Job Discussion Forums

[BenE]

I'm wondering how possible it is to actually drive a car in Vietnam.
I'm planning on staying for a good 12 months and I am aware that you need to go through some paperwork with notorised documents etc. to get a drivering license.

Can you buy second hand cars around the place from people or do they simply not sell them? Is it also possible to hire a car in Vietnam without the driver?

Once I'm here I'm hoping to be able to do some whitewater kayaking at some point with friends coming over from the UK (we will need to transport kit) and I'm not keen on balancing one on a moped and heading for the hills.

[skarper]

To get a licence you need a work permit. Then you surrender your driving licence and get a Vietnamese version. Paperwork is a hassle but there is no test, AFAIK.

Few people bother to do this and most do not drive a car here.

Cars are also extremely expensive because of an import duty. This effects the 2nd hand market too.

You can hire a car, with or without a driver and I'd say it's possible to drive it 'illegally' but you might need to pay off the cops every so often.

I considered driving here - cos I like the idea and the independence - but I think I would hire a car and a driver for any trips that a motorbike would not be convenient.

This is what I gleaned from the newhanoian site and so if another person knows different I would be interested to find out.

Motorbikes actually need licences too - in theory - but in practice no-one seems to bother. The police leave foreigners on motorbikes alone AFAIK, but in a car I think we'd stand out too much. Locals in cars get shaken down every week or two, cos they are seen as 'rich'. And most car owners are!

[spycatcher reincarnated]

[BenE]

hmm sounds tricky but not impossible. I guess it will have to be something to aspire to. I'm not keen on riding a motorbike around Hanoi. (I was never great on 2 wheels and have scars to prove it. Not a great start for Vietnam) Do you ever see those quad bikes on the streets over there. I'd be happy riding one of them.

[willow53]

There are a whole series of steps to take if you want to drive legally in Vietnam. If you already have a license from your home country, and you live in Ho Chi Minh City, you can follow the below information:

(my friend gave me this information, which I followed. It worked for both of us, though the prices were strangely slightly lower when I went)

License center address:
63 Ly Tu Trong, District 1, Directly behind the Hotel De Ville:
When I went to the office which deals with automobile/motorbike licenses there was a Vietnamese American there who was also transferring his US license. According to him, if you get your driver�s license transferred to a VN driver�s license, you do not need to take the written test. However, if you transfer your license to just a motorbike license, then you must take the written test. Therefore, it makes sense to transfer your license into a VN driver�s license and then you will be legal to drive both kinds of vehicles, as a driver�s license also allows you to drive a motorbike.

This is what�s required:
�Passport photos: two 3X4, and six 2X3.
�Two translations of your home country�s driver�s license (see below)
�The license transfer application form (available at the license center) which must be completed and then stamped at your country�s embassy or consulate (see below)
�100,000 dong: 70,000 dong application fee, and 30,000 dong for the medical check
�Medical check done at licensing center
�Motorbike driving test
�Copies of passport, entry date and visa

Office for doing Translation:
47 Le Duan Street, District 1 (northeast of Diamond Plaza on the opposite side of Le Duan).

The office which does translation is located in a colonial style building. I believe they also handle things related to work permits. After you enter the gate, walk toward the security podium. The translation center is left of security.

English is not written anywhere at this office. If you have any questions, the clerk at counter #1 should be able to answer them. However, it�s pretty straight forward if you follow the steps below.

When you go in to have your license translated you need to do two things. First, go to the far left of the room to get two copies of your driver�s license. This will cost a total of 1,000 dong. Next, take your copies to window number 1 at the far right of the room. You do not need to take a number. Give the clerk your license, the two copies of your license and 55,000 dong. The translation takes about 4 business days. You must go back to this office to pick it up.

Once you have completed your license transfer application you need to take it to your country�s embassy or consulate to get it notarized. I went to the US consulate on Le Duan Street. They were able to do it on the spot. They charge $30 which must be paid in US dollars.

When all of the above are gathered take the following to the driver�s license center:
-notarized application
-2 copies of driver�s license
-6 photos
-photo copy of passport, visa and entry date
-30,000 dong for medical check
-70,000 dong for license
Go to the counter on the far right and submit all of the above documents. You will then do a medical check at the license center which consists of an eye test, height and weight measurements, and pulse check.
Following that, you will be given an appointment for the driving test. My driving test was scheduled for Saturday at 9:00 a.m., 4 days after submitting the above documents. I was told to bring my passport and original (US) driver�s license.

[ajc19810]

Oh no!

http://thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=44659

FINES FOR TRAFFIC LAW INFRINGEMENTS

Motorcyclists

- Not wearing a crash helmet or not wearing a helmet properly: VND100,000-200,000 (US$5.9-11. - Running red lights: VND100,000- 200,000

- Speeding by between 10-20 kph: VND200,000-300,000 ($11.8-17.7) - Speeding by more than 20 kph or exceeding allowed alcohol levels: VND400,000-800,000 ($23.5-47)

Motorists:

- Not wearing a seatbelt (in front seats): VND40,000-60,000 ($2.35-3.5)

- Changing lanes without signaling or illegal parking: VND100,000-200,000

- Speeding by between 10-20 kph: VND600,000-1,000,000 ($35-59)

- Speeding by between 20-35 kph: VND1,000,000-3,000,000 ($59-177)

- Speeding by more than 35 kph: VND3,000,000-5,000,000 ($177-294)