Job Discussion Forums

[ragazzo gallese]

I have a full UK car driving licence, but not a Vietnamese licence or an international permit.

I have found it nigh on impossible to get accurate information about the legality of driving a 125 or under bike in Vietnam.

I have heard the following advice:

A. You need a proper VN driving licence.
B. You need to get your UK licence translated.
C. You just need to carry a 200k note with you as a 'get out of jail card'.

Option C seems dodgy. Could someone advise me definitively as to whether I should pursue option A or B, and how to go about it.

Many thanks.

[deadlift]

To be 100% legal, you need to have VN license, which involves getting your home country license translated and taking a pointless driving test. If you have a motorbike license, you don't need to take the test.

In addition to worrying about legality, you should consider insurance. If you have an accident while driving without a license, your insurance is unlikely to cover you.

Furthermore, if you injure someone else or cause damage to their property, you're going to be even more accountable (you will be regardless, as a foreigner, but without a license it will be that much easier to pin it all on you).

[LettersAthruZ]

Technically, A) is the correct answer......and allegedly, it consists of showing a work/residency permit, doing two "figure-8's" and leaving a tip and you're good to go....just be prepared for the dreaded "NN" plates if you buy a scooter brand new.

It is what I have been told by fellow Tay here that regardless of their possessing a Class M license issued from their home nations, they still were required to so the two figure 8's to get the VN motorbike license.

Although option C) works just as well, as long as you do not attempt to speak ANY tiếng Việt whatsoever and have a vacant stare on your face and keep blubbering over and over - "Whaaa...? Whaaa I do? I don't understand? I don't speak Vietnamese" and usually they'll roll their eyes and wave you on (unless, obviously, it's an accident scene that you were involved in or something).....

Insurance is critical....not only because IT IS THE LAW here, but it's also common sense, and at a whopping 90,000VND per year, I don't think it's gonna break the bank.

[Jbhughes]

I agree with what the other posters have said.

Further information on Option A, from what I can recall a fellow teaching doing to get theirs:

-Home license (the international driving license part - source of confusion for me) needs to be translated and the translation notarised.
-You need to go to the hospital and get the -correct- health check done. The one I've seen (and have done*) was very basic and pretty cheap - less than 50k, I think. This will take some passport photos (get a million of these, you'll need them later.)
-You'll need to get your passport translated and notarised and your visa photocopied and notarised.

W.r.t. Work Permit / Residency cards - the person who got the license had a B3 6 Month Visa, as did I when I got mine*. I THINK they/we* had to go to the local ward police with someone from our work, get a form and get our employer to sign this - my memory is hazy, but I believe this was done to prove our residency, and could be peculiar to our cases*, the officer on duty when dealing with any of the relevant authorities or perhaps even their choice of underwear on that day, who knows.

Take all this lot and anything else I've forgotten to the license office and fill out their application form. You will need to include about 12 passport photos with the application. They will give you your 'practical test' date. Come back on that date, go around the 8 twice, along the slalom and over the bumps to your awaiting license! Maybe 'awaiting' was the wrong word - you'll need to wait a few more weeks before the license is ready to be picked up.


*As I didn't have an international driving license in VN, I got my VN driving license by including the Vietnamese theory test and thus not needing to produce an international driving license. It is possible to do this with only a rudimentary knowledge of VNese, although will require studying the 100 questions extensively and a good amount of time spent memorising
At the time of applying, I had found some information on the internet that said there were, at that time (2009), tests available that had been translated into English for foreigners in the same case as mine. These weren't offered in my province or the local one, so I didn't take them - however, those in SG may be able to take such tests.


Final observation - I have never, ever had my VNese driving license looked at by the cops. I only once used it as I.D. in a hospital because I had forgotten my passport. In fact, I've almost WANTED the bacon to pull me over just once so I can watch them peer all over it incredulously (ok, they might not be incredulous ). Still, I'm glad I've got it.

[haller_79]

I consider myself a somewhat cautious person, but worrying about having a license in VN? Puleeeaaaase.

[ragazzo gallese]

Thanks for the input so far. I know I'm being a nervous Nellie, but paying off the police is not my biggest worry; the worry is that unless I'm licensed, I won't get insurance, and BUPA won't pay out if I land on my head.

The situation is that I have a full, new-style UK licence (but no international permit) and a two year Vietnam work permit and residency permit.

The translation lady in work agreed to translate my licence for me, and to help me out with the other forms.

So, just to clarify, once she has translated it, do I go along with my UK licence, translation, work permit, residency permit and a fist-full of passport photos to the driving centre then book a Mickey Mouse test?

[bludevil96]

A. You need a proper VN driving licence.
B. You need to get your UK licence translated.
C. You just need to carry a 200k note with you as a 'get out of jail card'.

A. YES
B. YES-You need this in order to transfer your license into VNamese.
C. Maybe - Works most of the time - esp. if you didn't break any laws. Warning: be discreet when handling it over. Definitely works before/after TET.

Vietnam DOES NOT recognize the International Driver's license. Bring your translated copy of passport & license along w/work permit/residency permit. The place is on Ly Ching Thang, near the roundabout of CMT8/Vo Thi Sau/3-2 St. I think the number is 250 LCT. I've done it with my car license. However, it does expire w/your given expiration date of the actual license. The fee for this is 30,000 vnd if I remember correctly. For a motorbike, I'm not really sure since I didn't have one in the States and so I used a service. It costs me $125. It's guaranteed to pass but you have to show up to drive and pretend to push the right answers But, it is a legitimate license and has no expiration date. It's a peace of mind that i'm willing to pay for.

The insurance is 65-70K vnd and 85-90 w/passenger.

With a bike, you are only allowed to drive on the right side of the lane or the far right lane if there are more than one lane. Don't be an idiot and drive in the middle or left lane and then pretend you're innocent when they pull you over. It's their laws and it applies to everyone. Some foreigners think that the cops are just after them for no reason but bribes or bc they have a Vnamese woman on the back (get over your self). The opposite holds true. From my humble observation, most foreigners here abuses traffic laws simply bc they realized that there is a hands off policy or pretend to play stupid. When it comes to foreigners, unless it's a really egregious violation, you're not going to be pulled over (Tet is an exception). Sooner or later they will be able to speak English since their kids are learning it. Sooner or later, you'll piss them off enough where they'll tag on a bunch of violations and impound your bike/car. It'll cost 500K just to get your license/bike returned after 30 days. I think it's about 12mil for the car.

[Beautiful Loser]

Here's the official route on getting your Vietnamese license and a link to an article about expats on the roads of Vietnam.

License: http://sgtvt.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/web/tintuc/default.aspx?cat_id=592&news_id=4501#content

Expats: http://vietnam.com/article/expats-play-sneaky-on-traffic-cops.html

[ragazzo gallese]

Thanks ever so much for the great advice. It's now a case of getting my passport and driver's licence translated.

However, I showed them to the translations lady in work today, and she was like, 'What bit do I translate?' and I was like, 'Umm, I don't know, I've never had it translated before.'

Does anyone have the contact details for a translation company in HCMC which is used to translating foreigner's documents?

One more thing, do I need to get the translations notarised? (I hope not!)

Thanks again.

[bludevil96]