What is the deal with the international driver’s license?
Depending on whether you are talking to past tourists or locals, the answer to this infamous driver’s license question can be hard to narrow down. And if you’ve had the unfortunate luck of just googling it, outdated articles will give you mixed results. Here we will break down, as of September 2025, what the actual laws are and what that means in practice.
TLDR: To drive in Vietnam you need an international driver’s license under the 1968 convention. This needs to be obtained in your home country prior to arriving to Vietnam. Many tourists have successfully rented motorbikes and driven throughout Vietnam without a license and have avoided paying fines. In Ha Giang, it’s simply not possible due to the high police presence and numerous checkpoints along the way. If you choose to drive without a license, you will be fined in Ha Giang.
In order to drive a motorbike in Vietnam, the law states that you need to carry an International Driver’s License under the 1968 convention. This license can only be issued by an agency in your home country because they need to verify the validity of your national driver’s license in order to convert it to an international driver’s license.
There are two SEPARATE International Driver’s License programs. Some countries, such as Canada, the US and Australia, issue under the 1949 Convention. This is NOT accepted in Vietnam and even if you hold this license, you will still be fined by the police. Unfortunately, if your home country only issues the licenses under the 1949 convention, there is no way for you to get a proper license to drive in Vietnam and there is no way around it.
If you have successfully obtained an International Driver’s License under the 1968 convention – congratulations! You are good to go! Just make sure you carry it with you at all times, as well as your home country national driver’s license and passport. Drive safe!
What is the difference between an IDP and an International Driver’s License?
Absolutely nothing – it’s just two difference terms used to identify the same thing. IDP stands for International Driver’s Permit which is the same as the International Driver’s License that we’ve referenced above.
If I don’t have an International Driver’s License, can I still drive the loop?
Legally, the answer is no. However, many people still choose to rent a motorbike and do it on their own, or join a tour company and self-drive.
If you are considering this as an option, you need to be aware of the risks. First, you will be fined. It is not a matter of chance; there are approximately 5 different checkpoints set up on the loop on any given day. Normally, there are two checkpoints that you cross through to make it out of Ha Giang City. The fines range from 3.000.000 VND to 5.000.000 VND depending on the type of motorbike you are driving. A 110cc bike will draw a fine of 3.000.000 VND and the fines will continue to increase for the larger bikes.
$150-250 CAD
$115-200 USD
100-160 Euro
If you think you will be able to sweet-talk your way out of a fine, we can promise that no matter how nice you are, it’s not going to happen. This is so routine for the police officers that they won’t bat an eye.
The second portion that you need to be aware of is that driving without a proper license invalidates your medical/travel insurance due to ‘illegal activities’. This means that if you were to have the unfortunate luck of having an accident, there is no medical coverage to support your costs or assist in the medical response. Additionally, you would have no 3rd party liability insurance if you accidentally injured someone else or damaged property.
“My friend drove the loop last year and didn’t get pulled over so it’s not as common as people say”
For the past five years, up to and including 2024, driving regulations were not heavily enforced in Ha Giang. So it’s true, your friend may have done this last year with no consequences. In 2025, there has been a significant change in enforcement and it is nearly impossible to drive without a license. If you believe you are insanely lucky and won’t get caught, who are we to tell you otherwise?
Why are the police cracking down all of a sudden?
There are a couple of different reasons why the enforcement has increased over the past year. While many tourists just assume it’s a money grab, there are some legitimate reasons behind the police deterring driving without a license.
The number of travellers to the Ha Giang region has significantly increased in the past couple of years, bringing an increase of traffic on the local roads. This means that the once “easy to drive” countryside requires much more skill to navigate the busy streets. Unfortunately, often times this means an increase in foreigner accidents along these roads. Travellers may be familiar with driving a motorbike, but they are not familiar with the road conditions and the obsticles faced along the route. By enforcing licensing, police are trying to decrease the number of foreigner accidents and, on occassion, foreigner fatalities, in the Ha Giang region.
“The company I’m driving with says they will take me past the police and then I can drive on my own – is this legit?”
This is a typical strategy that some of the motorbike rental and tour companies are using to avoid the police within Ha Giang City. There are normally two checkpoints set up within Ha Giang City because the police know the departure and arrival schedule of the tours. While this tactic has been somewhat successful at avoiding the city checkpoints, it is highly likely that you will be stopped somewhere else on the loop and fined anyway. Not all rental or tour companies will offer this because they know you are just likely to be fined later in the day. If you are concerned about checkpoints within the City, ask the tour or rental company whether the checkpoint has been set up or taken down for the day – they are likely to know.
Some travellers have taken to starting the loop as early as 5:30am to avoid checkpoints. This tends to be successful for the first few hours of the day, however similar to above, you are likely to be stopped later in the day when the police set up around the loop.
How many times will you have to pay the fine if you are stopped more than once?
Full disclosure, the following advice is not the law – it is simply what we see occurring in practice. When you are pulled over and fined, the police will either issue you a receipt showing that you have paid the fine OR they will take a photo of you and your passport/license. If you are pulled over a second time, simply show your passport or receipt to the second officer and they will run it in their system showing that you have already paid the fine once. They will then let you continue on your way. However, as mentioned, this is not the law; it is simply what is happening in practice and if you argue or cause issues, they have the right to fine you a second time.
Can I drive a 50cc bike so that I legally don’t need a license?
It is true that in Vietnam you do not need a license to drive a 50cc motorbike. This is a great option to get around the city! However, if you try to use this type of bike to tackle the loop you will likely be stopped – not by the police, but by the bike’s inability to make it up the first mountain climb.
In summary, if you choose to drive the Ha Giang loop without a license, please be aware of the risks and carry cash to pay the fine 🙂
Beyond the legal considerations, take a look at this article with some other considerations to think about prior to self-driving: Should I self-drive the Ha Giang Loop?