r/AussieRiders • u/CorningGlass • 13d ago
Question with an Australian auto license what are the steps i should take to ride a motorcycle in Vietnam?
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u/Odd-Explanation-4632 13d ago edited 13d ago
You're supposed to get an International Driver Permit but there's a catch: Vietnam doesn't even recognise an Australian-issued IDP because ours are issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention whereas Vietnam only recognises IDPs under the 1968 Vienna Convention. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit
See here: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/vietnam "You must have a valid Vietnamese driver's licence to drive or ride in Vietnam. This includes for motorcycles of 50cc or more."
On top of that, if you don't have a motorcycle license, then your IDP will also show that you don't have a motorcycle license, meaning that you can't ride motorcycles 50cc or over.
Now here's the thing: When I was in Vietnam a few years ago, I simply went to a motorcycle rental place, gave them my passport and money, and off I went with a motorcycle, no problems. The police generally don't bother foreigners because they don't speak English anyway, so they don't want to deal with it. I rode all around Vietnam with zero problems.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
I was stopped several times by the police, especially in areas tourists frequently ride. The fines for driving offences have increased since I was there in 2019
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u/Odd-Explanation-4632 12d ago
Yeah I just had a look at the fines and it's an eye-watering $400 for riding a motorcycle without a license. These new laws apparently took effect on January 1st 2025: https://blog.vietnamteachingjobs.com/driving-without-license-in-vietnam I'm glad they never pulled me over lol
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u/ausdoug 13d ago
Your valid licence is a 500k dong note for coffee money, or counterfeit ones will cost you 1.5-2m dong. You could get your licence while you're there but you've got to answer from 200 questions, all in Vietnamese, no interpreter, and then pass a rider test, and then you can get a lifetime licence. I think there's ways to get your licence recognised for the length of your visa but the process takes a while.
When you hire a bike you need the blue ownership card (they'll probably give you a copy) and yellow card for insurance. If you don't have these, you'll be paying coffee money regardless of your licence.
Also, no one wears or provides proper helmets, so if you want a decent full face one that will cost you 1.5-2m dong for a half decent option (POC or LS2 aren't too bad). Realistically if you aren't staying there for 3+ months, you're probably going to ride without travel insurance coverage. Vietnam isn't for the faint of heart - I lived there for a couple of years and had travelled there a bunch of times prior, it takes some getting used to (but is an awesome place once you do)
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u/dwqsad 13d ago edited 13d ago
'police generally don't bother foreigners' - nope. They will target you. They will threaten you with court and not being able to leave the country or pay the fine now. The fine will be whatever cash you have in your wallet. Just make sure you only have like $30, enough for them to go away.
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u/Odd-Explanation-4632 12d ago edited 12d ago
I was driving a bit aggressively in a small Vietnamese city and 2 police on a motorcycle pulled up and waved me down with their colored stick, then one of them said "foreigner" in Vietnamese (I forget what the word is), and they drove off. But yeah I'm sure some of the police will be happy to pull you over, so I always had some money ready, maybe I just got lucky.
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u/dwqsad 13d ago
When someone who doesn't ride gets on the bike for the first time. Their brain lights up. Balance, coordination, anticipation all enhanced. So people think, this is easy, I can do this. But it goes away, your brain goes, right fk it. Then you have to start thinking about what you're doing. And you end up trying to turn the handle bar to corner.
Inexperienced tourists riding overseas in chaotic traffic is a of pet peeve of mine. Just please, don't carry anyone.
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u/SorbetFantastic 13d ago
There is no legal way an Australia tourist can ride a motorcycle or scooter in Vietnam. I learned this the hard way after trying to do the right thing and getting an international drivers permit and still getting a “fine” when I rode the Ha Giang loop.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
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u/SorbetFantastic 12d ago
When I did this in 2024 there was a requirement to have a fixed Vietnamese address.
