Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BCA on examination, issuance of driving licenses; issuance and use of international driving permits

This Circular details the procedures for examination, issuance, renewal, revocation of driving licenses, and issuance and use of international driving permits. It applies to organizations and individuals involved, except for military and police forces. Notable points include detailed provisions on examination content, documentation, procedures, standards for examiners, and penalties for violations.

文号12/2025/TT-BCA
文件类型Circular
发布机关Ministry of Public Security
签署人Đại Tướng Lương Tam Quang — Bộ trưởng
更新23/06/2026
领域Uncategorized
发布日期28/02/2025
生效日期01/03/2025
失效日期
状态In effect
✦ 智能摘要

This Circular details the procedures for examination, issuance, renewal, revocation of driving licenses, and issuance and use of international driving permits. It applies to organizations and individuals involved, except for military and police forces. Notable points include detailed provisions on examination content, documentation, procedures, standards for examiners, and penalties for violations.

适用范围

Organizations and individuals related to the examination, issuance, renewal, revocation of driving licenses; issuance and use of international driving permits. Particularly not applicable to military and police forces.

要点

  • Individuals applying for a class A1 or A driving license examination are exempt from the theoretical examination if they hold a valid automobile driving license.
  • Practical driving examinations in simulated environments and on roads are conducted according to specific regulations for each vehicle category.
  • Candidates who fail the examination may reapply within one year.
  • Foreign nationals or Vietnamese residents abroad must convert their national driving licenses to Vietnamese driving licenses according to the regulations.
  • The International Driving Permit (IDP) has a specific format and content, issued to individuals holding a valid national driving license.

🌐 本文件的社会影响

  • Positive impact: Creates opportunities for citizens and businesses to improve driving skills and ensure traffic safety.
  • Negative impact: May cause difficulties in procedures for certain groups such as ethnic minorities who cannot read or write Vietnamese or foreign nationals needing to convert their driving licenses.

❓ 常见问题

When are individuals applying for a class A1 or A driving license examination exempt from the theoretical examination?

Individuals applying for a class A1 or A driving license examination with a valid automobile driving license are exempt from the theoretical examination.

How long can candidates who fail the driving license examination reapply?

Candidates who fail the examination may reapply within one year from the date of the examination result.

What must foreigners do to obtain an international driving permit?

Foreigners must submit an application form as prescribed in Appendix XVI, a Vietnamese translation of their foreign driving license, a 3x4cm photograph, and fulfill the obligation to pay the fee.

What information does an international driving permit (IDP) contain?

The IDP includes basic IDP information printed in both Vietnamese and English, the scope of IDP usage, a declaration section about the driver, and IDP classifications in Vietnamese, English, Russian, and Spanish.

Which authority issues driving licenses?

The Traffic Police Inspectorate manages the issuance, renewal, and reissuance of driving licenses nationwide; provides blank forms and printing materials for driving licenses to Provincial Traffic Police Departments.

全文

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Independence – Freedom – Happiness

Number: 12/2025/TT-BCA
Hanoi, February 28, 2025

CIRCULAR

Regulations on examination, issuance of driver's licenses;

issuance, use of international driver's licenses

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BASED ON THE ROAD TRAFFIC ORDER AND SAFETY LAW dated June 27, 2024;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 190/2025/QH15 dated February 19, 2025 of the National Assembly on handling certain issues related to the restructuring of the state apparatus;

BASED ON DECREE NO. 02/2025/ND-CP DATED FEBRUARY 18, 2025 OF THE GOVERNMENT ON FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY;

At the proposal of the Director of the Traffic Police Corps;

The Minister of Public Security issues this Circular regulating examinations, issuance of driver's licenses; issuance, use of international driver's licenses.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

1. This Circular regulates examinations, issuance, renewal, reissuance, revocation, use of driver's licenses; issuance, use of international driver's licenses; models of driver's licenses, models of international driver's licenses.

2. This Circular does not apply to examinations, issuance, renewal, reissuance, revocation of driver's licenses for military and police forces performing national defense and security duties.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals related to examinations, issuance, renewal, reissuance, revocation, use of driver's licenses; issuance, use of international driver's licenses.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. License plate number is the code number marked on the back of the driver's license by the manufacturer, consisting of two letters and subsequent numbers.

2. Electronic driver's license is a driver's license presented in the form of data messages, integrated into electronic data systems, electronic identity accounts.

3. Electronic file for issuance, renewal, reissuance of driver's licenses is a collection of electronic documents related to the issuance of driver's licenses.

5. International driver's license is a driver's license with the English name International Driving Permit, hereinafter referred to as IDP.

6. National driver's license is a driver's license issued by authorized agencies of countries, valid within the territory of that country.

7. Electronic file for international driver's licenses is a collection of electronic documents related to the issuance of IDPs.

8. Information system for examinations, issuance of driver's licenses is a collection of hardware, transmission lines, and software serving the management of information on examinations, issuance, renewal, reissuance, revocation of driver's licenses (also called database on examinations, issuance of driver's licenses), including:

a) Examination information system at driving examination centers, Traffic Police Departments of provincial-level cities directly under the Central Government (hereinafter abbreviated as Traffic Police Department) and Highway Police Corps;

b) Driver's license information system at Highway Police Corps, Traffic Police Departments of provincial-level public security departments and communal-level public security departments, police stations, town police stations, and border police stations where there is no communal-level public security department (hereinafter abbreviated as communal-level public security department) arranged to receive applications.

Chapter II

DRIVING LICENSE EXAMINATION

Article 4. Form, content, and examination procedures

1. Theory examination

a) Theory examination: includes questions related to traffic regulations; driving techniques; contents related to vehicle structure and common repairs (for category B1 and above); ethics of drivers, traffic culture, and prevention of the harmful effects of alcohol when participating in traffic; fire prevention, firefighting, rescue skills (for category B and above).

Candidates taking the theory examination for categories A1 and A with valid automobile driver's licenses are exempt from the theory examination;

b) The theory examination is conducted on computers, except as provided in Clause 2 of Article 5 of this Circular.

2. Practical driving examination in simulated conditions

a) For categories A1 and A

The examination is conducted using a direct scoring method combined with automatic scoring equipment, except as provided in Clause 2 of Article 5 of this Circular. Candidates must drive motorcycles through four examination courses: following an "8" shape, passing straight lines, passing lines with obstacles, passing rough roads;

b) For category B1

The examination is conducted using a direct scoring method, with the examiner not sitting in the examination vehicle. Candidates must drive the vehicle forward through a "chi" shape and reverse it in the opposite direction;

c) For categories B, C1, C, D1, D2, D

The examination is conducted using automatic scoring equipment; there is no examiner sitting in the examination vehicle, except as provided in Point a of Clause 2 of Article 13 of this Circular.

