Getting Around Vietnam: Driving, Rentals & Insurance

The short version

A US licence on its own, or a US-issued international driving permit, is not valid for driving in Vietnam. Most retirees use Grab, Be and metered taxis in town, and hire a car with a driver for longer trips.

Can I drive on my US licence or an IDP?

Vietnam's road law recognises an international driving permit (IDP) together with the national licence only when they come from a member of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and IDP holders must carry both. ¹

Vietnam joined the 1968 Convention on 20 Aug 2014. ² The United States is a party to the older 1949 Geneva Convention (ratified 30 Aug 1950), not the 1968 one. ^{3 2} So a US-issued IDP does not meet Vietnam's rule.

OSAC (U.S. State Department) says visitors generally cannot rent cars with a foreign driver's license, and that people travelling outside the major cities use trains, buses or private cars with hired drivers. ⁴

Converting to a Vietnamese licence

Under Circular 12/2025 of the Ministry of Public Security, a foreigner who lives, works or studies in Vietnam, holds a valid national licence, and has a temporary or permanent residence card valid 3 months or more, can apply to convert it to the matching Vietnamese class. An IDP or a temporary licence cannot be converted. ⁵

You file: the application form (Annex XIII), a Vietnamese translation of your licence certified by a Vietnamese notary office (or the Vietnamese consulate whose translator made it), a valid driver's health certificate, and a certified copy of your residence card. You apply in person at the provincial traffic police office or a commune police point, and the licence is returned within 5 working days of a complete file. ⁵

If you are on an e-visa or a visa exemption without a residence card, this route is not open to you. ⁵

Motorbike and car licence classes (since 1 Jan 2025)

The Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15) took effect on 1 Jan 2025 and sets the current classes: A1 for two-wheel motorbikes up to 125 cc (or electric up to 11 kW); A for bigger two-wheelers; B1 for three-wheel motorbikes; B for cars up to 8 seats. A1, A and B1 do not expire; B lasts 10 years. ^{6 1}

Licences issued before 2025 stay valid for the period printed on them; an old A1 still covers two-wheelers from 50 cc to under 175 cc until it is reissued. ¹

Renting a car or motorbike

Car hire for foreigners usually means a car with a driver: OSAC says visitors generally cannot rent cars on a foreign licence, and that hotels and travel agencies are the preferred way to arrange private transport. ⁴

Motorbike rental shops are everywhere, but the law requires every rider to have a valid licence for that class of bike and to carry the registration paper and the compulsory insurance certificate. ¹ A rental shop handing you the keys does not make it legal.

Compulsory third-party insurance (TNDS)

Every motor vehicle must carry compulsory civil-liability insurance (bảo hiểm TNDS) under Decree 67/2023. It pays third parties and passengers, up to 150 million dong per person for injury or death and up to 50 million dong per accident for property damage caused by a motorbike (100 million for a car). ⁷

The yearly premium is 55,000 dong for a motorbike under 50 cc, 60,000 dong for 50 cc and up, and 437,000 dong for a private car under 6 seats (before VAT). ⁷

It does not pay if the driver had no licence, or an invalid, expired or wrong-class licence, at the time of the accident. ⁷ It does not cover your own injuries or your own bike.

Does my travel or health insurance cover a motorbike crash?

It depends on your policy, and we could not find wording that applies to all insurers. Read your own policy's exclusions for motorcycles and unlicensed driving before you ride.

One example: Pacific Cross Vietnam's member guide asks for the police accident report and your driver licence and vehicle registration when you claim personal-accident benefits after a traffic accident. ⁸

OSAC says moped accidents are the most dangerous form of transport in Vietnam and account for most injuries to foreigners. ⁴

Grab and Be

OSAC says rideshare services such as Grab and Be are generally safe and reliable; check that the licence plate matches the one in the app. ⁴ Both offer cars and motorbike rides through their apps. ^{9 10}

OSAC strongly discourages motorbike rides (Grab moped taxis and "xe ôm"), citing little vetting of drivers and helmets that offer little protection. ⁴ Choose the car option.

Taxis: Vinasun, Mai Linh and avoiding scams

OSAC advises using only metered, marked taxis, preferably from the larger companies, and warns that some drivers paint their cars to look like a well-known firm. ⁴ Vinasun and Mai Linh are two of the large companies; Mai Linh takes bookings on 1055. ¹¹ (Vinasun's website failed a security check when we tried it on Oct 28, 2026, so we do not link it.)

To spot a real taxi, OSAC says check the company phone number painted on the side, a uniformed driver, a meter and receipt machine, and the taxi number shown inside and outside the car. Get out if the driver smells of alcohol. ⁴

City buses and long-distance buses

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City run public bus networks, but we could not open either city's official route site on Oct 28, 2026, so we give no routes or fares here. Ask your hotel or check the stop signs.

OSAC says long-distance buses can be overcrowded and are often driven with little regard for passenger safety, and that quality varies with price. ⁴

Trains (Vietnam Railways)

Vietnam Railways sells tickets on its official site, dsvn.vn. ¹² OSAC says trains are old and slow and not up to Western standards, but accidents and other safety issues seldom occur. ⁴

Domestic flights

The three main Vietnamese airlines sell tickets on their own sites: Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways. ^{13 14 15} We have no partner links with any of them.

Staying safe on the road

OSAC says traffic accidents are the leading cause of death, severe injury and emergency evacuation of foreigners in Vietnam, that drivers widely ignore traffic rules, and that scooters often ride against traffic and on sidewalks. Look both ways before crossing, even on a green walk light. ⁴

The law bans driving with any alcohol in your blood or breath, and requires motorbike riders and passengers to wear a fastened helmet that meets the national standard. ¹

Airports & flights

From the airport to town: use the Grab or Be app (Be advertises a beAirport service) or a metered taxi from a large company at the official rank. ^{10 4}

Flights from the US: Vietnam Airlines' US site lists flights from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. ¹³ We could not confirm on the airline's own site which of these are nonstop on Oct 28, 2026, so check the flight details when you book.

Arrival steps

1. Before you fly: check your e-visa (or visa-exemption papers) against your passport. A Vietnam e-visa lasts up to 90 days, and e-visa holders must enter through one of 42 designated border gates, which include all international airports. ²¹
2. At immigration: show your passport and visa papers. Your hotel or landlord then has to register your stay with the local police. ²¹
3. SIM: register a local number with your passport (Decree 163/2024). ²² See Phone & eSIM on our Start here page.