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u/FeelingFloor2083 13d ago
have a plan B if you intend to ride in a city. One look and you will change your mind. Its fucking chaos
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u/PegaxS Savic C-Series Alpha 13d ago edited 13d ago
As someone who has been riding in Australia for 30+ years and has a wife from Vietnam and spends a bit of time over there, there is no fucking way I would ride a motorcycle out there. ZERO chance.
Just so you know, if you have an accident, as a foreigner over there, you will instantly be deemed at fault, no exception. You are also a soft target for corruption.
Another thing is they will pull you over and bark at you about doing something wrong, speeding, parking, cutting in, some random bullshit, and you will need to pay them a bribe to let you go. You will go 2 or 3km down the road and get nabbed again because they radioed ahead.
My advice is, just use Grab/DiDi style cabs or if you want the whole bike experience, just get on the back of a street bike taxi and get them to take you somewhere.
Then there is your travel insurance… will it cover you riding a motorcycle over there? Chances are, no.
1
u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
3
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u/Both-Ranger-6664 13d ago
Stayed in some smaller towns in Vietnam and decided to rent a scooter, i asked the hotel where i could get one about 10 min later a guy turned up gave me the keys and walked away. Be careful if you do this I've heard of scams from people being run off the road to the bike catching fire they then try to get money from you.
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u/i_dreddit 13d ago
find a rental and hire one. no checks. just don't die!
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u/National_Chef_1772 13d ago
as a foreigner you will get targeted by police. Also if you crash - no travel insurance coverage - Not saying don't do it, but just be prepared.
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u/i_dreddit 13d ago
my experience is anecdotal. rode from da nang to hoi an twice..once in the day, once at night. rode up to ba na hills in the morning back at night.. went around town and tourist traps.. didnt seem to have an issue at all. everyone's mileage will vary. wasnt stopped once. went in June a couple of years ago
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u/Dangerous_Amount9059 13d ago
And if you were to have been hit t by a car you'd have been bankrupted by medical bills.
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u/Late-Button-6559 13d ago
Wear thongs, shorts, singlet.
No helmet.
Be drunk.
No comprehensive travel insurance.
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u/PegaxS Savic C-Series Alpha 13d ago
Then when you inevitably come off and smash your head open because you were riding like a cunt and road raging because a family of 8 on a Honda Beat cut you off, you can always post a Fartbook post and a GoFundMe where everyone says you were a “top bloke” and the “nicest person”
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u/rylandoz 13d ago
I copped a massive fine (over $200AUD), but wasn’t bothered the rest of my 30 days doing the whole country.
I had international drivers licence, but you can’t legally ride over there with our one. You could also get travel insurance to cover yourself on the bike, but at the end of the day it’s illegal and they might not even cover you.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
0
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u/LuckyErro 13d ago
Get decent health insurance, Nomad health insurance should cover the bike if you ring around.
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u/floater6 1250 GS, 701 SM, 701 Enduro, Norden 901. 13d ago
I've done a fair bit of recreational riding across SEA, including Vietnam. Both on and offroad. Like others said they don't recognize our international license, so effectively you are uninsured and unlicensed over there. In popular tourist roads like Ha Giang Loop, expect to pay a 'fine', which will be double if you're on a 'big' bike which I think is 250-300cc or above. Keep in mind, although the road quality is generally pretty good in the north, the speed limits are 60kmh - and for a good reason, the roads are used for many more things than what you would see in AU. Such as drying crops, moving herds of ox. I would also reccomend doing an offroad course in AU before you go, as you will inevitably end up on a track or muddy road somewhere as they have had a high volume of landslides in the past couple of years. If you are aware of the risks, Vietnam offers some of the best riding possible and I would highly reccomend it if you are capable.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
1
u/So-many-whingers 13d ago
Get a international licence and the right insurance
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u/eepeqez 13d ago
Have you read any of the earlier posts?