Candidates must drive the vehicle through examination courses set up at driving examination centers, including: starting, yielding to pedestrians, stopping and starting on a slope, passing tire tracks and perpendicular roundabouts, passing intersections with traffic lights, passing winding roundabouts, parking (category B and C1 perform longitudinal parking; categories B, C, D1, D2, and D perform lateral parking), temporarily stopping at railway crossings, handling dangerous situations, changing gears on flat roads, ending;

d) For categories BE, D1E, D2E, DE

The examination is conducted using a direct scoring method, with the examiner not sitting in the examination vehicle. Candidates must drive the vehicle through an examination course: advancing through a five-pole standard and returning;

e) For categories C1E, CE

The examination is conducted using a direct scoring method, with the examiner not sitting in the examination vehicle. Candidates must drive the vehicle through two examination courses: advancing through a five-pole standard and returning; longitudinal parking;

3. Practical driving examination on real roads

a) For categories B, C1, C, D1, D2, D

The examination is conducted using automatic scoring equipment, with one examiner sitting in the examination vehicle. Candidates must drive the examination car, handle traffic situations, and follow the examiner's instructions;

b) For categories BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE

The examination is conducted using a direct scoring method, with one examiner sitting in the examination vehicle.

4. Driving examination of automobiles using simulation software for traffic scenarios for categories B, C1, C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE: candidates identify times of potential traffic safety risks through observing simulated scenarios appearing on the computer and take appropriate actions to handle these situations.

5. Examination procedures

a) Categories A1 and A are implemented according to the provisions in Appendix II attached to this Circular;

b) Category B1 is implemented according to the provisions in Appendix III attached to this Circular;

c) Categories B, C1, C, D1, D2, D are implemented according to the provisions in Appendix IV attached to this Circular; categories BE, D1E, D2E, DE are implemented according to the provisions in Appendix V attached to this Circular; category C1E, CE are implemented according to the provisions in Appendix VI attached to this Circular.

Article 5. Technical standards for driving practice fields used for motorcycle driving license exams

1. For driving practice fields equipped with computers to conduct theoretical exams and automatic scoring devices for practical driving exams in a simulated environment, the technical requirements must be met according to the national technical regulations on motor vehicle driving license examination centers, including: the layout of exam courses, exam vehicles, theoretical exam equipment, practical driving exam scoring devices, waiting rooms for exams, theoretical exam rooms, and control rooms for practical driving exam scoring devices.

Driving practice fields used for motorcycle driving license exams must meet technical requirements as stipulated in the national technical regulations on motor vehicle driving license examination centers, including: the layout of exam courses, exam vehicles, waiting rooms for exams, theoretical exam rooms.

2. For driving practice fields used for motorcycle driving license exams that organize theoretical exams through paper-based multiple-choice tests and practical driving exams through direct scoring methods, the technical requirements must be met according to the national technical regulations on motor vehicle driving license examination centers, including: the layout of exam courses, exam vehicles, waiting rooms for exams, theoretical exam rooms.

Driving practice fields used for motorcycle driving license exams must meet technical requirements as stipulated in the national technical regulations on motor vehicle driving license examination centers, including: the layout of exam courses, exam vehicles, waiting rooms for exams, theoretical exam rooms.

Article 6. Examination Board

1. The Examination Board is established pursuant to the decision organizing the driving license examination issued by the Director of the Provincial Public Security Department (hereinafter referred to as the Director of the Provincial Public Security Department), comprising:

a) The Chairman of the Board is the leader of the Traffic Police Division;

b) The Vice-Chairman of the Board is the commander of a team under the Traffic Police Division;

c) Members of the Board are leaders of the driving license examination center;

d) Examiners;

đ) The Secretary of the Board is an officer from the Traffic Police Division.

2. The Examination Board must have at least two-thirds of its members present when conducting work, decisions are made by majority vote; in case of equal opinions among members, the conclusion of the Chairman shall prevail. The Examination Board dissolves itself upon completion of the examination period.

3. When performing examination duties, the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Examiners must hold valid Examiner cards within their validity period, possess valid driver's licenses with points remaining.

4. Duties and powers of the Examination Board

a) Directing, inspecting, and requiring the completion of conditions for organizing the examination period;

b) Assigning and scheduling plans for implementing the examination period;

c) Disseminating and guiding examination regulations and necessary rules for Examiners and candidates to know and comply with;

d) Inspecting examination vehicles, scoring devices, examination sites, safety assurance plans during the examination process;

đ) Organizing examinations according to regulations;

e) Preparing records of violations for handling according to authority or reporting and recommending competent authorities to handle violations according to regulations;

g) Requiring candidates to compensate for damages if accidents occur due to the fault of candidates during the examination process;

h) Summarizing examination results and signing confirmation on records;

i) Sending examination-related documents and materials for storage at the driving license examination center;

k) Duties and powers of Examination Board members as prescribed in Appendix VII attached to this Circular.

Article 7. Standards for Examiners and Secretaries of the Examination Board

1. Standards for Examiners belonging to the People's Public Security Force

a) They are officers belonging to the People's Public Security Force;

b) They hold a driver's license corresponding to the category of examination vehicle for at least three years, with points remaining and still valid;

c) They have been trained in examination procedures by the Traffic Police Corps, passed the assessment, and received an Examiner card. The Examiner card has a maximum validity period of three years and does not exceed the validity period of the corresponding driver's license category of the Examiner.

2. Standards for Secretaries: they are officers specializing in the People's Public Security Force working in the field of examinations and issuing driver's licenses; they hold an Examiner card.

Article 8. Training, inspection, and issuance, replacement, reissuance, and revocation of examination officer cards for the People's Public Security Forces

1. Organizing training

a) Based on actual circumstances or at the request of the Traffic Police Department, the Traffic Police Corps shall organize training to issue examination officer cards;

b) The Traffic Police Department shall review and compile a list of officers (accompanied by two frontal photographs on a blue background, wearing uniforms according to the Regulations of the People's Public Security Forces, size 2 x 3 cm) who meet the criteria stipulated in points a and b, Clause 1, Article 7 of this Circular to participate in training and send it to the Traffic Police Corps;

c) The Traffic Police Corps shall receive the list, issue a decision to organize a training class along with a list of qualified participants, and conduct the training.

2. Content of training

a) Theoretical and practical training

Examination officer behavior when performing duties, communication skills.

Legal regulations system, standards, norms, procedures, and guidance related to driving license examination work, including the following contents: tasks, powers of the examination board and examination officers; examination procedures for theoretical knowledge, simulation, in-cabin, and on-road; responsibilities, tasks, and powers of organizations and individuals involved in examination activities; public service supply in the examination field; regulations on violations and handling of violations in the driving license examination field.

General knowledge about the structure and operation principles of automatic scoring devices and examination equipment inspection methods, including: examination vehicles, supporting equipment, automatic scoring devices; safety assurance plans during examination organization; guidance on using software systems related to automatic scoring devices; scoring methods for various examination contents of different vehicle categories through multiple-choice tests, automatic tests, and for ethnic minorities who cannot read or write Vietnamese; steering wheel insurance methods when conducting on-road driving examinations;

b) Practical training at driving examination centers

Trainees will undergo practical training as examination officers at driving examination centers, including the following contents: practical inspection of supporting equipment and automatic scoring devices; practical performance of examination officer duties during theoretical examinations, simulation software examinations, in-cabin driving examinations, and on-road driving examinations; practical driving skills and steering wheel insurance methods during on-road driving examinations; practical scenarios simulating technical failures during examination processes.

