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Driving in Vietnam for the first time since 2025, you do not need to learn the whole law, just the few changes that affect your trip.
Vietnam updated its road rules at the start of 2025, and it helps to know the basics before you travel. This friendly overview explains the legal framework, the main changes and simple habits that keep a trip relaxed.
Photo: Evening traffic on a city road by Ngô Trung, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (36/2024/QH15) was passed on 27 June 2024 and took effect on 1 January 2025. Decree 168/2024/ND-CP of 26 December 2024 sets out administrative penalties and licence-point deductions, in 4 chapters and 55 articles, effective the same day.
Follow the signs, keep a comfortable distance, use rest areas for breaks and keep your documents handy. If you prefer not to learn every detail, a chauffeured car lets you enjoy the scenery while an experienced driver handles the rules. Our reference table is a good next read.
Tip from Car Rental Vietnam: If you are driving yourself, keep your licence and the vehicle papers in one fixed place in the car, so you are not searching for them at a checkpoint.
On 1 January 2025.
Twelve.
See the sources below.
Please check the official text for your own case.
Rather leave the road rules to someone else? Send your pickup point, group size and dates; quotes include the driver's wage and road tolls, and our team confirms everything with you before you book.
Carry your valid licence and passport, keep the rental papers in the car and know the emergency numbers: 113 for police, 114 for fire and 115 for ambulance.
Wear seat belts in every seat, never use a hand-held phone while driving and do not drink before driving.
See traffic fines cheat sheet and 12-point licence system.
Is my foreign licence valid? Check the rules for your licence type before you travel.
Is a driver an option? Yes, a car with driver avoids most of these questions.
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