Driving Licence in Nha Trang: IDP, Conversion and Fines
Vietnam accepts an international driving permit from a Vienna Convention country only together with a valid national licence for the same vehicle class. A foreigner with a visa or temporary residence card valid for 90 days or more may convert a national licence. Riding a small motorbike without a valid licence is fined 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 VND.
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Does your home licence or IDP count in Nha Trang? A foreign driving licence is valid in Vietnam in four cases. For most visitors the relevant one is the international permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
b) Giấy phép lái xe quốc tế và giấy phép lái xe quốc gia phù hợp với loại xe được phép điều khiển do quốc gia là thành viên của Công ước của Liên hợp quốc về Giao thông đường bộ năm 1968 (sau đây gọi là Công ước Viên) cấp
b) An international driving permit and a national driving licence suited to the vehicle class, issued by a country that is a member of the 1968 UN Convention on Road Traffic (the Vienna Convention).
Luật Trật tự, an toàn giao thông đường bộ 36/2024/QH15, Điều 57 khoản 6 điểm b
Does my licence or IDP count in Nha Trang?
The law took effect on 1 January 2025. A driving licence is valid in Vietnam in these cases:
- It was issued by a competent Vietnamese authority.
- It is an international permit plus a national licence suited to the vehicle class, from a Vienna Convention member.
- It is a licence suited to the vehicle class from a country or territory with which Vietnam has signed a mutual-recognition treaty or agreement.
- It is a foreign licence suited to the vehicle class from a country recognised under a treaty to which Vietnam is a party.
If you hold an international permit, carry both the permit and a valid national licence for the matching vehicle class. You must follow Vietnam’s road traffic law. The permit is valid for no more than 3 years from issue and must fit within the remaining validity of your national licence.
A licence has no effect once its validity period has passed. An international-permit holder who is banned from using the permit for a fixed time loses it for no longer than the stay the person is allowed in Vietnam.
Which route fits your situation
| Your situation | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Short visit, home licence plus IDP from a Vienna Convention country | Carry both documents, for a class that matches the vehicle |
| IDP only, no home licence on you | A fine of VND 2,000,000–4,000,000 on a small motorbike |
| Living here, visa or temporary residence card valid for 90 days or more | You may convert the national licence |
| Holding a permanent residence card | You may convert, provided the home licence is valid |
| Holding a Vietnamese or treaty-country licence plus a residence card | An international permit may be issued if needed |
| Expired home licence | It has no effect, and it cannot be converted |
Which licence class you need
The class follows engine size or electric motor power.
| Class | Covers | Minimum age | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Two-wheeled motorbikes up to 125 cm3 or an electric motor up to 11 kW | 18 | No expiry |
| A | Motorbikes over 125 cm3 or over 11 kW, plus everything in A1 | 18 | No expiry |
| B1 | Three-wheeled motorbikes, plus everything in A1 | 18 | No expiry |
| B | Passenger cars up to 8 seats and light trucks | 18 | 10 years |
A person aged 16 or over may drive a moped. Anyone operating a vehicle must meet health conditions suited to that vehicle. For rental shops and scooter prices, see motorbike rental in Nha Trang. For other ways to travel, see getting around Nha Trang.
An international permit does not widen your class. A permit holder must carry a national licence for the matching vehicle class. A rider with a licence for cars only, on a scooter, has a licence unsuited to the vehicle.
Can I convert my foreign licence?
A foreigner residing, working or studying in Vietnam with a valid national licence may have it converted to the matching Vietnamese class. The foreigner must hold one of these:
- A diplomatic or official identity card.
- A visa or temporary residence card valid for 90 days or more.
- A valid permanent residence card.
The converted licence matches the remaining validity of the licence, visa or card. See temporary residence cards in Nha Trang.
A foreign licence is not converted in these cases:
- A temporary foreign licence.
- An international driving permit.
- An expired, erased or torn licence, or one with a difference in identity.
- A licence not issued by a competent authority.
IDP or conversion
| International permit plus home licence | Converted Vietnamese licence | |
|---|---|---|
| What you carry | The permit and a valid national licence for the class | The Vietnamese licence |
| Time limit | Permit valid up to 3 years from issue | Matches the remaining term of the licence, visa or card |
| Who qualifies | Permit from a Vienna Convention member | Foreigner with a visa or card valid for 90 days or more |
| Points | Not covered here | Keeps the points of the old licence |
Documents
The file includes these items:
- A Vietnamese translation of the foreign licence, certified by a notarial authority in Vietnam or translated by a Vietnamese representative agency abroad, glued to a copy of the licence.
- A valid health certificate, as an electronic copy. A paper one is allowed only if a technical fault stops the electronic copy being used. A foreigner converting by the duration in the entry visa or temporary residence card is excepted.
- A copy or electronic copy of the visa, temporary residence card or other card from the list above.
An uncertified copy needs the original shown for comparison. A copy that is valid in place of the original under the certification law needs no original. When filing in person, you have a photo taken on the spot, use the photo in your ID data, or hand in a 3 cm by 4 cm white-background portrait. You also show the originals and pay the fee.
Where to file
Submit one set of documents in person to the Traffic Police Department or to the commune-level police at a designated reception point, or online through the National Public Service Portal. Online, you pay the conversion fee through the portal’s payment function.
On 27/03/2025 the Khanh Hoa provincial police announced that from 26/03/2025 the Traffic Police Department officially operates a public-service website for issuing and exchanging licences at dvc-gplx.csgt.bocongan.gov.vn. The Department recommends doing this online.
Fee
A secondary legal database that summarises the Ministry of Finance fee circular lists the fee for issuing, exchanging or re-issuing a licence at 115,000 VND. The same page notes waivers for Vietnamese citizens only, so the figure for a foreign applicant is not confirmed. The online portal shows the amount at payment.