3. Inspection

Trainees must fully participate in all training program contents to be eligible for inspection. The final training inspection score includes: a score out of 10 for the completion test, a score of 5 or higher is considered satisfactory; a computer-based multiple-choice test score according to the driving license examination questions and practical driving results meeting the requirements specified in Appendices II, III, IV, V, and VI issued together with this Circular (excluding on-road driving) and steering wheel insurance skills during on-road driving examinations.

4. Form of organizing training and inspection: centralized.

5. Training and inspection instructors are officers from the Traffic Police Corps assigned to manage examinations and issue driving licenses.

6. Issuing examination officer cards: trainees who pass all inspection contents satisfactorily will be issued examination officer cards; if a trainee fails to meet the requirements in any inspection content, they must participate in the next training session to be inspected and issued an examination officer card.

7. Examination officer cards will be replaced if there is incorrect information, expiration of usage period, or damage.

8. Examination officer cards will be reissued if lost.

9. Examination officer cards will be revoked if issued to the wrong recipient or without proper authority.

Article 9. Preparation for the examination period

1. Receiving applications

a) The examination application file shall be sent by the training institution to the Traffic Police Department at least seven working days before the examination period;

b) The individual's examination application file shall be directly submitted or transmitted through the online public service system to the Traffic Police Department at least seven working days before the examination period.

2. Examination of files

a) Upon receiving the examination application file for issuing a driving license, the Traffic Police Department shall check and compare the conditions of the examinees according to Articles 15 and 16 of this Circular; approve the examination candidate files, prepare a record of file inspection according to Model No. 01 of Appendix VIII issued together with this Circular, and notify the time and place of organizing the examination period to the applicant; report to the Provincial Public Security Director to issue a decision to organize the examination period; for non-compliant files, notify and guide the applicant to complete them according to regulations;

b) In cases where the examinee for a Class A1 driving license is a member of a minority ethnic group who cannot read or write Vietnamese, the examination file must include confirmation from the People's Committee of the commune regarding the inability of the minority ethnic person to read or write Vietnamese;

c) In cases where the examinee does not pass the examination and wishes to re-register for another examination, the Traffic Police Department shall check and compare the record confirming absence or failure of the examination board of the previous examination period; if the name is not listed, they shall not be allowed to retake the examination.

3. Based on the number of trainees participating in the examination, the Traffic Police Department shall conduct a review and propose a list of examinees.

4. The Traffic Police Department shall report to the Provincial Public Security Director to issue a decision to organize the driving license examination according to Model No. 04 of Appendix VIII, along with the list of candidates for the driving license examination as stipulated in Model No. 06 of Appendix VIII, and the list of candidates holding expired driving licenses for the examination to issue a driving license as stipulated in Model No. 05 of Appendix VIII issued together with this Circular.

5. At least two working days before the examination period, the Traffic Police Department shall report to the National Traffic Police Corps, notify the training institutions, examination centers, and individuals who have directly submitted their application files about the decision to organize the examination period. Notifications shall be made through the National Public Service Portal, electronic identity accounts, or other appropriate methods.

Article 10. Procedure for organizing the examination

1. Meeting of the Examination Board and opening the examination period

a) Before organizing the examination, the Chairman of the Examination Board shall convene a meeting of the Board and assign tasks to each member of the Examination Board;

b) Organize the opening ceremony of the examination period to announce the decision to organize the examination period and disseminate relevant contents of the examination period to the examinees.

2. Conducting the examination according to the forms, contents, and procedures specified in Article 4 and Appendices II, III, IV, V, and VI issued together with this Circular.

3. Conclusion of the examination period

The Chairman of the Examination Board shall convene a meeting of the Board, the Supervision Team (if any), and the Secretary of the Board to report the results of the examination period. The Chairman of the Examination Board shall approve the summary record of the examination results according to Appendix IX issued together with this Circular, sign and stamp it. The Chairman of the Examination Board shall also sign and stamp the summary record of the examination results of the candidates according to Appendix IX issued together with this Circular;

The summary record of the examination results of the candidates who pass the examination period is the original file, which shall be kept by the successful candidates themselves. The Traffic Police Department shall integrate the summary record of the examination results of the candidates into the information system on examinations and issuance of driving licenses.

Article 11. Supervision of Examination Periods

1. Based on actual circumstances, the Traffic Police Department establishes a Supervision Team to organize supervision of examination periods.

2. Composition of the Supervision Team:

a) Traffic Police Department officers assigned the task of managing examinations, issuing driving licenses, holding valid examiner certificates of Class B or higher for at least three years, and having a minimum of three years of experience in conducting examinations and issuing driving licenses;

b) Officers with specialized knowledge in traffic regulations from the Department of Legal Affairs and Administrative Reform and Judicial Affairs;

c) The number of supervisors for motorcycle driving examinations must be at least two persons, and for automobile driving examinations, it must be at least three persons.

3. When performing supervision tasks during examination periods, supervisory officers must wear People's Public Security uniforms.

4. Tasks of the Supervision Team when supervising driving examinations:

a) Supervise the implementation of examination content and procedures by the Examination Board, ensuring transparency, objectivity, and fairness throughout the examination process;

b) Supervise the identification verification of candidates before entering the theoretical examination room, simulated driving examination room, and road driving examination; individuals without designated duties may not enter the theoretical examination room;

c) Supervise the organization of practical driving examinations on roads, including the standards for examination routes;

d) Supervisory officers work independently and do not perform the duties of examiners;

đ) Supervise the preparation of theoretical examination question sets according to regulations, without marking them when supervising driving examinations at training grounds specified in Clause 2, Article 5 of this Circular;

5. Powers of the Supervision Team:

a) Upon discovering violations, they must prepare a record and promptly propose that the Examination Board handle the matter in accordance with regulations;

b) In cases of serious violations related to examination content, procedures, or results, the Supervision Team must prepare a record and report to the Director of the Traffic Police Department to request the Provincial Public Security Director to review and handle the situation;

6. At the end of the examination period, the Supervision Team reports in writing the supervision results to the Director of the Traffic Police Department.

