How Can French People Drive Legally in Vietnam?

To ride a motorbike in Vietnam then you need 2 different things, a domestic motorbike license and a 1968 International Drivers Permit, IDP,  with a motorbike stamp. In France you are able to get both of these things so it can be easy to have the correct documents, although you need to plan far in advance for the IDP as it takes time. 

The 1968 International Drivers Permit

In France you are able to get the 1968 IDP, which is the one required for riding a motorbike in Vietnam. It is possible to also get the 1949 IDP in France so it is important to make sure that you get the correct version.

To get the IDP in France you need to post a request with ANTS, Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés. But this process takes 4 to 5 months after they have received it so it is important to start this about 6 months beforehand. If you need to arrange this short notice then you will need to contact them with supporting evidence as to why this needs to be expressed such as flight tickets. 

Make sure that you have a stamp on A1 or A. Which one you will get will depend on which French license you have. 

Domestic Driver’s License

France has 3 types of domestic motorbike license. The A1 and the full A matching the Vietnamese licenses.  A1 up to 125cc and the A being unrestricted. The A2 license in France is something that is not used in Vietnam though.

The French A2 license means you are allowed up to 35kW, which translates to about 500cc. In Vietnam this would be considered a large motorbike already and it is unlikely you would want to rent a bike over this size anyway. But if you have A2 and the IDP has the A stamp then you should have no issues in Vietnam with the police. 

The old style domestic licenses in France which are paper will be a little confusing for the police in Vietnam as they will expect to see a plastic license which is typical in most other countries. While these licenses are a legal and valid license it will be more difficult to explain this to police and if possible to exchange these for the plastic style licenses then it is recommended to do so before coming to Vietnam. 

A vs A1 Stamp

In Vietnam from 2025 the law states that a A1 license allows you to ride up to a 125cc motorbike while an A stamp would allow for any size bike. A matching domestic license is also required. 

We have bikes within both of these ranges, so if you have either of these then we will have bikes that you can legally rent. 

AM License & Car License

An AM License in France means that you can ride a 50cc bike or scooter, but in Vietnam you do not need a license to ride this sized bike. So having an AM license means nothing in Vietnam.

Having a car license only means that, so you do not have any motorbike license in Vietnam so will count for nothing. 

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Where are you likely to be checked?

In the Ha Giang Loop is where the police regularly check drivers to ensure they have the correct license. When riding here expect to be checked and ensure you have the right documents on hand. 

If you have the wrong license, no license or have just lost it then when you are here you will be fine. The police could also take the bike or make you finish the trip in Ha Giang. The fine is usually 2-3mil vnd, and you could potentially be fined more than once. 

Travel Insurance

It is always best to check with your travel insurance to ensure what is needed for you to be covered. If you have the correct domestic motorbike license and the correct IDP then you should be covered although it is best to make sure that your insurance policy covers you riding motorbikes as this is often an additional part. 

Summary

If you are coming to Vietnam then you want to get 2 documents. 

1 – The domestic motorbike license with the A1, A2 or A category. 

2 – The 1968 IDP from France with the A1 or A stamp. 

A1 will allow you to ride up to 125cc, A stamp will allow unrestricted. 

If you have the A2 with A on the IDP then this should be 500cc, if with A1 on the IDP then just 125cc.