Countries

Driving in Vietnam: US license and IDP not valid

Vietnam is where many travelers rent a scooter without a valid license. The State Department explains why that is a legal risk, not a formality.

Do you need an International Driving Permit there?

For a US state license held by a visitor. Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored.

Driving in Vietnam on a US license

Local license needed: no IDP accepted

US license countsno limit stated for visitors
IDPAn IDP will not let you drive here. Plan on a driver, a tour or public transport.
ConventionsParty to both the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna conventions (1949: 1953) (1968: 2014)
RuleState Department International driving permits and US licenses are not valid; a Vietnamese license endorsed for the vehicle is required. Renters who drive without one risk fines, prosecution or prison.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Vietnam country information (updated July 2, 2026). Not legal advice; the country's own authorities decide.

Driving in Vietnam: the full rules

International driving permits and US driver's licenses are not valid in Vietnam, according to the State Department's Vietnam page, updated on July 2, 2026, which explains that the United States is not a party to the convention on road traffic that Vietnam applies. Vietnam joined the 1968 Vienna convention in 2014; the United States is a party only to the 1949 one. Foreigners who rent vehicles risk fines, prosecution or imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license endorsed for the right vehicle category. To drive, you must obtain a Vietnamese license from the provincial transport service, which may require a medical examination. The State Department strongly discourages visitors from riding motorcycles or scooters at all, describing drivers who routinely ignore traffic laws and daily fatalities. For a visitor, the realistic options are a hired driver, a motorbike taxi or a tour.

Which road traffic convention has this country joined?

Vietnam

Both conventions

1949 Genevaparty since 1953
1968 Viennaparty since 2014
Our reading of the rule: Local license needed: no IDP accepted

Party to both the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna conventions. The United States is a party to the 1949 convention only; a country's own law can still ask for more, or less.

See what it means for your trip →

Rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

The scooter question

Scooter rental shops in Vietnam rarely ask for a license, which leads travelers to assume it is tolerated. The State Department's warning points the other way: the risk falls on the rider, and an accident without a valid license can mean prosecution and no insurance. Many travel insurance policies also exclude accidents on a vehicle you were not licensed to drive.

A treaty puzzle

The UN records list Vietnam as a party to both the 1949 and 1968 conventions, yet the State Department's position is that the US permit is not valid there. This site reports the State Department's position, which is the one Vietnamese authorities apply to Americans in practice. The conventions page explains how the two treaties relate, and China is the other country with a page here where the permit is of no use.

Vietnam at a glance

Party to both the 1949 Geneva and the 1968 Vienna conventions. Read on November 1, 2026.
What a US license holder needsLocal license needed: no IDP accepted
How long the US license countsno limit stated for visitors
Side of the roadright, as in the United States
1949 Geneva conventionparty since November 2, 1953
1968 Vienna conventionparty since August 20, 2014
Rule read inU.S. Department of State, Vietnam country information (updated July 2, 2026)

What the State Department page says

U.S. Department of State, Vietnam country information, Travel and Transportation, updated July 2, 2026.
Passage on driver's licenses, as published
Because the United States is not a party to the Convention on Road Traffic, international driving permits and U.S. drivers’ licenses are not valid in Vietnam. Foreigners renting vehicles risk fines, prosecution, and/or imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license endorsed for the appropriate vehicle. If you wish to drive in Vietnam, contact the Provincial Public Transportation Service of the Vietnamese Department of Communications and Transport to obtain a Vietnamese driver’s license. Note that you may be required to take a medical examination as part of the driver license application process.

Questions people ask

Can I rent a scooter in Vietnam with an IDP?

Not legally. The State Department says international driving permits and US licenses are not valid in Vietnam, and that foreigners who rent vehicles risk fines, prosecution or imprisonment for driving without a Vietnamese license endorsed for the vehicle. It strongly discourages riding motorcycles or scooters there.

How can a foreigner get a Vietnamese driver's license?

Through the provincial public transport service of the Department of Communications and Transport, according to the State Department, which notes that a medical examination may be required. The procedure is aimed at residents; most short-term visitors hire drivers instead. A permit bought in the United States does not shorten or replace this procedure.

Where does the Vietnam rule on this page come from?

From the State Department's page on Vietnam, last updated by the Department on July 2, 2026. Convention dates come from the United Nations Treaty Collection. The table on this page quotes the State Department's wording as published. If an official text has changed since the date shown, the newer text prevails.

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Official pages behind this page

Written by

Independent publisher of a country-by-country guide to driving abroad with a US license: International Driving Permit rules, the 1949 and 1968 road traffic conventions, rental ages and insurance

Country rules checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

Driving rules for US license holders 2026, read on State Department pages, national texts and the UN treaty records, last checked on