Driving a vehicle in Vietnam, both Vietnamese nationals and foreigners must possess either a Vietnamese driver’s license or an IDP (International Driving Permit) as per the guidelines of the 1968 Vienna Convention[1]. In addition, IAA international driving licenses and other varieties are not valid in Vietnam. Because of that, individuals who possess foreign driver’s licenses and intend to drive vehicles in Vietnam that adhere to the conversion process. What are the specific regulations governing this procedure, and what is the current fee?
1. Subjects and conditions for changing Driver’s License[2]:
| Object | Foreigners residing, working and studying in Vietnam for a period of 3 months or more | Vietnamese citizens who have resided, studied, or worked abroad have a foreign driver’s license |
| Specific conditions | Have diplomatic ID card, official ID card, temporary residence card, permanent residence card. | |
| General conditions | – Having necessary to convert a foreign driving license to Vietnamese driving license; – Possessing a valid foreign driving license issued by an authorized entity; | |
*Excluding the following this cases:
– Possession of a temporary foreign driving license;
– Holding an international driving license;
– Foreign driver’s license is expired, erased, torn, does not have other necessary elements, or has differences in identification;
– Vietnamese individuals who holding foreign driving license residing abroad for less than 03 months or any period inconsistent with the training period in the host country
– Individuals who failing to meet health standards;
3. Profile:[3]
| For Vietnamese citizen | For foreigners |
| Form Application annex 19 | Form Application Annex 20 |
| – Driver’s license that has been consularly legalized or foreign driver’s license that has been consularly certified and legalized, except for exemptions; | – Foreign driver’s license with Vietnamese translation, guaranteed translation quality by a Notary Public or Embassy or Consulate in Vietnam; |
| – Driver’s health certificate, not including changing driving class A1, A2, A3 | |
| – Copy of temporary residence card, permanent residence card/diplomatic identity card, official service identity card. | |
| – Copy of documents verifying long-term residence in Vietnam | |
**Submit 01 set of documents directly to the Department of Transport where the driver registers for residence, stay, temporary residence or permanent residence with a fee of 135,000 VND/1 issue, equivalent to 5,31 USD for 01 issue.
[1] Article 3.1, Article 3.2 Circular 29/2015/TT-BGTVT
[2]Article 37.5, Article 37.6 Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT; Article 1.20.(a) Circular 38/2019/TT-BGTVT
[3]Article 41 Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT; Article 1.23 Circular 38/2019/TT-BGTVT; Article 12.1 Circular 05/2023/TT-BGTVT; and Article 4.32 Circular 05/2024/TT-BGTVT, effective time from June 1, 2024.
