic police stop your motorbike in Vietnam: the stop signal is binding, documents are produced, fines are issued by decision, and here is the practical procedure for foreign riders. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Traffic Light Rules for Motorbikes in Vietnam How Vietnamese traffic lights work for motorbike riders under Article 11 of Law 36/2024/QH15: green means go but yield to pedestrians, yellow means stop at the line, red is absolute, with a 4-6 million VND fine for running a red. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Underage Riding: Penalties in Vietnam Riding ages and underage penalties in Vietnam: mopeds from 16, A1 motorbikes from 18, a 400,000-600,000 VND fine for 16-to-under-18 riders on licence-required bikes, warnings for under-16s and heavy owner-side fines for adults who hand over the keys. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Unregistered Vehicle Fines in Vietnam Riding a motorbike without a registration certificate in Vietnam costs 2,000,000-3,000,000 VND under Article 14(2) of Decree 168/2024, with the bike subject to being held and possible confiscation if its lawful origin cannot be proven. law-licencesVERIFIED
• What the Vietnam A Licence Lets You Ride The Vietnamese class A licence covers motorbikes above 125 cc or above 11 kW — every big bike in the country — with age 18, no expiry, and the 6-8 million VND unlicensed-riding band for riders without it. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam A1 Licence Test: What You Must Pass The Vietnamese A1 motorbike test: a 25-question theory exam with a 21/25 pass mark, killer questions, and a practical circuit test under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA — plus what happens if you fail. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Can You Take the Vietnamese Licence Test in English No — Vietnamese licence exams for motorbike and car classes are conducted in Vietnamese only, with no English or other-language option. What this means for foreigners, and the exchange route that avoids the test. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Vietnam Motorbike Licence Classes Explained (A1, A, B1) Vietnam's motorcycle licence classes under Law 36/2024/QH15 from 1 January 2025: A1 up to 125cc/11 kW, A above that, B1 for three-wheelers — plus the transitional rules for licences issued before 2025. law-licencesVERIFIED
• What Counts as a Moped Under Vietnamese Law The legal definition of a moped (xe gắn máy) in Vietnam under Article 34(1)(g) of Law 36/2024/QH15: 50 cc or 4 kW electric, design speed max 50 km/h, ridable from age 16 with no licence. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Which Countries' IDPs Work in Vietnam Only IDPs issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic are recognised for riding in Vietnam, carried together with the national licence — Article 57(8) of Law 36/2024/QH15. Country list principles and what fails. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Wrong-Way Riding in Vietnam: The Fine and Why It Is Dangerous Riding against traffic or the wrong way up a one-way street in Vietnam costs 4,000,000–6,000,000 VND under Article 7(7) of Decree 168/2024/NĐ-CP — the same band as running a red light — plus licence points and heavier penalties if it causes a crash. law-licencesVERIFIED
• Xe Dap May (Motorised Pedal Bike): Licence and Rules Xe dap may — motorised pedal bikes in Vietnam — sit outside the motorised classification under Law 36/2024/QH15: no licence needed, power cuts at 25 km/h, but helmets, age 16 and traffic rules still apply. law-licencesVERIFIED