Key facts: Vietnam driving license for expats
- Test authority
- Cục CSGT — Cục Cảnh sát giao thông - Bộ Công an
- Official test language
- Vietnamese
- Grace period
- Up to 3 months from entry on a 1968 Vienna Convention IDP paired with the home-country licence
- Processing time
- ~8 working days — dossier approval within 3 working days, licence print within 5 working days (Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA)
- Theory test required
- Not for exchange
- Practical test required
- Not for exchange
- Medical exam
- Required
- Total cost
- 500,000–1,100,000 VND (~USD 20–45) for the complete conversion path; new GPLX from scratch (full theory + practical course) is 1.5–4 million VND
Eligibility by nationality
EU/EEA citizens
Holders of EU/EEA licences whose home country is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic can drive on a valid IDP for up to 3 months from entry. Long-term residents must convert their foreign licence to a Giấy phép lái xe (GPLX) at the Provincial Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security — no theory or practical test is required under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA, only document submission, sworn translation and a medical certificate.
US/UK citizens
United Kingdom IDPs (UK is a Vienna 1968 party) are recognised in Vietnam for the 3-month tourist period. United States IDPs are NOT recognised because the USA is NOT a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention — US visitors must rely on a Vietnamese GPLX from day one if they intend to drive, or convert their US licence after arrival. Conversion itself follows the same no-test path for both UK and US licences.
Other non-EU citizens
Holders of licences from any country can convert to a Vietnamese GPLX through the Cục Cảnh sát giao thông / Phòng Cảnh sát giao thông at provincial level — no theory or practical test required for licence-to-licence conversion under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA (effective 28 February 2026). You must hold a residence card, diplomatic identity card or permanent residence card valid for at least 3 months.
Students
You may drive on a Vienna-1968 IDP (paired with your home-country licence) for up to 3 months from entry. Once you take up residency on a student visa, your IDP no longer counts — apply for licence conversion at the Provincial Traffic Police Department.
Required documents
- Application form for driving licence conversion (per Appendix XIII of Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA)
- Original valid foreign driving licence and a notarised Vietnamese translation by a licensed sworn translator
- Passport with valid Vietnamese visa, OR residence card / diplomatic identity card / permanent residence card (≥3 months validity)
- Medical certificate (giấy khám sức khỏe) from a hospital authorised to issue driver health certificates — valid for 6 months from issue
- Passport-style colour photographs (4 × 6 cm, plain blue background, last 6 months)
- Proof of payment of the 135,000 VND state issuance fee (lệ phí cấp đổi GPLX)
- Photocopy of all documents (the office keeps the copy; you keep the originals)
Costs breakdown
- Conversion/exam fee
- 135,000 VND (~USD 5.50) state issuance fee — set nationally, same in every province
- Medical exam
- 200,000–500,000 VND (~USD 8–20) at an authorised hospital — varies by hospital; includes basic visual, hearing, blood pressure and reaction tests
- Translation
- 100,000–400,000 VND (~USD 4–16) sworn-translator fee — required for every non-Vietnamese licence
- Total estimated
- 500,000–1,100,000 VND (~USD 20–45) for the complete conversion path; new GPLX from scratch (full theory + practical course) is 1.5–4 million VND
License exchange agreements
South Korea — bilateral pact since 23 July 2023 (mutual recognition of IDPs and exchange procedure)No agreement (full test required): Tourists from non-Vienna-1968 countries — including the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Iceland and Ireland — cannot use an IDP issued by their home country in Vietnam. They must either obtain a Vienna-1968 IDP (e.g. via a third country if eligible) or skip driving until they obtain a Vietnamese GPLX through conversion or full application.
Tips for expats in Vietnam
- Since 1 January 2025, the issuance of GPLX moved from the Ministry of Transport to the Ministry of Public Security (Cục Cảnh sát giao thông) under the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety 2024. Older online guides citing the Sở Giao thông Vận tải / Tổng cục Đường bộ are obsolete.
