International Driving Permit for Motorbikes in Vietnam: What the Evidence Shows

Vietnam follows the 1968 Vienna route, not the 1949 one

Vietnam recognises the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP route for motorbikes, not a home licence alone (unless a treaty applies) and not the 1949 Geneva IDP. Vietnam became bound by the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic on 20 August 2015. The reviewed evidence describes the foreign-IDP route for Vietnam under the 1968 Convention; a 1949 Geneva IDP is not the standard route. Riders planning to rely on an IDP should check which convention issued their permit before travelling. Nothing in the reviewed material records that a 1949 Geneva IDP is accepted for motorbikes in Vietnam as an equivalent.

Carry the 1968 IDP and the matching national motorbike licence

On the recognized-IDP route, carry two documents: a 1968 Vienna Convention IDP and the corresponding valid national driving licence. Both documents must show a motorcycle entitlement appropriate to the motorcycle being ridden; a car-only entitlement is not enough. The IDP is a companion document, not a stand-alone permit, and must be presented together with the underlying national licence. The reviewed evidence does not record that a national licence alone, without the 1968 IDP, is accepted. Verify that both documents show the correct motorcycle entitlement for the engine size or class of the bike you plan to ride.

A rental handover is not proof you can legally ride

Getting the keys from a rental shop does not establish that you have a licence recognised in Vietnam. Rental shops may hand over motorcycles without verifying whether a foreign rider has a licence recognised in Vietnam. The reviewed evidence indicates that rental access is not proof of legal permission to ride. A rental agreement or a shop's willingness to rent to you does not change the legal requirement; Article 18 of Decree 168/2024/ND-CP sets the fine on the rider for riding without a valid licence, whatever the shop did. Treat the rental handover as a business transaction, not a legal validation of your right to ride.

Insurance exposure exists, but denial is not automatic

Riding without a licence recognised in Vietnam can create insurance-coverage problems after a crash, but the evidence does not establish that every insurer will automatically deny every claim. The reviewed sources report that a foreign rider without a recognised licence may face difficulties with insurance after an accident; however, denial depends on the insurer and policy terms, not a universal rule. Nothing in the reviewed material records a blanket automatic denial for all insurers. If you are involved in a crash while riding without a 1968 IDP and matching motorbike licence, check your own policy's licence conditions and exclusions before relying on coverage.

South Korea has a mutual-recognition arrangement; ASEAN has its own licence agreement

Short answer: South Korea has a specific arrangement for international driving permits, and ASEAN has a separate 1985 agreement on recognising domestic driving licences.

The South Korea–Vietnam mutual-recognition arrangement for international driving permits took effect on 23 July 2023. That gives South Korean riders a clearer route than riders from countries without such a deal, but the agreement covers Korean citizens and Korean-issued permits only, for non-commercial use; according to government sources, the permit is recognised while it is valid and presented together with the matching national licence.

The ASEAN Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences, signed in 1985, has been in force since 1988, and Vietnam acceded to it on 22 January 1997. It recognises domestic licences issued in ASEAN countries, except temporary and learner licences, for holders making a temporary stay, for the vehicle classes the licence covers, with a certified English translation if the licence is not in English. The reviewed material does not show how Vietnamese police apply it at a motorbike stop, so an ASEAN rider should carry the licence with a translation and check the current position; for everyone else the standard route remains the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP route described in this guide. For the penalties that can follow a licence problem, see Vietnam Traffic Penalties and Driving-Licence Points Under Decree 168/2024/ND-CP.

Fines fall into two engine-size ranges, not one fixed number

Short answer: the fines are ranges split by engine size, not one fixed amount.

Vietnam's Decree 168/2024/ND-CP was issued on 26 December 2024 and governs administrative penalties for road-traffic order and safety violations. Under Article 18 of the decree, riding a motorcycle without a valid licence, with a licence that does not match the bike, or with a 1968 IDP but without the matching national licence is fined 2,000,000–4,000,000 VND for motorcycles up to 125cc and 6,000,000–8,000,000 VND for motorcycles over 125cc.

Each band is itself a range, so the figures are limits, not fixed amounts. A rider on a 110cc bike falls into the lower band, while a rider on a 150cc bike falls into the higher band. The engine-size line is the practical one: check the bike's cc before you ride, not after a stop. For the penalty system behind these figures, see Vietnam Traffic Penalties and Driving-Licence Points Under Decree 168/2024/ND-CP, and for the amendments in force from 15 August 2026, which leave these figures unchanged, see Vietnam Traffic Penalties Under Decree 238/2026/ND-CP: What Is Confirmed.