{"id":3648,"date":"2026-07-05T18:41:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=3648"},"modified":"2026-07-05T18:58:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-05T09:58:45","slug":"license-exchange-visa","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/license-exchange-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"Drive on a 90-day visa\u2014Vietnam's license conversion opens its doors to business travelers too"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In Vietnam, a Japanese driver\u2019s license cannot be used as is, and the international permit issued in Japan is invalid too. From July 1, 2026, a hole was opened in this \u201cdriving wall.\u201d Under Circular 108\/2026\/TT-BCA (hereafter Circular 108), promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security on June 29,<strong>Foreigners holding a visa valid for 90 days or more can convert their home-country license to a Vietnamese one<\/strong>because the text of the law made it clear. The conversion scheme, until now effectively \"for expatriates holding a residence card,\" opens up to medium-term business travelers and those just posted here. Since it directly affects the mobility of Japanese living in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and those about to be posted, we have laid it out based on the text of the law.<\/p>\n<h2>What Circular 108 decided\u2014effective July 1, 2026<\/h2>\n<p>Circular 108 is the Ministry of Public Security's new rule governing driving-test administration, license issuance, and the issuance and use of international driving permits, replacing the previous Circular 12\/2025\/TT-BCA. On a brisk schedule - promulgated June 29, 2026 and effective July 1 - local legal-information sites ran a stream of article-by-article commentary from before and after enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The core point for foreigners is<strong>Article 24<\/strong>. It provides that, among foreigners staying, working, or studying in Vietnam, those holding a diplomatic or official ID, a visa or residence card valid for 90 days or more, or a valid permanent residence card may convert their home country's national license, while it is still valid, into a Vietnamese license of the corresponding class.<\/p>\n<p>Along with it, changes have been made on the Vietnamese-national side too: if you renew within 30 days of a license lapsing, no retake of the theory test is required (previously, a lapse triggered a retest); ID photos are standardized to a white background at 3\u00d74 cm; and only those who pass the theory test proceed to the practical test.<\/p>\n<h2>No more \"waiting for a residence card\" - the difference from the old rules<\/h2>\n<p>Under the previous Circular 12\/2025, the conversion requirement for foreigners hinged on \u201ca residence-permit document valid for three months or more.\u201d In practice the common flow was to wait until obtaining a temporary residence card (TRC) before applying, tending to create a gap in which there was effectively no means of driving for the first few months after arriving on assignment.<\/p>\n<p>Circular 108 adds, to this documentation requirement,<strong>A visa valid for 90 days or more<\/strong>made explicit. A path has opened to apply for the switch at the work-visa or business-visa stage, without waiting for the residence card to be issued\u2014this is the biggest significance of this change.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>The old Circular 12\/2025<\/th>\n<th>New Circular 108\/2026<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Documentation requirements on the residency side<\/td>\n<td>A residence permit document valid for three months or more (the residence card is the mainstay in practice)<\/td>\n<td>Diplomatic\/official ID \/ a visa or residence card valid for 90 days or more \/ a valid permanent residence card<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Licenses eligible for conversion<\/td>\n<td>A foreign national license within its validity period<\/td>\n<td>Same as left<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What cannot be converted<\/td>\n<td>Learner's permits, international permits, expired or damaged licenses, and the like<\/td>\n<td>Same as left<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee<\/td>\n<td>135,000 dong (about 810 yen)<\/td>\n<td>115,000 dong (about 690 yen) * a reduction from 2026; the basis is a separate circular, 154\/2025\/TT-BTC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>What to watch is the validity period of the Vietnamese license issued. Article 24 sets the license term to match the remaining period of the visa, residence card, or permanent residence card, and within a range not exceeding the validity of the original foreign license or the statutory maximum for the Vietnamese license. Convert on a short visa, and the license can only be used within that range. Whether to re-convert at each visa renewal or to handle it all after obtaining a residence card needs to be considered against your stay plan.<\/p>\n<h2>Documents, cost, and days needed for conversion<\/h2>\n<p>The documents to submit under Article 24 are the following set of three.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A copy of your home-country license, with a notarized translation via a Vietnamese competent authority or the embassy-in-Vietnam route attached<\/li>\n<li>A health certificate (electronic data in principle; paper allowed during system outages)<\/li>\n<li>A copy or electronic copy of a document showing residence status (a visa, residence card, permanent residence card, or diplomatic\/official ID)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Applications can be submitted both online via the National Public Service Portal and in person at a counter. The processing period, per the circular,<strong>2.5 business days<\/strong>, and the fee was lowered from 2026 to 115,000 dong (about 690 yen, at about 60 yen to 10,000 dong).