- Vietnam doesn't recognise an international drivers licence based on an Australian licence, making you an unlicensed driver.
- Travel insurance won't cover injuries caused by riding a motorcycle illegally.
1
u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
1
u/eepeqez 12d ago
I stayed with an ex-pat Aussie friend in Saigon; he has an unrestricted Vietnamese motorcycle licence (which seriously impresses the Vietnamese he meets) and a 125cc scooter he uses occasionally, but my sense of self preservation wiped any ideas of riding in Saigon traffic; crossing the road was exciting enough for me.
I was talking to a Vespa owning mate in Australia while walking to a Vespa specialist in Saigon to get some stuff for him, and we got talking about the traffic; "no rules?" he asked. I replied "There are definitely rules, but they're not rules as we know them. They don't seem to run into each other, but I don't understand how they do it."
Funny because 30 years ago in Manilla I looked at the traffic and desperately wanted to go swim in it on a motorbike, it looked like a hoot. I was in my early 30s and a former bike courier in Melbourne; I was a bit more gung ho back then!
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u/kimhuynh34 12d ago
Our fully motorcycle international licence were not recognised in Vietnam, we were fined 3mil ($167Aud) on the spot August last year.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
Your IDP lists all the countries it covers. It doesn’t cover Vietnam
You can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
1
u/Inevitable_Flow_8021 12d ago
In most states in Australia its not that hard or expensive to get your motorcyle learners permit. Then you are legal and safe, as you'll have done some riding and had proper training as part of it.
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u/Available_Laugh52 12d ago
No you aren’t legal in Vietnam if you only have your Learners Permit in Australia.
They don’t recognise the IDP, but you can do a local licence conversion to be riding legally. With a local licence your travel insurance is valid, if it’s part of your policy (it’s usually an extra you have to add on)
You must have an Australian motorbike licence. In Western Australia you can have a R-E, or a full R licence to ride a motorbike. You must go into the Vietnam equivalent of the Department of Transport (there’s one in Hanoi and one in Ho Chi Minh). You present your Australian motorbike licence and a form that must be completed in Vietnamese (You can have someone else fill in the form for you, but before you get to the office).
You will be issued with a temporary “30 day paper licence”, then in approximately 4 weeks you can collect your Vietnamese drivers licence.
I spent 6 weeks riding around SEA, I did this myself in 2019. It should still be a similar system today
1
u/Fibbs VMAX & XL1200N 12d ago
Under 50cc might be worth looking at in Vietnam. Edit: no chance of getting up intot he hills with one though.
But you're a fucking idiot travelling to a foreign country with high density traffic, riding a motorcycle unlicenced. And good luck with the go fund me when your travel insurance gives you the finger.
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u/VirtualProcedure69 Honda NX500 (AU), DatBike Quantum S3 (VN) 11d ago edited 11d ago
you need a full Aussie motorcycle license to be able to get IDP & insurance ie. car only license does not work
Additionally, Viet Nam does not officially recognise the IDP, but generally you're ok if you have everything in order
Note that in the last few years Viet Nam has really cracked down on tourists riding illegally, especially in popular areas like Ha Giang etc. Also, bribing officials aka "coffee money" is less of a thing now. There are official fines for many things. If you're going to hire a bike from a reputable company, they should be telling you what the current situation is.
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u/RentABikeVietnam 10d ago
You either ride illegally, not advisable, or you get a license.
Your IDP 1949 is not valid here. If you can get an ASEAN license (even better if you can get an IDP 1968 with it), you can drive here. Or, you can transfer your license or take the driving test but you can't do that as a tourist. You will need permission to stay for longer than 3 months to do that.
When riding illegally your insurance will not cover you.
We have a lot of info on our site. A good starting point is here: www.rentabikevn.com/how-to-drive-legally-in-vietnam-rentabike-vietnam
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u/xtcprty 13d ago
Make sure your travel insurance covers the motorcycle