- Foreign-licence-to-GPLX conversion under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA (effective 28 February 2026) requires NO theory or practical test — only documents, translation and a medical certificate. The "test required" myth is no longer correct.
- The 1968 Vienna Convention IDP is the ONLY foreign permit valid in Vietnam. IDPs from non-Vienna-1968 countries — including the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India — are NOT recognised, even if they look identical.
- Vietnam runs a strict zero-tolerance alcohol policy: ANY detectable BAC is a violation under the 2019 Law on Prevention of Liquor & Beer Harms. Penalties scale steeply — up to 30–40 million VND and 22–24 months suspension for car drivers above the highest tier.
- The 25-question theory exam (in Vietnamese) includes 60 instant-fail "câu hỏi điểm liệt" — but this only applies to fresh applicants, not to foreign-licence conversions.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pass any test to convert my foreign licence to a Vietnamese GPLX?
No. Under Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA from the Ministry of Public Security, effective 28 February 2026, foreign-licence holders convert directly to a Vietnamese Giấy phép lái xe (GPLX) of the equivalent category without taking the theory or practical test. You submit the application, a notarised Vietnamese translation, your foreign licence, residence proof, a medical certificate, photos and the 135,000 VND fee at the Phòng Cảnh sát giao thông (Provincial Traffic Police Department) of your province. The dossier is approved in 3 working days and the licence printed within 5 — about 8 working days end-to-end.
Can I drive in Vietnam on my home-country International Driving Permit (IDP)?
Only if your IDP was issued by a country that is a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Vietnam signed the Vienna Convention in 2014 and recognises Vienna-1968 IDPs (paired with the home-country licence) for the 3-month tourist period. The 1968 Convention has NOT been ratified by the United States, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Iceland or Ireland — IDPs issued in those countries are NOT valid in Vietnam. Visitors from non-Vienna countries who want to drive must convert their licence to a Vietnamese GPLX after entry.
What are the 60 "death questions" (câu hỏi điểm liệt)?
The Vietnamese theory exam draws from a national pool of 600+ questions. 60 of them are designated as "điểm liệt" (instant-fail) — answering any one of them incorrectly results in immediate failure of the whole exam, regardless of how many other questions you got right. They focus on critical safety topics (alcohol, drugs, overtaking on bends, level crossings, child safety). On 1 June 2025 the question pool was refreshed nationally; AutoviaTest tracks the new set. Note: the theory exam is NOT required for foreign-licence-to-GPLX conversions — only for fresh applicants.
Can I take the Vietnamese theory test in English?
No. The official theory exam at every provincial Traffic Police Department is offered ONLY in Vietnamese. The 25-question paper draws from the 600+-question national pool (with 60 "điểm liệt" instant-fail questions); pass mark is 21 of 25. Use AutoviaTest in English to learn the rules and identify the 60 critical questions before sitting the Vietnamese exam — only relevant if you are a fresh applicant, since foreign-licence conversions skip the theory exam entirely.
Do I need a Vietnamese licence to rent a scooter?
Technically yes — you need a Vietnamese GPLX of category A1 (50–175 cc) or A2 (>175 cc), or a valid 1968 Vienna IDP paired with the equivalent home-country motorcycle endorsement. Riding without one is a frequent tourist gotcha in Vietnam: insurance is void, fines under Decree 100/2019/NĐ-CP run into the millions of VND, and a hospital stay is your own bill. The ASEAN regional recognition allows Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia residents to ride on their national motorcycle licence in Vietnam.
How long is a Vietnamese GPLX valid?
Under the current 2024 Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (effective 1 January 2025): non-professional car licences (categories B and B1) are valid for 10 years from issue; motorcycle licences (A1, A2, A3) are issued without a fixed expiry under the new rules. Professional categories (C, D, E and their trailer variants) carry a 5-year validity and require periodic medical renewal. The earlier "B2" category was phased out under the new law — most expats now hold the unified category B.