<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, the cases that cannot be converted are also clearly written into the text. Foreign provisional licenses, international driving permits (IDPs), expired licenses, licenses whose information can't be read due to tampering or damage, and licenses issued by an unauthorized body are excluded. For a Japanese license, it presupposes the physical card is within its valid period; you can't apply with a license that lapsed because you forgot to renew it.<\/p>\n<p>The practical bottleneck tends to be notarization of the translation. A Japanese license can\u2019t be reviewed as is, so it\u2019s reassuring to allow a few days to obtain a notarized translation. Also, operational details \u2014 such as whether the original Japanese license only needs to be shown at the counter or must be handed over during the process \u2014 can\u2019t be read from the text, so confirm at the counter where you apply.<\/p>\n<h2>Why a Japanese international driving permit doesn't work in Vietnam<\/h2>\n<p>You might be tempted to think \"I'll just get an international permit and drive,\" but a Japan-issued international permit is invalid in Vietnam. An international permit works only between countries party to the same treaty: Japan belongs to the 1949 Geneva Convention, while Vietnam belongs to the 1968 Vienna Convention. Because the two countries are not in the same treaty, a Japanese international permit has no effect in Vietnam, and a Vietnamese one has none in Japan.<\/p>\n<p>Circular 108 also clearly excludes international driving permits from the switch. In other words, the ways to legally ride a motorbike or drive a car in Vietnam are effectively two: \"switching to a Vietnamese license\" or \"obtaining one new in Vietnam.\" Driving without a license is subject to enforcement and also carries the risk of an insurance payout being refused in an accident. The situation where the rental motorbikes travelers casually borrow are legally out of bounds doesn't change even after this revision.<\/p>\n<h2>How local media and legal practitioners took it<\/h2>\n<p>The high level of local interest shows directly in the volume of coverage.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Major news sites like Soha, CafeF, and Kenh14 reported it all at once under strong headlines like 'the Ministry of Public Security's latest rule that all citizens should note,' and it was widely shared as everyday information around the time it took effect.<\/li>\n<li>Legal-information sites such as ThuVienPhapLuat and LuatVietnam published a run of clause-by-clause explainers, including Article 24, within days of promulgation. Articles laying out the changes to foreigners' conversion requirements point by point lined up.<\/li>\n<li>English-language state-affiliated media led with the easing that \"no theory retest is required within 30 days of a lapse,\" taking the line that it's good news for drivers prone to forgetting renewals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What residents and business travelers should think about now<\/h2>\n<p>We think the change has the biggest impact on the following three types of readers.<\/p>\n<h3>Newly posted expats \u2014 the 'license gap period' shrinks<\/h3>\n<p>Previously you couldn't start the conversion until your residence card arrived, and it was common to rely on ride-hailing apps for the first few months of a posting. Being able to apply at the work-visa stage can greatly shrink that gap.<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/vietnam-vneid-immigration\/\">Immigration procedures were consolidated into the VNeID app from June<\/a>Viewed together with this flow, the whole set of early-posting procedures is moving toward \"you can get started sooner.\"<\/p>\n<h3>Medium-term business travelers \u2014 the meaning of a 90-day visa changes<\/h3>\n<p>For business travelers entering Vietnam in three-month stints, driving themselves had never been a realistic option. With conversion now possible on a visa valid for 90 days or more, the design of 'travel-heavy trips' \u2014 like daily commutes to industrial parks \u2014 could change. However, since the text says only 'a visa valid for 90 days or more,' how an exactly-90-day e-visa is handled in practice is unclear, so it's safer to check counter practice before acting. The fact that the license's validity is bound to the visa's remaining period also affects the timing of conversion.<\/p>\n<h3>Travelers \u2014 still not covered this time<\/h3>\n<p>Japanese entering under the 45-day visa exemption or on a short-term tourist stay don't meet the 90-days-or-more requirement. Let's be clear: this doesn't mean riding a motorbike on a trip has become legal.<\/p>\n<p>Note that Vietnam's administrative procedures are now<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/vietnam-vehicle-inspection\/\">Vehicle inspection completed within VNeID<\/a>and<a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/vietnam-tech-visa\/\">The new UD1 visa valid for up to 5 years<\/a>, and the like\u2014it is a phase where digitization and wider acceptance of long-term residents are advancing at the same time. The easing of license conversion also makes sense read as part of this larger trend.<\/p>\n<h2>Summary\u2014a pre-assignment \/ pre-business-trip checklist<\/h2>\n<p>For those considering a conversion, here's the practical information in a table.