The Motorbike Diaries: My Not-So-Legal Vietnamese Driver’s License

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The motorbike in my living room has been… well, mostly a piece of furniture lately. It’s been parked for five solid days. Not a sputter, not a spin, not a single near-death left turn. Instead of practicing, I’ve been busy tackling the other terrifying part of motorbike ownership in Vietnam: becoming legal.

Licenses, Laws… and Bribes

When Mr. Linh delivered my shiny rental bike, he gave me a crash course in starting the engine, honking the horn, and—wait for it—bribing the police. Yep, instead of telling me about safety checks or defensive driving, he gave me a step-by-step tutorial on how to slip 200,000 dong into an officer’s hand with the grace of a magician palming a coin.

This was never covered in my American driver’s ed class. All I remember from that course is chauffeuring my instructor to Mr. Donut so he could inhale a bear claw. Different priorities, I guess.

Technically, I should have a valid driver’s license, but mine expired on my birthday. (Or did it? Since I’m in Asia, maybe I can confuse everyone with the date format. Is it 02/12/2009 or 12/02/2009? Either way, I’m working the cultural differences angle hard.)

But let’s be real: an American license is basically useless here. No one follows those rules anyway. Shoulder checks? Lanes? Stop signs? One-way roads? Forget it. Vietnam has its own rhythm, and I’m just trying to dance along without getting flattened.

The Hard Way vs. the Easy Way

Being the law-abiding global citizen I pretend to be, I started researching the proper process for getting a Vietnamese driver’s license. Big mistake. Ten steps, endless lines, documents to translate, mysterious ministries to visit. Honestly, the DMV back home sounds like Disneyland compared to this.

And then, salvation arrived in the form of a colleague at my ESL school. She whispered the magic words: “I know someone who knows someone who knows someone.” Translation: for 1.3 million dong, six passport photos, and a copy of my passport, I could have my very own Vietnamese driver’s license delivered without lifting a finger.

Corruption at its finest—and I was in. I hadn’t had a fake license since college, so really, this was just me reliving my youth.

Playing the Waiting Game

I handed over the goods, along with my cash, and hoped I wasn’t about to get scammed by some mysterious back-office worker who’d disappear to Phu Quoc with my money. I wasn’t alone—twelve of us from school went all in on this little scheme. Safety in numbers, right?

Now, I wait. In three weeks, I’ll find out if I’m the proud owner of a shiny new license—or if I’m just another foreigner scammed. Until then, I’ll keep dodging cops, stalling out in alleys, and treating my motorbike like a very heavy coffee table.

The Legal Way to Get a License in Vietnam

According to the US Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam:

“Foreign driver’s licenses, even when accompanied by an international driving permit, are not valid in Vietnam. Even though a driver’s license from an ASEAN country may be recognized in certain circumstances as valid in Vietnam, it is still advised to obtain a local Vietnamese driver’s license if you wish to drive legally in Vietnam.”

So if you want to get a real license, be prepared to gather a lot of documentation, and it depends on how long you intend to stay in Vietnam

I was there as a long-term resident – but I know that’s not the norm for people reading this blog. For Short-Term stay, here’s the summary below. However, I suggest you review the details also on the US Embassy in Vietnam site. You’ll notice that it has different info from what I researched. This is not surprising. I suggest you talk to the expat community and see what they suggest.

International Driving Permit (IDP) — Short-Term Option

• You must possess a 1968 Vienna Convention IDP alongside your valid national license. Only IDPs issued under the 1968 convention are accepted; older Geneva or IAA-style versions are invalid.
• This combination is valid for short-term stays (typically under 3 months).
• Driving without a valid license (IDP + national license) can result in fines and possible vehicle impoundment.
• Helmet use is mandatory, and zero blood alcohol tolerance is enforced.