Renting a motorbike in Vietnam

• · Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. An IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention is a different document, and the two are not interchangeable.
• · Which one you hold depends on which convention your country issues under — not on what the rental shop tells you. Establish that with your own licensing authority before you travel, and confirm the current requirement with the Vietnamese authorities or your embassy.
• · Your permit also has to cover the class of vehicle. A car entitlement does not cover a motorbike, and engine size matters: many travellers are riding something their licence at home would not permit either.
• · EddyTrip does not tell you whether your licence is valid here. It is a legal question, the answer differs by nationality and changes by decree, and being wrong about it in your favour is how a collision becomes a bill your family pays.
• · A rental shop handing you keys is not a legal opinion. Most will rent to anybody with a passport, and that is a commercial decision, not a licensing one.

Before you ride away

Five minutes here saves an argument at the end of the week.

Photograph the bike from every side

Every existing scratch, dent and cracked panel, with the shop present, before you take the keys. Disputes about damage that was already there are the most common way a cheap rental stops being cheap.

Test the brakes and lights before you leave the shop

Front and rear brakes separately, indicators, headlight, horn. If the shop will not wait for you to check, that tells you what their maintenance is like.

Take a helmet that fits and fasten it

Helmets are compulsory in Vietnam for both rider and passenger. The one thrown in with the bike is often the cheapest thing in the shop; if it moves when you shake your head, ask for another.

Check what happens if it breaks down

Get a phone number and ask what they do if the bike fails an hour outside town. A shop with no answer is a shop that expects you to solve it yourself.

Agree the fuel and return terms in writing

What state it comes back in, what a late return costs, and what happens if it rains and you keep it another day. A message on your phone is enough — it is the absence of any record that causes the problem.

Never leave your passport

Many shops ask for a passport as security. Your passport is not yours to hand over as collateral — it is a travel document, you are generally required to be able to produce it, and losing access to it turns a rental dispute into an embassy visit.

Offer a cash deposit, a photocopy, or a photo of the data page instead. Plenty of shops accept one of the three. If a shop insists on holding the original and nothing else will do, that is a good reason to walk to the next shop.

If you have already handed one over and want it back, ask calmly and in person, and take somebody from your accommodation with you if the shop is difficult.

Częste pytania

Do I need a licence to rent a motorbike in Vietnam?

To ride legally, yes. Vietnam recognises International Driving Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and an IDP issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention is a different document that is not interchangeable with it. Which one your country issues determines what you hold, so check with your own licensing authority and confirm the current requirement with the Vietnamese authorities before you travel. Many rental shops will hand keys to anyone with a passport, but that is a commercial decision and not a licensing one.

What happens to my travel insurance if I ride without a valid licence?

Most travel insurance policies exclude injuries sustained while riding a motorcycle without a licence valid in the country you are in, and many require the correct vehicle class as well. That means an accident could leave you paying for treatment and any medical transport yourself. Read your policy's exclusions before you rent, not after — the terms differ by insurer and EddyTrip cannot judge yours for you.

Should I leave my passport as a deposit?

No. A passport is a travel document rather than collateral, you are generally expected to be able to produce it, and losing access to it turns a rental disagreement into an embassy problem. Offer a cash deposit, a photocopy or a photo of the data page instead — many shops accept one of those, and a shop that will take nothing else is a reason to try the next one.

Are helmets compulsory in Vietnam?

Yes, for both the rider and the passenger. The helmet supplied with a rental is often the cheapest item in the shop, so check that it fits and fastens properly and ask for a different one if it moves when you shake your head.

What should I check before riding away?

Photograph the bike from every side with the shop present so pre-existing damage is on record, test both brakes and all the lights before you leave, confirm the helmet fits, get a phone number for breakdowns, and agree the fuel and return terms in a message you can show later. Five minutes of this prevents most end-of-rental disputes.

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