Renting a motorbike in Vietnam: the licence rules in 2026

In Vietnam a motorbike isn't entertainment, it's transport: to the spot, to the shop, to the fish market at seven in the morning. You can rent one in ten minutes, which is exactly why most visitors never think about paperwork until their first traffic stop. Since January 2025 that carelessness costs several times more than it used to — and the rules changed on the one point that matters most: which bike you're allowed to ride at all.

Two documents, not one

Vietnam is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. That means it recognises an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 format — the small booklet translated into several languages. But it only recognises it together with your national licence: the booklet alone is not valid, and neither is the card alone.

Both documents have to be physically on you. Photos on your phone don't satisfy a police officer.

Who is out of luck

The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand issue IDPs under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Vietnam never signed it, so those permits carry no weight here at all — legally you count as riding with no licence. A visitor from Sydney or Toronto has two options: get a Vietnamese licence, or ride as a passenger.

One more trap applies to everyone: your permit must carry a motorcycle category — A, A1 or A2. A permit endorsed only for cars (B) does not cover a scooter, however official it looks.

The 2025 change: 125cc, not 175cc

Since 1 January 2025 the A1 category in Vietnam covers motorcycles up to 125cc. The old ceiling was 175cc, and half the tourists on the road are still riding on that outdated knowledge.

Work out what that means in practice. The Honda Vision, Air Blade and Scoopy are 110–125cc and fall under A1. But the most popular rentals — Honda PCX 160, Vario 160, PS 150, Yamaha NVX 155, Honda ADV 160, Aprilia 175 and certainly the Yamaha XMAX 300 — all require a full A. Ride a PCX on an A1 endorsement and, to the police, you have no licence.

What the mistake costs

Decree 168/2024, in force since 1 January 2025, multiplied the fines:

• Riding without a valid licence under 125cc — 2 to 4 million dong.
• The same at 125cc and above — 6 to 8 million dong, roughly €200–250.
• The bike is impounded, with storage charged per day on top.
• Helmets are mandatory for rider and passenger. An unfastened strap counts as no helmet, and the rider pays.

There's a separate line for the owner. Handing a motorcycle to someone not entitled to ride it costs 8–10 million dong for a private owner and 16–20 million for a company. So when a rental shop asks to see your licence, it isn't being difficult — it's risking more than you are.

Why the fine is the cheap part

The real price of riding unlicensed becomes clear in hospital. Every travel and sports insurance policy carries the same clause: it does not cover injury sustained while operating a vehicle you weren't licensed for. Crash without a licence and you pay for everything yourself — surgery, ward, evacuation, and the other party if someone else was hurt.

A fracture treated in a private clinic in Phan Thiet runs into thousands of dollars. Medical evacuation to Ho Chi Minh City or home runs into tens of thousands. Against that, the cost of an IDP obtained at home in a couple of days looks trivial.

What to check at handover

• Brakes, tyres and lights — with you present, before you sign. Bald tyres in the wet season on the Phan Thiet road are more dangerous than any fine.
• Photos of the bike from every side — they protect you from claims about somebody else's scratches.
• The bike's papers to show police: they should stay with you, not in the rental office.
• Helmets: two of them, both actually your size. A novelty shell without a working strap counts for nothing, to the police or to your skull.
• Never leave your passport as a deposit. It's your entry document, and holding it is not legal.

We work with several rental shops in Mui Ne, take newer bikes from them and hand them over complete: helmets, papers, a pre-rental check and delivery to your hotel. Prices, models and terms are on our motorbike rental page.