Article 12. Recognition of Examination Results

1. Consideration of recognition of examination results for candidates taking driving examinations for Categories A1, A, and B1:

a) Candidates who pass both the theoretical examination and the simulated driving examination are recognized as passing the examination period;

b) Candidates who fail the theoretical examination may continue to take the simulated driving examination;

c) Candidates who pass either the theoretical examination or the simulated driving examination have their results retained for one year from the date of passing the examination; if they wish to retake the examination, they must be listed in the absence or failure record of the previous Examination Board or have a valid driver's medical certificate or be listed in the examination information system;

2. Consideration of recognition of examination results for candidates taking driving examinations for Categories B, C1, C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE:

a) Candidates who pass the theoretical examination, traffic scenario simulation examination, simulated driving examination, and road driving examination are recognized as passing the examination period;

b) Candidates who pass any of the theoretical examination, traffic scenario simulation examination, simulated driving examination, or road driving examination are recognized as passing those specific examination components and their results are retained for one year from the date of passing the examination; if they wish to retake the examination, they must have a valid driver's medical certificate and be listed in the absence or failure record of the previous Examination Board or be listed in the examination information system;

c) If candidates fail any of the examination components specified in point a of this clause, they may continue to take the remaining components;

3. Within two working days from the end of the examination period, the Traffic Police Division reviews and compiles the results, transferring data of successful candidates to the Traffic Police Department for issuance of driving licenses, and simultaneously reporting the examination results to the Provincial Public Security Director;

4. Candidates bringing telephones or communication devices into the theoretical examination room, traffic scenario simulation room, or examination vehicle, or engaging in other deceptive behaviors that distort examination results will have their examination results suspended or canceled;

5. Candidates who fail the examination may re-register for the examination at the receiving unit as stipulated in point b of Clause 1, Article 9 of this Circular.

Article 13. Examination for persons with disabilities to obtain a driving license

1. Examination to issue a Class A1 driving license for three-wheeled motorcycles

a) The examinee shall carry out theoretical examination and driving examination in simulated conditions according to the content and procedures prescribed in Clause 1 and 2 of Article 4 and Appendix III issued together with this Circular; the examination shall be conducted at a driving examination center or a training ground suitable for motorcycle driving examination, with two examiners directly scoring the examinee;

b) The examination venue shall comply with the national technical standards for driving examination centers for motor vehicles on public roads.

2. Examination to issue a Class B automatic transmission driving license

a) Examination to issue a Class B automatic transmission driving license for persons with disabilities in the right foot, right hand, or left hand: the examinee shall complete the examination content and procedures as prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular; the examination shall be conducted at a driving examination center, with two examiners sitting in the vehicle to directly score the driving examination in simulated conditions and on the road;

b) Examination to issue a Class B automatic transmission driving license for persons with disabilities, excluding those with disabilities in the right foot, right hand, or left hand: the examinee shall complete the examination content and procedures as prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular; the examination shall be conducted at a driving examination center.

Article 14. Examination for ethnic minority candidates who cannot read or write Vietnamese to obtain a Class A1 motorcycle driving license

1. Content and procedure of the driving examination: carried out according to the content and procedures of the Class A1 driving examination prescribed in Clause 1 and 2 of Article 4 of this Circular.

2. Organization of the examination shall be carried out as follows: separate examinations organized. Theoretical examination in the form of question-and-answer; using multiple-choice tests on paper; examination time is 30 minutes. Two examiners will conduct the examination sequentially for each candidate; each candidate randomly selects one examination set from the set; one examiner reads the questions and observes the candidate, the other examiner marks the corresponding box that the candidate chooses on the theoretical examination paper. Examiners score, sign to confirm on the theoretical examination paper, the summary record of the driving examination results, and announce the examination results to the candidate. In cases where the examination content is conducted through an interpreter, the interpreter must accurately and fully translate the questions of the examiner and the answers of the candidate; the driving school or the candidate hiring an interpreter.

3. Candidates sign or stamp their name in the signature section of the summary record of the driving examination results, the theoretical examination paper, and the practical driving examination record.

Article 15. Candidates for driving license examination

1. Age requirement (as of the date of the driving license examination) and health status as prescribed in Clause 1 and 2 of Article 59 of the Road Traffic Safety Law.

2. Confirmation by the driving school that the candidate has completed the driving course or obtained a basic vocational certificate or a training certificate.

Article 16. Application Documents for Driving License Examination

1. Application documents submitted by the driving school include: Report requesting organization of the examination according to Model 02 of Appendix VIII attached with the list of candidates requesting examination to obtain a driving license according to Model 03 of Appendix VIII issued together with this Circular and individual application documents as prescribed in Point b, c, d of Clause 2 of this Article.

2. Individual application documents submitted to the Traffic Police Department

a) Request for examination to obtain a driving license according to the model prescribed in Appendix I issued together with this Circular;

b) Basic vocational certificate or training certificate or confirmation of completion of the course for candidates for Class B1, B, C1, C, D1, D2, D, BE, C1E, CE, D1E, D2E, DE driving licenses;

c) Health certificate of the driver issued by a medical facility meeting the legal requirements for medical examination and treatment, still valid;

d) Photocopy or electronic copy certified from the original or electronic copy issued from the original one of the following documents: temporary residence card, permanent residence card, diplomatic identification card, official identification card (for foreigners).

3. Application documents for examination to renew a driving license due to expiration, loss, and expiration of the driving license submitted to the Traffic Police Department

a) Request for examination to obtain a driving license according to the provisions in Appendix I issued together with this Circular;

b) Photocopy or electronic copy certified from the original or electronic copy issued from the original one of the following documents: temporary residence card, permanent residence card, diplomatic identification card, official identification card (for foreigners);

c) Military driving license issued by the Ministry of Defense or confirmation from the issuing authority in case of lost driving license (for military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of Defense);

d) Health certificate of the driver issued by a medical facility meeting the legal requirements for medical examination and treatment, still valid;

đ) Photocopy of documents proving no longer serving in the People's Army or the People's Public Security Force (for military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of Defense, driving licenses in the Public Security Force).

Article 17. Archiving Examination Records

1. After each examination period, the Traffic Police Department shall be responsible for archiving the examination records, including:

a) Decision on organizing the driving license examination period;

b) List of candidates participating in the examination;

c) Record of candidate file inspection;

d) Report and proposal for organizing the examination along with the list of candidates participating in the examination; report on reviewing and proposing the list of examiners participating in the examination period;

đ) Record of task assignment of the Driving License Examination Board;

e) Summary record of examination results;

g) List of candidates who passed, were absent, or failed various examination contents.

2. In cases where driving schools have training grounds used to conduct motorcycle driving license examinations, they must archive monitoring data; theoretical and practical examination result data in simulated traffic situations for three years, except for the training grounds specified in Clause 2, Article 5 of this Circular.

3. The Examination Center archives examination records including:

a) Documents specified in points a, e, g of Clause 1 of this Article;

b) Monitoring data; theoretical and practical examination result data in simulated traffic situations, traffic situation simulation software, and practical driving examination on the road;

c) List and results of driving license examinations on traffic situation simulation software.

4. Candidates shall keep the summary record of examination results themselves.

5. Retention period for records

a) Five years for documents specified in Clause 1 of this Article;

b) Two years for documents specified in point b of Clause 3 of this Article.

6. The General Traffic Police Department is responsible for guiding the Traffic Police Department in implementing the digitalization and archiving of examination result record data.

Chapter III

ISSUE, RENEW, REISSUE, WITHDRAWAL OF DRIVING LICENSES

Article 18. Sample of Driving License, Use and Management of Driving Licenses

1. The General Traffic Police Department manages the issuance, renewal, and reissuance of driving licenses nationwide; provides blank forms and printing materials for driving licenses to the Traffic Police Department. The Traffic Police Department organizes the printing and issuance of driving licenses according to the sample prescribed in Appendix X issued together with this Circular.

