Can I ride a scooter in Vietnam with a foreign (non-Vietnamese) license?

In late August 2026 a participant who holds a Vietnamese licence said that an ASEAN licence should in principle be accompanied by an International Driving Permit. According to them, there are very few reports of riding on a full ASEAN licence, and police may argue that such a licence on its own is valid only for citizens of ASEAN countries.

Experience of a Kazakhstan licence holder, July 2026: Kazakh national licences are known in Vietnam, but police also require an International Driving Permit with them — without it, in their words, the national licence has no force. According to their observation, Vietnamese police have no access to databases of national licences or IDPs and look at the holographic security marks (or do not look at all). If they want to, they can take you to the station, but most likely will let you go.

On engine size, the same participant wrote in July 2026 that in Kazakhstan category B covers small-engine bikes, but this does not work in Vietnam. For a bike over 50cc, in their words, you need category A on your national licence plus an International Driving Permit.

The same participant said in July 2026 that police often photograph the rider and their licence and then, supposedly, cross-check the collected photos through embassies and keep their own unofficial database. They stressed that this is only speculation and there is no official information about it. Separately, they warned that 'international licences' sold by private companies that promise database entries have no legal force.

In July and August 2026, questions about Indonesian licences got the same reply: the ASEAN topic is an eternal one, and so are the arguments, but Vietnam follows its own domestic law rather than the 1985 agreement. In other words, a licence from another ASEAN country does not guarantee automatic recognition.

The most optimistic answer, from June 2026: you do not need a licence to rent a scooter, as rental shops do not ask for one. A problem can only arise at a police stop, which according to the participant is rare if you ride sensibly; in that case you need to prove that an ASEAN licence is valid in Vietnam. This is one participant's view, not a confirmed rule.