Regulations on exchanging foreign driver's licenses in Vietnam that foreigners should know

1. Procedures for exchanging foreign driver's licenses for use in Vietnam

According to Clause 10 Article 33 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT, foreigners or Vietnamese residing abroad who need to drive in Vietnam must follow these steps:

- If you have a national driver's license, you must proceed to exchange it for the corresponding Vietnamese driver's license;

- In case there are international conventions on driver's licenses of which Vietnam is a member with different regulations, the provisions of that international convention shall apply.

The procedures for exchanging foreign driver's licenses as stipulated in Article 41 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT (amended by Circular 38/2019/TT-BGTVT) are as follows:

* Prepare documents:

Drivers must prepare a set of documents, including:

- Application for driver's license exchange:

+ For Vietnamese nationals according to the form prescribed in Appendix 19 issued with Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT;

+ For foreigners according to the form prescribed in Appendix 20 issued with Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT.

- A translation of the foreign driver's license into Vietnamese certified for translation quality by a Notary Public or the Embassy, Consulate in Vietnam where the translator works, seals it with a duplicate of the driver's license.

For Vietnamese nationals, present a legalized consular document of the driver's license or foreign driver's license in accordance with the law on consular certification, consular legalization, except for cases exempted as prescribed by law.

- Passport copy (passport number, full name and photo of the person issued, period of use and page of entry into Vietnam), identity card or citizen identity card, diplomatic or official note issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a copy of residence card, residence permit, temporary residence card, long-term residency verification document in Vietnam for foreigners.

If there are suspicions, the licensing authority shall request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security, the Immigration Management Office under the provincial police department or the centrally-run city to verify.

When proceeding to exchange driver's licenses, drivers must take a photo directly at the licensing authority and present the original documents mentioned above (except for ones already submitted) for cross-checking.

* Submit documents:submit directly to the Vietnam Road Administration or the Department of Transport (where registered residence, residence, temporary residence or long-term residency is established).

2. Foreigners eligible for exchanging driver's licenses

* Foreigners eligible for exchanging driver's licenses

- Foreigners residing, working, studying in Vietnam, with diplomatic identity card, official identity card, temporary residence card, residence card, long-term residence card valid for 03 months or more, with a valid national driver's license, if there is a need to drive in Vietnam, can exchange it for a corresponding Vietnamese driver's license;

- Vietnamese citizens (holding Vietnamese citizenship) during their stay, study, work abroad, who are issued a national driver's license by a foreign country with a valid period, if they have a need to drive in Vietnam, can exchange it for a corresponding Vietnamese driver's license.

* Note:Do not exchange driver's licenses for the following cases:

- Temporary foreign driver's licenses;

- International driver's licenses;

- Foreign military or police driver's licenses expired according to regulations, deleted, torn apart without sufficient necessary elements to exchange driver's licenses or differences in identification;

- Foreign driver's licenses not issued by the competent authority;

- Vietnamese citizens with foreign driver's licenses staying abroad for less than 03 months and the residence period is not suitable for the training period for the driver's license issued by the country.

- Individuals do not meet health standards as prescribed.

* Validity of exchanged Vietnamese driver's licenses for foreigners

The validity period of Vietnamese driver's licenses exchanged for foreigners shall be in accordance with the validity period stated in the entry visa or temporary residence card, in line with the validity period of the foreign driver's license but not exceeding the period stipulated for Vietnamese driver's licenses.

(Clause 5, 6, 7 Article 37 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT (amended by Circular 38/2019/TT-BGTVT)