How long it takes and what you get back
Once the office has a complete, valid file, it enters the data and prints an appointment slip. It sends the data to the national Traffic Police Department, which issues the licence within 1 day of receiving a complete file. The electronic licence goes into the national identification app or the police apps. If you ask for a printed licence, it is printed and handed over within 2.5 working days.
A rule on the national portal matters for timing. On 27/03/2025 the police said the ministry unit raised its capacity from 3,000 to 10,000 files a day. During the first days of the switch, the old Road Administration portal redirected users to the police portal.
The licence is collected at the office that took the file, or posted if you ask for postal delivery. If the licence is not converted, the office must reply in writing and give the reason. You keep the exchange file and your foreign licence as your original file.
What the office may check
Where there is doubt about your entry or stay in Vietnam, the office asks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the immigration authorities to verify. The same applies to doubt about how the foreign licence was obtained. See the Nha Trang immigration office for the stay side of your file.
Where to file in Nha Trang
In February 2025, Khanh Hoa’s Department of Transport was handing the testing and issuing of driving licences over to the provincial police. Licensing now sits with the police.
A Traffic Police Department of the Khanh Hoa provincial police sits in Dac Loc commune. Its phone number is +84 258 3822 116.
It is open from 7:30 AM to 5 PM on weekdays and closed at weekends. Nothing found says this desk takes foreign-licence conversions. A commune-level police point may also take files where one is designated.
Because the in-person desk is not confirmed, the online portal is the safer first step. Call the number above before travelling with a file.
What are the fines for riding without a valid licence?
Operating a motor vehicle on the road without the licence the law requires is a prohibited act. Fines for motorbikes:
| Motorbike | Fine |
|---|---|
| Up to 125 cm3, or electric motor up to 11 kW | VND 2,000,000–4,000,000 |
| Over 125 cm3, over 11 kW, or three-wheeled | VND 6,000,000–8,000,000 |
Both bands cover riding with no licence, an expired licence, an erased licence, a licence not issued by a competent authority, or a licence unsuited to the vehicle. The 6,000,000–8,000,000 band also applies to a rider with a Vienna Convention international permit who does not carry a matching national licence. The same rider on a motorbike up to 125 cm3 falls in the lower band.
To stop a violation at once, the competent person may temporarily seize the vehicle before issuing a penalty decision. That power covers the no-licence violations in Article 18, clauses 5 and 7.
Licence points
A licence carries 12 points, used to track compliance with road-traffic law. A licence that loses no points for 12 months from the latest deduction is restored to 12. A holder whose licence has lost all its points may not drive on it. The points carry over when a licence is exchanged.
Insurance when the licence is not valid
Owners who drive in Vietnam must buy compulsory civil-liability insurance from a licensed insurer. The insurer owes no compensation when the driver has no licence, or uses an invalid or unsuitable one. It also owes nothing for property damage when the driver’s alcohol level exceeds the normal level, or when the driver uses banned drugs.
A claim under the compulsory cover can be refused when the licence does not count. This decree covers third-party and passenger liability only. It does not describe a private travel or health policy, so check that wording with your own insurer.
Common mistakes
- Carrying the IDP without the home licence, which falls in the fine bands above.
- Riding a larger bike on an A1 licence, since class A covers motorbikes over 125 cm3.
- Handing in an expired licence for conversion, which is refused.
- Counting on a 30-day visa for conversion, since the visa or card must be valid for 90 days or more.
- Filing a paper health certificate when the electronic one works.
Checklist before you ride or convert
- Check the class: A1 for up to 125 cm3, A above that.
- Carry the IDP and the home licence together, never the permit alone.
- For conversion, confirm a visa or card valid for 90 days or more.
- Prepare the certified translation and an electronic health certificate.
- Bring the originals and a white-background portrait for an in-person filing.
- File through the national portal and pay the fee in the portal.
- Ask the Khanh Hoa police which desk takes conversions before travelling.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Nha Trang Beach on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by @Hải Ngô.
Not confirmed: The Khanh Hoa police desk that takes conversion files in person, and its days, were not confirmed. The fee figure comes from a secondary database and is unconfirmed for foreign applicants.
Common questions
Can I convert my international driving permit into a Vietnamese licence?
No. A foreign licence is not converted if it is an international driving permit, a temporary foreign licence, or an expired, erased or torn foreign licence.
How long is an international driving permit valid?
It is valid for no more than 3 years from the date of issue and must fit within the remaining validity of the national licence.
Can I file my conversion online?
Yes, through the National Public Service Portal, where you pay the conversion fee through the portal's payment function.
What is the fine for riding a small motorbike without a licence?
For a motorbike with a cylinder capacity up to 125 cm3, the fine is 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 VND.
Which licence class covers a small scooter?
Class A1 covers two-wheeled motorbikes up to 125 cm3 or an electric motor up to 11 kW. Class A covers larger ones.
Which website handles licence issue and exchange?
The Traffic Police Department runs dvc-gplx.csgt.bocongan.gov.vn, operating officially from 26/03/2025.
How fast is a converted licence issued?
The data goes to the national Traffic Police Department within 1 day of a complete file. A printed licence is delivered within 2.5 working days if you ask for one.
Do I keep my points after conversion?
A licence keeps its points after being exchanged, re-issued or upgraded.
Can the police take my motorbike if I have no licence?
The competent person may temporarily seize the vehicle before issuing a penalty decision for the no-licence violations in Article 18.
How old must I be for a motorbike licence?
You must be 18 for classes A1, A, B1, B and C1. A person aged 16 or over may drive a moped.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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