2. Driving licenses made of PET material issued to each individual ensure a unique management number, applicable to both unlimited-term and term-limited driving licenses.

3. Individuals wishing to integrate an unlimited-term driving license with a term-limited driving license must register in the application for license renewal prescribed in Appendix XII issued together with this Circular, and follow the procedures for renewing driving licenses as stipulated in Articles 21, 22, and 23 of this Circular.

4. Holders of driving licenses may only drive the types of vehicles listed on their driving licenses.

5. When renewing or issuing upgraded driving licenses, the Traffic Police Department shall collect the old driving licenses and destroy them in accordance with the law on record retention.

6. Holders of Class B automatic transmission driving licenses may not drive manual transmission vehicles (stick shift).

7. Foreign individuals or Vietnamese residents abroad wishing to drive in Vietnam shall proceed as follows:

a) If they hold a national driving license, they must apply to exchange it for a corresponding Vietnamese driving license;

b) In cases where international treaties on driving licenses to which Vietnam is a party provide different provisions, those treaty provisions shall apply.

8. Driving licenses made of PET material and driving licenses issued from January 1, 2025, and driving licenses issued before the effective date of this Circular are valid driving licenses issued by authorized agencies, bearing serial numbers, issue dates, and expiration dates printed on the driving license that match the serial numbers, issue dates, and expiration dates in the driving license management information system or have driving license information integrated into electronic identity accounts.

Article 19. Issuance of Driving Licenses

1. The Traffic Police Department shall issue a driving license to individuals who have successfully completed the examination within seven working days from the end date of the examination. An electronic driving license shall be integrated into the electronic data system and electronic identity account within three working days from the end date of the examination.

2. The issuance of driving licenses to individuals holding expired automobile driving licenses of various categories, including those who have lost their automobile driving licenses that have exceeded their validity period, as well as military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of National Defense and driving licenses for public security personnel that are no longer required due to cessation of national defense and security duties, shall be carried out as follows:

a) Individuals falling under the aforementioned cases must be listed in the driving license information system at the Traffic Police Department or in the driving license issuance record book (management ledger). In the case of lost military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of National Defense, confirmation from the issuing authority is required before they can take the examination on the following subjects:

If the driving license has been expired for less than one month from its expiration date and the holder cannot complete the driving license renewal procedures due to illness, natural disasters, fires, or epidemics, then such individual is exempted from taking the theoretical examination to obtain a driving license.

If the driving license has been expired for less than one year from its expiration date, the individual must take the theoretical examination as stipulated in point a, Clause 1, Article 4 of this Circular to obtain a driving license.

If the driving license has been expired for one year or more from its expiration date, the individual must take both the theoretical and practical driving examinations in simulated and real road conditions as prescribed in Clauses 1, 2, and 3, Article 4 of this Circular to obtain a driving license.

The application for the examination shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Clause 3, Article 16 of this Circular;

b) Individuals specified in point a of this clause who wish to review may register with driving schools or driving examination centers to receive guidance for review;

c) If individuals specified in point a of this clause fail the examination and are unable to obtain a driving license, they may register with the Traffic Police Office to retake the examination if desired.

3. Driving licenses shall not be issued to individuals who have violated traffic regulations and safety on roads without completing the requirements set forth by competent authorities regarding administrative violation resolution and handling in the field of traffic regulation and safety.

Article 20. Reissuance of Driving Licenses

1. Individuals holding valid driving licenses that have been lost may apply for reissuance of the driving license. The reissuance of lost driving licenses shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of Clauses 2, 3, and 4, Article 21 of this Circular.

2. Driving licenses shall not be reissued in the following cases: the driving license information is not found in the driving license information system at the Traffic Police Department or in the driving license issuance record book (management ledger); individuals who have violated traffic regulations and safety on roads without completing the requirements set forth by competent authorities regarding administrative violation resolution and handling in the field of traffic regulation and safety.

Article 21. Exchange of Driving Licenses

1. Requirements for exchanging driving licenses

a) Vietnamese citizens and foreigners who have been tested and issued driving licenses in Vietnam;

b) Individuals holding driving licenses that are damaged and no longer usable;

c) Vietnamese citizens and foreigners with permanent residence cards in Vietnam who have exchanged Vietnamese driving licenses from foreign driving licenses, and wish to exchange their driving licenses upon expiration if necessary;

d) In cases where the date of birth, surname, given name, middle name, nationality, place of birth, and place of residence recorded on the driving license differ from those recorded in the citizen identification card or identification card, the competent authority shall process the application for a new driving license consistent with the information in the citizen identification card or identification card;

đ) Individuals wishing to integrate an unlimited-term driving license with a term-limited driving license;

e) Driving licenses shall not be exchanged in the following cases: applicants do not possess the previously issued driving license and the information on the driving license is not found in the traffic police department's driving license information system or there is no list of issued driving licenses (management book); individuals who have violated traffic regulations and have not completed the requirements set by the competent state authorities for handling administrative violations in the field of road traffic safety;

2. Documents for exchanging driving licenses include:

a) An application for exchanging driving licenses according to the form prescribed in Appendix XII attached to this Circular;

b) A valid health certificate issued by a medical facility meeting the legal standards for medical examination and treatment (except for holders of Class A1, A, B1 driving licenses);

c) Valid passport (for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese);

d) Other documents reflecting the information specified in point d Clause 1 of this Article.

3. Implementation Procedures

a) Individuals prepare one set of documents as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article and submit directly at the commune police station where the reception point is located or the Traffic Police Department, or submit through the online public service system.

In case of direct submission, individuals must take a photo at the reception point and complete the payment of fees when submitting the documents.

In case of submission through the online public service system, individuals must fill out the application according to the instructions, bear responsibility for the accuracy and legality of the declared content, and complete the payment of fees for exchanging driving licenses through the payment function of the online public service system as prescribed, and pay other service fees as needed;

b) The Traffic Police Department or the commune police station where the reception point is located shall check the documents upon receipt and search for information about the driving license from the driving license information system; in cases where there is no information, they must issue a request for verification of the issued driving license according to Form No. 01 in Appendix XI attached to this Circular (if there is no result of verifying the driving license, the application will not be processed); search the software database on road traffic order and safety or search for violations of the driver through the electronic identity account.

If the driving license does not fall within the scope of exchangeable licenses, the reception point must notify the non-receipt of the documents; if the documents do not comply with the regulations, they must guide the individual to supplement or modify the required contents within two working days from the date of receiving the documents.

