An IDP in Vietnam shouldn’t cause a headache
We frequently get a lot of questions from our customer regarding licences in Vietnam, which one is valid and which one is not. We have a full article dedicated to explaining the licence situation in Vietnam you can refer to here:
What driving licenses are valid to drive in Vietnam?
and another one explaining solely what has changed in 2025 for Expats here:
Understanding how critical the situation can be sometimes, no one wants to be refused from riding their favorite motorbikes on their long awaited holiday. Or worse, getting hassled for not having an IDP which most of us don’t. We have a solution for that through this service here: International Drivers Association
We recommend them as an agent that help you get an IDP through your regular driving licence. It’s very quick & simple, also does not cost an arm and a leg to apply for an IDP with them. We have already proven the effectiveness of these IDP. However, note that it must be the printed version only, not a digital.
One common issue that you might run into when trying to apply with them is that it might show “Not Accepted” status for Vietnam when you choose where your original licence was issued. The system indicates “not accepted” because the IDP from Australia is the 1949 version, while Vietnam requires the 1968. In our experience, the IDP 1949 has been widely accepted by traffic police throughout most of the country. One exception is the popular northern destination of Ha Giang where police charges a “ticket” for rider with the wrong license.
Regardless of this, you can still click Apply. And it should proceed to the next page as per usual. 
You can fill out all of your information as requested by IDA. Keep in mind to chose the option for a print + digital copy in order for it to work in Vietnam. Local traffic police will not accept a digital copy.
And your original licence have to accompany the printed IDP in order for everything to work.
It does cost a little bit more, but better get it right from the start than saving a few bucks and it ends up doesn’t work at all.
![[Driving Licenses] What is actually changing for Expats in Vietnam driving motorbikes From 01/01/2025?](https://theextramile.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Driving-license-180x125.jpg)
