Vehicles brought into Vietnam by foreign tourists allowed to stay for 45 days: decree

Road motorized vehicles registered abroad and brought into Vietnam by foreign travelers must meet conditions to join the traffic in the country for a maximum 45 days, as per a government decree that took effect on May 1.

These conditions are provided in Decree No. 30/2024/ND-CP of the government regulating the management of road motorized vehicles registered abroad and brought by foreign travelers into Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Under the decree, foreign tourists wishing to bring such vehicles into Vietnam must have a Vietnamese international travel service provider carry out all necessary procedures to obtain written approval from the ministry.

Accordingly, the aforementioned service provider must submit to the ministry an application for such approval, attached with a list of vehicle drivers, and a copy of the provider’s business license if it applies for approval for the first time.

Within five business days from the receipt of a completed application, the ministry is required to issue a notice in response to the applicant stating its approval or disapproval.

In case of approval, the ministry will send the approval document to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Transport; the Ministry of National Defense; and the Ministry of Finance.

The ministry will also send the document to the people’s committees of relevant centrally-run provinces and cities for coordination in management.

Conditions for vehicles 

Foreign road motorized vehicles brought into Vietnam must be passenger cars with right- or left-hand drive and nine seats or less, caravans or motorbikes. 

Such a vehicle must have a valid vehicle registration certificate and a vehicle number plate granted by a competent authority of the country where the vehicle has been registered.

Automobiles must have a valid certificate confirming their compliance with technical safety and environmental standards, issued by an authorized body in their country of registration.

For right-hand drive automobiles, they must be accompanied by a note from a diplomatic mission, consular office, or representative office of an intergovernmental international organization in Vietnam, outlining the justification for their participation in the country's traffic.

Before entering Vietnam, all road motorized vehicles must undergo customs procedures for temporary import for re-export according to prevailing customs regulations at the border gates of entry and exit.

Vehicles qualified for being brought into Vietnam are allowed to operate in Vietnam for no more than 45 days.

In case of a force majeure event, such vehicles may stay in the country for no more than 10 additional days, subject to some procedures. 

Requirements for drivers

Drivers of road motorized vehicles with foreign license plates in Vietnam must be foreigners who go through entry and exit procedures in accordance with the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

They are required to have a valid passport or international travel documents along with a valid visa, except for visa exemption cases, or a valid document for residing in Vietnam, according to the decree. 

For those entering the country under unilateral visa exemption, their passport must remain valid for at least six months.

If using an e-visa, foreigners are required to enter Vietnam via international border gates designated by the Vietnamese government.

Foreign drivers must have a valid foreign-issued driver’s license that is appropriate to the type of the vehicle they drive.

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