The Traffic Police Department or the commune police station where the reception point is located shall enter electronic information; print a return result notice or send the return information through the online public service system;

c) Within one working day from the date of receiving complete and valid documents as prescribed, the Traffic Police Department shall transfer data to the General Traffic Police Department for centralized management and issuance of driving licenses, integration of driving licenses into the electronic data system and electronic identity account within three working days from the date of receiving complete and valid documents. The Traffic Police Department shall organize printing and returning the driving license within five working days from the date of receiving complete and valid documents;

d) The return of driving licenses shall be carried out at the Traffic Police Department or the commune police station where the reception point is located or through postal services according to the individual's request; in cases of submission through the online public service system, the driving license shall be returned to the correct individual applying for the exchange, upon receiving the driving license, the driver shall be responsible for sending the issued driving license to the issuing authority for destruction according to regulations, except in cases of exchanging driving licenses for individuals with integrated driving licenses during the period of having their driving licenses revoked;

4. In cases where drivers wish to downgrade their driving licenses, they must clearly declare in Appendix XII attached to this Circular and bear responsibility for the declared content.

Article 22. Exchange of Military Driving Licenses Issued by the Ministry of National Defense

1. Requirements for exchanging military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of National Defense when ceasing service in the Military

a) Individuals holding military driving licenses issued by the Ministry of National Defense that are still within their validity period but damaged but still usable wish to exchange for new driving licenses;

b) Military driving licenses valid for multiple vehicle categories may be exchanged for civilian driving licenses with corresponding validity for those categories; military driving licenses of category Cx can be exchanged for civilian driving licenses of category C;

c) Military driving licenses with erased information will not be exchanged; individuals who have violated traffic regulations on public roads and have not yet completed the requirements set by competent state authorities regarding administrative violations in the field of traffic order and safety shall not be eligible for license exchange;

2. The documents include:

a) An application for exchanging driving licenses according to the form prescribed in Appendix XII attached to this Circular;

b) A certified copy of documents proving the cessation of service in the People's Army;

c) A health certificate for the driver issued by a medical facility meeting the standards stipulated by laws on medical examination and treatment, which remains valid;

d) A certified copy or electronic certified copy from the original or an electronic certified copy issued from the original driving license record book that is still within its validity period;

3. Implementation Procedures

a) An individual prepares one complete application file according to the provisions of Clause 2 of this Article and submits it directly to the Traffic Police Department or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located; the individual must take a direct photograph at the receiving agency, present the original documents specified in Point b of Clause 2 of this Article for verification, and must fulfill the obligation to pay fees upon submission of the application file;

b) The Traffic Police Department or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located checks the application file upon receipt, searches the database software on traffic order and safety on public roads or investigates the driver's violation through the electronic identity account. In case of suspicion, the Traffic Police Department issues a document requesting the relevant unit under the Ministry of National Defense to verify the issued driving license according to Model No. 01 of Appendix XI promulgated together with this Circular. If there is no verification result of the driving license or if the verification result shows that the driving license was not issued by the Ministry of National Defense, the driving license will not be exchanged;

If the driving license does not fall within the scope of exchangeable licenses, the reception point must notify the non-receipt of the documents; if the documents do not comply with the regulations, they must guide the individual to supplement or modify the required contents within two working days from the date of receiving the documents.

The Traffic Police Department or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located enters electronic information and prints out a return result appointment slip;

c) Within one working day from the date of receiving a complete and valid application file (including the verification result of the driving license in cases of suspicion), the Traffic Police Department transfers data to the General Traffic Police Department for centralized management and issuance of driving licenses and electronic driving licenses integrated into the electronic identity account within three working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application file; the Traffic Police Department organizes printing and returning the driving license within five working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application file;

d) The return of the driving license is carried out at the receiving agency or through postal services upon request of the individual. Upon receiving the driving license, the driver is responsible for sending the issued driving license to the issuing authority for destruction according to regulations;

4. In cases where drivers wish to exchange their driving licenses for lower categories, they must clearly declare this in the application form for exchanging or reissuing driving licenses stipulated in Appendix XII promulgated together with this Circular and bear responsibility for the declared information;

5. The application file for exchanging military driving licenses consists of the original documents specified in Clause 2 of this Article, which is handed over to the driver for safekeeping.

Article 23. Exchange of Driver's Licenses in the People's Public Security Force

1. Requirements for exchanging driver's licenses in the People's Public Security Force when no longer serving in the public security force

a) A person holding a valid driver's license that has not been lost or damaged but still within its validity period, whose information is recorded in the driver's license information system of the Traffic Police Corps or the list of issued driver's licenses (management book), who wishes to exchange their driver's license;

b) A person holding a motorcycle driver's license made of paper that has not been erased, torn, and contains all necessary information on the driver's license, who wishes to exchange their driver's license;

c) Driver's licenses shall not be exchanged in cases where the information has been erased; individuals who have violated traffic regulations and safety rules on roads and have not yet completed the requirements set by competent state agencies for handling administrative violations in the field of traffic regulations and safety rules on roads; individuals whose information is not recorded in the driver's license information system of the Traffic Police Corps or the list of issued driver's licenses (management book).

2. Documents for exchanging driver's licenses

a) An application for exchanging driver's licenses as prescribed in Appendix XII attached to this Circular;

b) A copy of the driver's license in cases where there is no information in the driver's license information system of the Traffic Police Corps or the list of issued driver's licenses (management book); a commitment letter in cases where the driver's license has been lost;

c) A copy of the document proving the cessation of service in the People's Public Security Force;

d) A health certificate of the driver issued by a medical facility meeting the standards stipulated by laws on medical examination and treatment, which remains valid.

3. Implementation Procedures

a) Individuals prepare one set of documents as prescribed in Clause 2 of this Article and submit directly to the Traffic Police Office or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located; individuals take photos directly at the document reception agency, present the original copies of the documents specified in Point c Clause 2 of this Article for verification, and must complete the obligation to pay fees upon submission of the documents;

b) The Traffic Police Office or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located will check the documents upon receipt and search the software database on traffic regulations and safety rules on roads or search for violations of the driver through the electronic identity account. In case of suspicion, the Traffic Police Office will issue a document requesting the issuing unit to verify the issued driver's license according to Form No. 01 in Appendix XI attached to this Circular. If the verification result of the driver's license has not been obtained, the driver's license shall not be exchanged.

If the driving license does not fall within the scope of exchangeable licenses, the reception point must notify the non-receipt of the documents; if the documents do not comply with the regulations, they must guide the individual to supplement or modify the required contents within two working days from the date of receiving the documents.

The Traffic Police Office or the Commune Police Station where the reception point is located will enter electronic information and print out the appointment receipt;

c) Within one working day from the date of receiving complete and valid documents (including the verification results of the driver's license in cases of suspicion), the Traffic Police Office will transfer data to the Traffic Police Corps for centralized management and issuance of driver's licenses, integrating the driver's license into the electronic data system and electronic identity account within three working days from the date of receiving complete and valid documents. The Traffic Police Office will organize printing and returning the driver's license within five working days from the date of receiving complete and valid documents;

d) The return of the driving license is carried out at the receiving agency or through postal services upon request of the individual. Upon receiving the driving license, the driver is responsible for sending the issued driving license to the issuing authority for destruction according to regulations;

4. In cases where drivers wish to exchange their driving licenses for lower categories, they must clearly declare this in the application form for exchanging or reissuing driving licenses stipulated in Appendix XII promulgated together with this Circular and bear responsibility for the declared information;

5. Original documents, including those specified in Clause 2 of this Article, shall be handed over to the driver for self-preservation.

