You Asked (21-08-2012)

Dear The Editor,

I want to get a motorcycle licence. I had a car and motorcycle licence in my home country, but both have expired. Please can you tell me how to get a driver's license in Viet Nam?

Thank you,

Andrew Burden

Dear Andrew,

According to the regulations on driving licences issued by the Ministry of Transport, all foreigners living and working in Viet Nam, who are at least 18-years-old and hold a visa for at least three months, can obtain a driver's licence by completing an application form and satisfying certain requirements.

Applicants must prepare an application form stamped by their embassy or employer, a health certificate stamped by a district-level hospital, a copy of their original passport notarised by an authorised goverment office, and four 3x4 passport photos.

All of these documents can be submitted at legal driving training centres where the tests take place.

You have to pass both theory and driving tests. The theory test is in Vietnamese and you are not allowed to have an interpreter or translator. It is a 10-minute computer-based test with 15 questions, including those on traffic laws and signs. If you pass both the theory and driver's tests you can get a "Forever" licence to drive a motorcycle in Viet Nam indefinitely. The fee for a motorbike licence is VND250,000 (US$12) and a four-seat car licence is VND3.4 million ($161).

Also, any foreigner holding a valid driver's licence granted in another country can apply to replace it with a Vietnamese one.

Necessary documents include an application form stamped by your embassy or employer, a copy of your original driver's licence, a Vietnamese version of your original driver's licence and a copy of your passport.

All copies must be notarised by an authorised government office and submitted at a local transport department. The fee for this procedure is VND30,000 ($1.4).

We wish you luck with your driving tests.

The Editor