Riding a motorbike legally in Vietnam

Short answer: your Australian licence and your Australian International Driving Permit are not valid in Vietnam, so if you live here and want to ride, you need a Vietnamese licence.

The short version

Smartraveller is blunt: you're not allowed to drive or ride on an Australian licence or an Australian-issued IDP in Vietnam [1].
Vietnam recognises IDPs under the 1968 Vienna Convention, not the 1949 Geneva Convention version Australia issues [4].
If you've lived in Vietnam for at least three months and hold a temporary residence card, you can convert a valid Australian licence without sitting the full test [2][3]. Your bike class only carries across if your Australian licence includes a motorcycle class.
Since 1 January 2025, class A1 covers bikes up to 125 cc (or electric up to 11 kW) and class A covers anything bigger [5].
Ride unlicensed and Smartraveller says your travel insurer will likely deny any claim [1]. That's the real cost, not the fine.

Why your Australian paperwork doesn't count

At home, an Australian licence plus an IDP from your state motoring club covers you in most countries. Vietnam is one of the big exceptions, and it catches a lot of Australians.

The reason is a treaty mismatch. There are two international road traffic conventions that matter here. Australia issues IDPs under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Vietnam signed the 1968 Vienna Convention and only recognises IDPs issued under that one [4]. So the grey booklet you bought from the NRMA, RACV or RACQ looks official but has no legal effect on a Saigon street.

Smartraveller confirms it from the Australian side: "You're not allowed to drive or ride on an Australian licence or International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in Australia," and you need a valid Vietnamese licence to ride anything of 50 cc or above [1]. It also warns that the Australian Automobile Association and its member clubs are the only authorised issuers of Australian IDPs, and that websites selling "international driving licences" are not legitimate [1]. Vietcetera describes those online licences as novelty translations with no legal standing [4].

Under the Ministry of Public Security's Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA, an international driving permit isn't even eligible for conversion. You convert your actual national licence, not the IDP [2][3].

What this looks like in practice

Plenty of foreigners ride for years on nothing, and many never get stopped. That's not the point. The point is what happens after a crash at the Hang Xanh intersection or on Vo Van Kiet at 6 pm: you're the unlicensed party, your insurer has an easy reason to walk away, and any medical bill or third-party claim lands on you.

The licence classes since 2025

Vietnam's Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety took effect on 1 January 2025 and reshuffled the motorbike classes [5].

Class	What you can ride	Rough Australian equivalent
A1	Two-wheel motorbikes up to 125 cc, or electric up to 11 kW [5]	A learner-approved scooter or small bike
A	Two-wheel motorbikes over 125 cc or over 11 kW, plus everything in A1 [5]	An unrestricted rider (R) class
B	Cars	Your C class car licence

Most bikes in Saigon are 110 cc to 125 cc Hondas and Yamahas, so A1 covers the typical commuter scooter. If you want a 150 cc Vario, a big Vespa or anything sporty, you need class A.

Old licences get a transition. Under Article 89, an A1 licence issued before 2025 still covers bikes from 50 cc to under 175 cc until it's exchanged [5]. That matters if you're buying second-hand from a departing expat who swears their A1 was fine for their 150 cc bike: it was, under the old rules, but a new A1 won't be.

Converting your Australian licence

Conversion is the easy route if you already ride in Australia. The rules sit in Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA, in force since early 2025 [2][3].

Who qualifies

You've lived in Vietnam for at least three months [2][3].
You hold a valid national (Australian) licence. Temporary licences, expired or damaged cards and IDPs don't qualify [2][3]. A learner permit won't do, and it's worth asking at the counter before you rely on a provisional licence.
You hold a residence permit, in practice a temporary residence card valid for at least three more months, or a diplomatic or official-duty ID [3].

Vehicle categories carry across from your Australian licence [2][3]. If your licence only shows a car class (C), you'll convert to a car licence and still have no right to ride a motorbike. Most Australian states mark a rider class as R or RE on the card. No rider class at home means sitting the Vietnamese test.