Article 24. Exchange of foreign driving licenses

1. Requirements for exchanging foreign driving licenses

a) Foreign individuals residing, working, or studying in Vietnam with a valid national driving license and holding one of the following documents: diplomatic identification card, official service identification card, temporary residence card, or permanent residence card for at least three months, if they have a need to drive in Vietnam, may be considered for exchange to the corresponding category of Vietnamese driving license;

b) Vietnamese individuals (holding Vietnamese citizenship) residing, studying, or working abroad who have been issued a valid national driving license by a competent authority abroad, if they have a need to drive in Vietnam, may be considered for exchange to the corresponding category of Vietnamese driving license;

c) Temporary foreign driving licenses; international driving licenses; expired foreign driving licenses that have been altered, torn, or damaged and lack sufficient information for exchange, or have differences in identification; foreign driving licenses not issued by a competent authority; Vietnamese individuals with foreign driving licenses who have stayed abroad for less than three months and whose stay duration does not match the training period for obtaining a driving license from the issuing country shall not be exchanged;

2. The documents include:

a) Application for exchanging a driving license (for Vietnamese individuals according to the form prescribed in Appendix XII, for foreign individuals according to the form prescribed in Appendix XIII attached hereto);

b) A certified Vietnamese translation of the foreign driving license, guaranteed by a Notary Public in Vietnam or a Vietnamese representative office abroad where the translator works, affixed with a stamp on the copy of the driving license;

c) A health certificate of the driver issued by a medical facility meeting the standards set forth in the law on medical examination and treatment, still valid (except for foreign individuals exchanging a driving license within the validity period indicated on their entry visa or temporary residence card);

d) A copy or electronic copy certified from the original or an electronic copy issued from the original record of one of the following documents: diplomatic identification card, official service identification card, temporary residence card, or permanent residence card for at least three months;

3. Implementation Procedures

a) Individuals prepare one set of application materials as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article and submit directly to the Traffic Police Office or the local police station where the application acceptance point is located; individuals take photos directly at the receiving agency and must present the original copies of the aforementioned application materials (excluding those already submitted) for verification and must complete the payment of fees upon submission of the application;

b) In cases where there are doubts about the entry or residence of foreign individuals in Vietnam, the agency responsible for exchanging driving licenses will request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Management Department, or the Provincial Immigration Management Office to verify;

c) If the driving license application materials are valid, the Traffic Police Office or the local police station where the application acceptance point is located will enter the electronic information; print out a receipt for the result; if the driving license is not exchanged, a written response must be provided with clear reasons;

d) Within one working day from the date of receiving all valid application materials (including the results of verifying the driving license in cases of doubt), the Traffic Police Office will transfer data to the National Traffic Police Bureau for centralized management and issuance of the driving license, integrating the driving license into the electronic database and digital identity account within three working days from the date of receiving all valid application materials. The Traffic Police Office will organize printing and returning the driving license within five working days from the date of receiving all valid application materials;

đ) The return of the driving license will be carried out at the agency accepting the application or through postal services at the individual's request;

4. The original application materials for exchanging a driving license, managed by the driver, include the documents specified in Clause 2 of this Article and the foreign driving license;

5. Validity period and vehicle categories permitted to operate

a) The validity period of the Vietnamese driving license exchanged for foreign individuals shall correspond to the validity period recorded in one of the documents specified in Point a of Clause 1 of this Article, consistent with the validity period of the foreign driving license but not exceeding the validity period of the Vietnamese driving license;

b) A national driving license issued to an individual for exchanging multiple categories of vehicles can be exchanged for a Vietnamese driving license to operate corresponding categories of vehicles.

Article 25. Revocation of Driving License

1. The competent authority issuing driving licenses shall carry out revocation procedures as follows:

a) Within three working days from the date of discovering that the holder of a driving license falls under one of the cases stipulated in Clause 5, Article 62 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, the Director of the Traffic Police Department shall issue a decision to revoke and invalidate the driving license (the content of the decision clearly states the reasons for revocation and invalidation) and cancel the electronic driving license integration on the electronic data system and electronic identity account;

b) Within five working days from the date of receiving the decision to revoke the driving license, the individual must submit the revoked driving license to the Traffic Police Office, which is responsible for accepting the revoked driving license and canceling it according to regulations.

2. Handling of cases where driving licenses are revoked

a) For driving licenses revoked in accordance with points a and b, Clause 5, Article 62 of the Road Traffic Safety Law; the application dossier, procedure for reissuing driving licenses shall be carried out in accordance with Articles 2, 3, and 4 of this Circular;

b) For driving licenses revoked in accordance with point c, Clause 5, Article 62 of the Road Traffic Safety Law, they have no value for use. The licensing authority updates the violation data on the driver's license information system at the Traffic Police Department from the date of detecting the violation; additionally, the violator may not be issued a driving license within five years from the date of detecting the violation; after the five-year period from the date of detecting the violation, if there is a need to reissue a driving license, the violator must study and take the examination again as in the case of issuing a driving license for the first time.

Chapter IV

ISSUANCE AND USE OF INTERNATIONAL DRIVING LICENSES

Article 26. Model of International Driving Permit (IDP)

1. The IDP is a booklet with size A6 (148 mm x 105 mm), bearing security markings, gray cover, and white pages inside according to the model prescribed in Appendix XV attached to this Circular.

2. Page 1 (cover page) contains basic information about the IDP printed in both Vietnamese and English; Page 2 specifies the scope of use of the IDP printed in both Vietnamese and English, Page 3 specifies the section for driver information and IDP classification printed in Vietnamese, Page 4 is blank, Page 5 specifies the section for driver information and IDP classification printed in English, Page 6 specifies the section for driver information and IDP classification printed in Russian, Page 7 specifies the section for driver information and IDP classification printed in Spanish, Page 8 specifies the section for driver information and IDP classification printed in French, Page 9 specifies the vehicle categories allowed to drive printed in French.

3. The IDP number consists of the Vietnam-specific international traffic country code VN followed by twelve digits representing the national driving license number.

Article 27. Vehicle Categories Controlled by International Driving Permits

The vehicle categories permitted to be driven with the IDP correspond to the vehicle categories of the national driving licenses issued by Vietnam as specified in Appendix XV attached to this Circular.

Article 28. Issuance of International Driving Permit (IDP)

1. For Vietnamese citizens and foreigners holding residence cards or temporary residence cards in Vietnam who have national driving licenses issued by Vietnam on PET material that are still valid, the following procedures shall be followed:

a) Application for IDP: submit an application for IDP according to the form prescribed in Appendix XVI attached to this Circular and one photograph measuring 3 x 4 cm;

b) Procedure for issuing IDP:

Individuals may submit their applications directly at the Traffic Police Corps or the Traffic Police Department or through the online public service system.

