Self Driving and Riding Legally in Vietnam

The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic is an international agreement that sets common rules for how people should drive and how traffic should be organised.

Its main goals are to:

• Make roads safer by having the same basic driving rules in many countries (like who has the right of way, how to use traffic lights, and rules for overtaking).

• Help international travel by allowing drivers to use their national driving licences (and international driving permits) in other member countries.

• Standardise road signs and signals so that drivers from one country can understand them when driving abroad.

In short: it’s a global “rulebook” for driving, created to make international road travel safer and more predictable.

1. Vietnam and the Vienna Convention

• Vietnam is not a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

• Instead, Vietnam recognizes the ASEAN Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences and its own national laws.

This means that, unlike Convention member states (e.g., EU countries, Russia), Vietnam does not automatically honour foreign driving licenses or international driving permits (IDPs) issued under the Vienna Convention.

2. Motorcycle Riding in Vietnam as a Foreigner

The rules for foreigners are as follows:

• International Driving Permits (IDPs):

o Vietnam began recognizing IDPs issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention in 2015.

o So, if your country is a Contracting Party to the 1968 Convention and you have a valid IDP, you can legally ride in Vietnam (within the vehicle categories on your permit, e.g., motorcycles).

• National Driving Licences:

o Vietnam does not accept most foreign national licenses on their own.

o ASEAN countries (e.g., Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia) have a special regional agreement that allows mutual recognition of licenses.

• Conversion to a Vietnamese License:

o Foreigners staying long-term (e.g., work permits, residence cards) can apply to convert their homecountry license into a Vietnamese one.

3. So, Which Nationalities Can Ride a Motorcycle in Vietnam?

• Citizens of countries that are parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention - if they carry an IDP issued under that treaty.

• Citizens of ASEAN member states — with their home-country license.

That covers:

• Vienna Convention Parties (e.g., France, Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, South Korea, etc.) with an IDP.

• ASEAN states (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei) with their national license.

Others (e.g., USA, Australia, Canada - which are not parties to the 1968 Convention) cannot use their IDPs in Vietnam and would need to apply for a Vietnamese license to legally ride.

In short:

If you’re from a 1968 Vienna Convention country and have an IDP, or if you’re from an ASEAN country and have your local license, you can legally ride a motorcycle in Vietnam.

⚠ Many tourists still rent motorcycles without proper documentation, but technically this is illegal and can invalidate insurance.

Signatories (36 Countries, as of signing date: 8 November 1968)

From UN data and secondary lists:

• Austria

• Belarus

• Belgium

• Bulgaria

• Chile

• Costa Rica

• Denmark

• Ecuador

• France

• Germany

• Holy See

• Hungary

• Indonesia

• Iran (Islamic Republic of)

• Israel

• Italy

• Luxembourg

• Mexico

• Norway

• Philippines

• Poland

• Portugal

• Republic of Korea

• Romania

• Russian Federation

• San Marino

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Thailand

• Ukraine

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

(Note: This list is consistent with UN Treaty documentation naming 36 original signatories.)

Contracting Parties (91 Countries Bound to the Convention)

Based on a detailed list compiled circa 2007 (listing 67 parties by then) and further updates:

You can find an extensive list including signature and ratification/accession dates. Here’s a selection for context:

• Albania (accession: 29 June 2000)

• Armenia (8 February 2005)

• Azerbaijan (3 July 2002)

• Bahamas (14 May 1991)

• Bahrain (4 May 1973)

• Bosnia and Herzegovina (succession: 1 September 1993)

• Brazil (ratification: 29 October 1980)

• Costa Rica (signed but not ratified)

• Cuba (30 September 1977)

• Czech Republic (succession: 2 June 1993)

• Democratic Republic of the Congo (25 July 1977)

• Estonia (24 August 1992)

• Finland (ratified 1 April 1985)

• Georgia (23 July 1993)

• Ghana (22 August 1969)

• Greece (18 December 1986)

• Guyana (31 January 1973)

• Iran, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Niger, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, North Macedonia, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, and others.

This brings the total to approximately 91 Contracting Parties, including a mix of signatory-plus-ratified countries, non-signatory acceding countries, and successors.