Documents

The conversion application form (Appendix XIII of Circular 12) [2].
A copy of your Australian licence with a Vietnamese translation, notarised by a Vietnamese notary office. The copy and translation are stapled and stamped across the join [2][3].
A health certificate from a qualified Vietnamese medical facility, unless you apply within the validity of your visa or TRC, in which case it can be waived [2][3].
A certified or electronic copy of your TRC [3].
Your passport and originals of anything you've copied, for checking [2].

The process, step by step

Get your licence translated and notarised. Any notary office in the city can do this. Bring the physical card, not a digital licence on your phone.
Lodge in person at the Traffic Police Division of the city's Public Security Department, or at a ward-level police office authorised to take these dossiers [2][3].
Have your photo taken on site and pay the fee. Neither of our sources states the fee, so check at the counter.
Wait. The file goes to the Ministry's Traffic Police Department within one working day, a decision follows within three working days, and printing takes up to five working days [2][3].
Collect in person or by post. If you're refused, you get the reasons in writing [2].

How long it lasts

The converted licence runs until the earliest of: your TRC expiring, your Australian licence expiring, or the maximum period for that Vietnamese class [2][3]. Put both expiry dates in your calendar. When you renew your TRC, you'll need to sort the licence again.

No licence to convert? Sitting the test

If you don't hold an Australian rider class, the only legal path is the Vietnamese exam. Vietcetera reports a theory test of 250 possible questions, available only in Vietnamese, and a practical test on a closed course that includes a figure-eight and narrow lanes [4]. It also reports that foreign enrolments at testing centres in Ho Chi Minh City have roughly doubled as enforcement has tightened [4].

Many testing centres work with agents who handle registration and sometimes arrange interpreting. Prepare properly for the practical: the figure-eight trips up plenty of experienced Australian riders who've never had to do it on a scooter at walking pace.

Fines, helmets and the rules that bite

Decree 168/2024 raised traffic fines sharply from 1 January 2025 and introduced a points system on licences. Examples for motorbikes [6]:

Offence (motorbike)	Fine in 2025–2026	Extra penalty
Running a red light	VND 4–6 million	Four points off your licence
Riding on the footpath	VND 4–6 million	Two points off
Highest blood-alcohol band	VND 8–10 million	Licence suspended 22–24 months

Riding with no licence, no helmet or no compulsory insurance also draws fines. We couldn't verify the current amounts from an official source, so ask a local before you assume it's small change.

A few things that are different from home:

Zero alcohol. There's no 0.05 buffer. Any alcohol at all when riding is an offence, and the penalty climbs with the reading [6]. After a night out, take a Grab.
Helmets for everyone. Rider and passenger. Smartraveller suggests a helmet that meets Australian safety standards [1]. The thin shells sold on street corners won't do much in a crash, so many Australians bring a decent open-face helmet from home.
Carry your papers. Your licence, the bike's registration card (the "cà vẹt") and proof of the compulsory third-party civil liability insurance that every bike owner needs.
Footpaths are not a lane. Locals do it in traffic jams; the footpath fine is now the same as a red light [6].

Insurance: the part that actually hurts

Smartraveller puts it plainly: "Your travel insurer will likely deny any claims you make if you're unlicensed" [1]. Most travel and expat health policies only cover motorbike riding if you're licensed for that bike in the country you're riding in, often with a helmet condition and an engine-size cap. An Australian licence doesn't meet that test in Vietnam [1][4].

Before you ride, check:

Your policy wording for "motorcycle", "moped" or "two-wheeled vehicle" and the licence clause.
Rider or passenger. Some policies treat pillion passengers differently.
Engine size limits. Some cap cover at a set cc rating.
Your employer's group health cover if you have one. Ask HR directly whether an unlicensed motorbike accident is excluded.

There's no reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and Vietnam, and Medicare doesn't cover you here. A serious crash, an international hospital stay and a medical evacuation home can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and you pay upfront.

Our take

If you're staying more than a few months, get the licence. With an Australian rider class and a TRC, conversion is mostly a trip to the notary and one to the police counter. Without one, use Grab or Be until you've passed the test. And whatever you ride, wear a real helmet.

For a reality check from riders who've been through the police counter recently, join Cooee Vietnam, our Facebook group for Australians in Vietnam.

Riding a motorbike in Saigon: the licence, the law and your insurance