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Details<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Effective date<\/td>\n<td>July 1, 2026 (Circular 108\/2026\/TT-BCA)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eligible<\/td>\n<td>Foreigners holding any of a visa or residence card valid for 90 days or more, a permanent residence card, or a diplomatic or official ID<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Licenses eligible for conversion<\/td>\n<td>A valid foreign national license (including a Japanese driver's license)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>What cannot be converted<\/td>\n<td>International driving permit (IDP), provisional license, expired or damaged license<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Required documents<\/td>\n<td>A copy of the license plus a notarized translation, a health certificate (electronic), and a copy of your residency-status documents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>How to apply<\/td>\n<td>National Public Service Portal (online) or a counter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee<\/td>\n<td>115,000 dong (about 690 yen)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Processing time<\/td>\n<td>2.5 business days per the circular (preparing the notarized translation is separate)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>The license's expiration date<\/td>\n<td>Tied to the remaining period of the visa or residence card (capped by the original license\u2019s validity and the statutory maximum)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>There are three next actions: (1) check the expiration of the Japanese license you hold (if it has lapsed, you can't convert); (2) confirm your posting or business-trip visa type and remaining period; and (3) find a place locally to arrange a notarized translation. Since counter practice may not be settled right after the rule takes effect, we recommend following the accounts of people who have actually applied and checking any unclear points directly with the office where you apply.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/soha.vn\/tat-ca-nguoi-dan-chu-y-quy-dinh-moi-nhat-cua-bo-cong-an-ve-cap-giay-phep-lai-xe-198260703113243052.htm\">Soha\u300cT\u1ea5t c\u1ea3 ng\u01b0\u1eddi d\u00e2n ch\u00fa \u00fd quy \u0111\u1ecbnh m\u1edbi nh\u1ea5t c\u1ee7a B\u1ed9 C\u00f4ng an v\u1ec1 c\u1ea5p Gi\u1ea5y ph\u00e9p l\u00e1i xe\u300d<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/luatvietnam.vn\/giao-thong\/thong-tu-108-2026-tt-bca-quy-dinh-sat-hach-cap-giay-phep-lai-xe-va-giay-phep-lai-xe-quoc-te-438989-d1.html\">LuatVietnam: Circular 108\/2026\/TT-BCA text page<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thuvienphapluat.vn\/van-ban\/Giao-thong-Van-tai\/Thong-tu-108-2026-TT-BCA-sat-hach-cap-giay-phep-lai-xe-704772.aspx\">ThuVienPhapLuat: Circular 108\/2026\/TT-BCA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vietnamlawmagazine.vn\/how-to-convert-foreign-driver-licenses-for-use-in-vietnam-73948.html\">Vietnam Law Magazine \"How to convert foreign driver licenses for use in Vietnam\" (commentary on the old Circular 12\/2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/luatvietnam.vn\/le-phi\/le-phi-cap-doi-giay-phep-lai-xe-may-o-to-tu-nam-2026-nhu-the-nao-675-106379-article.html\">LuatVietnam: 2026 license issuance and conversion fees (Circular 154\/2025\/TT-BTC)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/joh-abroad.jp\/%E3%83%99%E3%83%88%E3%83%8A%E3%83%A0%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E9%81%8B%E8%BB%A2%E5%85%8D%E8%A8%B1%E3%82%92%E5%88%87%E3%82%8A%E6%9B%BF%E3%81%88\/\">Joh Abroad: The difference between the Geneva and Vienna conventions (why Japanese and Vietnamese international permits are mutually invalid)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u3067\u306f\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u904b\u8ee2\u514d\u8a31\u8a3c\u304c\u305d\u306e\u307e\u307e\u3067\u306f\u4f7f\u3048\u305a\u3001\u65e5\u672c\u3067\u767a\u884c\u3055\u308c\u308b\u56fd\u969b\u514d\u8a31\u3082\u7121\u52b9\u3067\u3059\u3002\u3053\u306e\u300c\u904b\u8ee2\u306e\u58c1\u300d\u306b\u300120 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_description":"2026\u5e747\u6708\u65bd\u884c\u306e\u901a\u9054108\u53f7\u3067\u300190\u65e5\u4ee5\u4e0a\u6709\u52b9\u306a\u30d3\u30b6\u304c\u3042\u308c\u3070\u65e5\u672c\u306e\u514d\u8a31\u3092\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u514d\u8a31\u306b\u5207\u66ff\u53ef\u80fd\u306b\u3002\u5fc5\u8981\u66f8\u985e\u30fb\u624b\u6570\u6599\u30fb\u56fd\u969b\u514d\u8a31\u304c\u4f7f\u3048\u306a\u3044\u7406\u7531\u307e\u3067\u5728\u4f4f\u8005\u30fb\u51fa\u5f35\u8005\u5411\u3051\u306b\u6574\u7406\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002","ssp_meta_keyword":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19,427],"tags":[550,597,616,615,617],"purpose":[],"keyword":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-3648","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","category-news","category-transport","tag-550","tag-597","tag-616","tag-615","tag-617"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3648"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3665,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3648\/revisions\/3665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3648"},{"taxonomy":"purpose","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purpose?post=3648"},{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=3648"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=3648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}