To drive legally in Vietnam you need to have a motorbike license (from home) and an international driver’s permit. It is common and normal for people to drive without any license in Vietnam, and simple coffee money will deal with the police.
However, if you go above 150cc then having all your documents by the book becomes more important.
Please note, that for any model with less than 175cc, we will not check your driver’s license. But to rent above 175cc you need to have both a valid motorbike license and an international driver’s permit.
Understanding the international driver’s permit
Contents
- Understanding the international driver’s permit
- Is it ok to drive in Vietnam illegally?
- Australians and Americans / other countries not in the 1968 convention
- Where do I get an IDP?
- Can I rent without a valid license or IDP from Tigit?
- Crashing a Tigit Motorbike
- Key information on licenses in Vietnam
- Can’t I just bribe the police, why do I need an IDP?
- Insurance to motorbike in Vietnam
- Our recommendation for obtaining insurance and company recommendations
- What happens in a serious crash in Vietnam
An IDP/IDL, or international driver’s permit/international driver’s license is the same. The IDP is an agreement between countries to recognize each other’s drivers licenses. Unfortunately, there are different versions of the IDP, the 1968 convention and 1949 convention.
The wiki page for IDP has up-to-date information on which version each country belongs to. Vietnam belongs to the 1968 version. Australia and America belong to the 1949 version. Therefore it is not possible for Australians or Americans to drive legally in Vietnam.
Is it ok to drive in Vietnam illegally?
The short answer is yes. Both locals and tourists have spent years driving Vietnam without any licenses. For a routine and normal holiday without any incidents this is fine. However, problems arise if you are caught up in a major crash, both for yourself and for the 3rd party that may be involved.
If you are driving illegally in Vietnam, then any insurance you may have will be invalidated. Therefore you are on your own to negotiate or find a way out of whatever mess you find yourself in.
This is a risk that needs to be considered before choosing to ride a motorbike in Vietnam.
Australians and Americans / other countries not in the 1968 convention
Unfortunately for these countries, it is not possible to drive legally in Vietnam. However, the police do not know about these conventions. It is still worth getting the international driver’s permit for your holiday.
The issue arises if you are trying to claim on your insurance. If your insurance provider digs deep into the case, they may discover this loophole and your insurance could be invalidated.
Our advice is to email the insurance company. Explain everything transparently and clearly, and get a written log of them confirming they are happy to insure you while driving a motorbike in Vietnam.
Where do I get an IDP?
International driver permits, technically, can only be obtained from within your home country. The process is cheap and easy. If you are already traveling, it is technically not possible to get an IDP. There are services online that provide IDP’s , such as the international drivers association. If you look at the reviews of these online companies, there are plenty of satisfied people saying that it worked. In the end, we can’t tell if they are real or fake. They are worth getting, though, and printing it for the local police. It definitely helps.
However, in the case of a real crash and a claim to your insurance provider at home, this may be a way for them to get out of the payout you are expecting.
Can I rent without a valid license or IDP from Tigit?
Through the Tigit booking platform, we make clients tick the box to confirm they have a license and an IDP. On 150cc and below we are relaxed, but we motorbikes above 150cc to people who do not have a license and international drivers permit.
Crashing a Tigit Motorbike
Unrelated to licenses and IDP’s, but Tigit has an optional damage waiver that can be paid for in advance. This removes all responsibilities to the driver for crash expenses. It has zero excess and is aimed at creating a seamless motorbike rental experience where we don’t have to chase customers down for money at the end of the journey!
Key information on licenses in Vietnam
- Not everyone has a driving license in Vietnam, but it will make life easier and safer if you do.
- If you can’t get an IDP from home, then get one from an online company. Do consider that it may be fake though.
- Accidents can usually be resolved on the spot with police negotiations.
- You’re at-home insurance will be void without a proper driving permit. Calculate this risk carefully into your travel plans.
- Tigit offers a damage waiver to remove you from paying for potential motorcycle damage.
Can’t I just bribe the police, why do I need an IDP?
In short, yes. For nearly all minor infractions, it is possible to pay the police.
Serious issues, though, is where the IDP comes in handy. For the police, presenting legal documentation will aid in keeping you out of trouble. From your insurance company’s perspective, you will not be covered if you are doing something illegal. Like driving a motorcycle in Vietnam without a proper permit. If you were to get into an accident that requires an insurance payout, you would want to have all your documents in order.
Insurance to motorbike in Vietnam
As a foreigner traveling through Vietnam, you will not be able to purchase insurance locally that you can use. Local sellers or other rental agencies might offer to sell you a 3rd party yellow insurance paper. For you, this does nothing. To have the yellow insurance is merely a guideline in Vietnam, and you should not rely on it for anything.
Before departing on your vacation, you will want to check with your local insurance agency about providing insurance for motorcycle rental within Vietnam. They will give you precise information on what they offer and how it might cover you in the event of a significant accident in Vietnam.
Our recommendation for obtaining insurance and company recommendations
1. Get an international drivers permit. This makes you fine by Vietnam’s police standards.
2. Email an insurance company. Explain the story in detail.
3. If they agree to cover, then great
4. The insurance companies we have had good experience with are Allianz and ACS. Make sure you tick the box for “extreme sports”.
What happens in a serious crash in Vietnam
With a crash where either the traveler or local is injured, people from the area will quickly surround the crash scene out of curiosity. The police will then promptly show up and act as an on-the-spot investigator and judge. After their small investigation, they will decide who pays who what amounts.
Please keep in mind, if you can get the motorbike away from the scene and away from police hands it will make the recovery process of the motorbike for Tigit much easier. Once the police are on the scene, it becomes extremely difficult to get the motorbike back. It can take years to finalize a major crash case to get a motorbike released.
The police will then confiscate the motorbikes from both parties and use them as a ransom to force an agreement between those involved in the crash. It is here that you will usually find the police quite helpful. They typically aid in a reasonable negotiation between foreigners and Vietnamese. Just because you manage to settle with the third party, does not mean the police will release the motorbike on the scene though. They are likely to make retrieving the motorbike back, very difficult.
We recommend following police advice in regards to the cash needed to make the situation go away. Holding on to your morals of who caused the crash will not help you here. This is Vietnam, and this is the way things are done. Once all parties agree to walkway quietly, the police may release the motorbike (but it is not a guarantee).
For Tigit’s help and assistance, it is important clients explain the full story accurately. It is common for travelers to “bend the truth,” which often contributes to digging big holes for all parties involved. It is easiest for travelers to fix the situation themselves. Police, like to deal with the vehicle driver directly and attempts to pawn the situation onto someone else, can delay in motorbike retrieval. Once again, if you are driving by the book and have an international driver’s permit and valid license then this will help when accidents occur.
Thank you for your time it is very informative. I plan on to travel in August and will be in touch about bike rental asap again thank you regards Chris
Hi, I’m trying to plan a trip riding from HCM to Hanoi. However, want to ensure that I’m doing it 100% legally for the purpose of insurance. As an Australian, it’s my understanding that I’ll need to obtain a Vietnamese driver’s license. Is this something that you can assist with to speed up the process?
It is not possible to get a Vietnamese license as a tourist. The best you can do is your motorbike license + an IDP.
Legally speaking, this is still not enough.
However, the Australian insurance company https://www.1cover.com.au/ has had a good track record for paying out to our Australian customers when things go wrong.
To summarise, you will not be able to drive Vietnam 100% legally as an Australian.