In cases where applications are submitted directly, the original national driving license issued by Vietnam, passport, and residence card (for foreigners) must be presented for verification of the accuracy and legality of the issuance of the IDP, and the obligation to pay fees must be fulfilled upon acceptance of the application according to regulations. In cases where applications are submitted through the online public service system, individuals must declare according to the guidelines and bear responsibility for the accuracy and legality of the declared contents, complete the obligation to pay fees through the fee payment function of the online public service system, and pay other service fees as needed.

The agency receiving the application will enter electronic information; print out a receipt for the result to be returned within five working days from the date of accepting a valid application or send the information about the return through the online public service system and has the responsibility to notify directly or in writing or through the online public service system any required additional or amended information to the individual within two working days from the date of accepting the application;

c) Within one working day from the date of receiving a complete and valid application (including verification of the electronic identity account through the electronic identification and authentication system), the Traffic Police Department will transfer data to the Traffic Police Corps for centralized management and issuance of the driving license;

d) Printing and returning the driving license will be carried out at the Traffic Police Corps or the Traffic Police Department or through postal services according to the individual's request.

2. For Vietnamese citizens and foreigners holding residence cards or temporary residence cards in Vietnam who have national driving licenses issued by member countries of international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party and are still valid, the following procedures shall be followed:

a) Application for IDP: submit an application for an international IDP according to the form prescribed in Appendix XVI issued with this Circular; a certified translation of the foreign driving license into Vietnamese by a Notary Office or Embassy or Consulate in Vietnam where the translator works, stamped across the copy of the driving license; a copy of the temporary residence card or residence card or diplomatic identification card or official identification card for foreigners; one photograph measuring 3 x 4 cm;

b) Procedure for issuing IDP:

Individuals must submit one set of the application package specified in point a of this clause directly at the Traffic Police Corps or the Traffic Police Department, present the original national driving license issued by member countries of international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party, passport, residence card or temporary residence card (for foreigners) for verification and comparison, and fulfill the obligation to pay fees upon acceptance of the application according to regulations.

The agency receiving the application will enter electronic information; print out a receipt for the result to be returned within five working days from the date of accepting a valid application and has the responsibility to notify directly or in writing any required additional or amended information to the individual within two working days from the date of accepting the application;

The IDP will be issued within five working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application. Data will be transferred back to the Traffic Police Corps for centralized management and issuance of the IDP;

d) Printing and returning the driving license will be carried out at the Traffic Police Corps or the Traffic Police Department or through postal services according to the individual's request.

3. IDP will not be issued in the following cases:

a) National driving license is altered and does not contain all necessary information or has differences in identification;

b) National driving license is not issued by the competent authority as prescribed.

Article 29. Use of IDP

1. The IDP issued by Vietnam under the 1968 Road Traffic Convention shall not be valid for use within the territory of Vietnam.

2. The IDPs recognized pursuant to international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party shall be implemented in accordance with those treaties.

CHAPTER V

INFORMATION SYSTEM ON DRIVING TESTS AND LICENSE ISSUANCE

Article 30. Requirements for the information system on driving tests and license issuance

1. Information system at the driving test center

a) Manage at least the following information: examination period; candidates participating in the examination; examination supervision data; examination results;

b) Receive information on examination periods and candidates eligible to participate in examinations from the traffic police department's driving test information system;

c) Provide examination results to the traffic police department's information system and the traffic police corps' information system;

d) Share examination supervision data with the traffic police department and the traffic police corps;

đ) Have the ability to accurately store all managed information; connect and share data with related information systems;

e) Ensure current legal provisions regarding information security, network security, and safety.

2. Information system at the traffic police department

a) Manage at least the following information: approval results of candidate lists eligible to participate in examination periods; examination periods; candidates participating in examination periods; examination supervision data; examination results; license number; confirmation of completion of training course; name; personal identification number; date of birth; nationality; place of residence; driving school; vehicle category trained; training course; date of examination result achievement; examination authority; examination location (driving test center or training ground for examination); date of license issuance, renewal, reissuance; issuing authority; license category; expiration date; license form number;

b) Create examination periods, update examination period information and candidate lists, and provide this information to the driving test center's information system;

c) Have the ability to receive examination supervision data from the driving test center's information system, remote access for authorized agencies to access and exploit; receive information on candidates who have passed the examination from the driving test center's information system at the traffic police departments, and information from the license issuance information system at the local police station where the reception point is located;

d) Have the ability to provide the information listed in point a of this clause to the traffic police corps' license issuance information system;

đ) Have the function of issuing, renewing, reissuing, and revoking licenses; issuing military licenses by the Ministry of Defense, licenses for public security personnel; exchanging foreign driver’s licenses or licenses of Vietnamese residents abroad who wish to drive in Vietnam;

e) Have the ability to accurately store all managed information, connect and share data with related information systems;

g) Ensure current legal provisions regarding information security, network security, and safety.

3. Information system at the traffic police corps

a) Manage at least the following information: license number; confirmation of completion of training course; name; personal identification number; date of birth; nationality; place of residence; driving school; vehicle category trained; training course; date of examination result achievement; examination authority; examination location (driving test center or training ground for examination); date of license issuance, renewal, reissuance; issuing authority; license category; expiration date; license form number;

b) Have the ability to receive the information listed in point a of this clause from the traffic police department's license issuance information system; search for license information, perform driving test and license issuance business on the electronic information portal; accurately store all managed information;

c) Have the function of issuing international driver’s licenses as stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of Article 28 of this Circular; revoke licenses;

d) Have the ability to connect and share data with the national public service gateway, provincial public service gateways, and other related information systems to implement administrative procedures related to license management and international driver’s licenses;

đ) Ensure current legal provisions regarding information security, network security, and safety.

4. License issuance information system at the local police station where the reception point is located

a) Manage at least the following information: license number; name; personal identification number; date of birth; nationality; place of residence; date of license issuance, renewal, reissuance; issuing authority; license category; expiration date; license form number;

b) Have the ability to provide the information listed in point a of this clause to the traffic police department's license issuance information system;

c) Have the ability to receive the information listed in point a of this clause from the person renewing the license;

d) Have the ability to accurately store all managed information; connect and share data with related information systems;

đ) Ensure current legal provisions regarding information security, network security, and safety.

Article 31. Principles and Forms of Data Exploitation on the Driver's License Examination and Issuance Information System

1. Principles of Data Exploitation

a) The exploitation of driver's license examination and issuance data shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of laws on information technology and cybersecurity;

b) The management agency of the driver's license information system as stipulated in Articles 35 and 36 of this Circular and the Public Security Police Station have the responsibility to protect personal information and data in the driver's license database on the network in accordance with the provisions of laws on information technology;

c) Services for exploiting driver's license information data shall be provided to agencies, organizations, and individuals on the network in accordance with the provisions of laws on information technology and cybersecurity.

2. Forms of Exploitation

a) Direct exploitation: Agencies, organizations, and individuals may directly exploit driver's license data from the electronic driver's license information website according to the regulations on security levels and permissions for using and exploiting driver's license data;

b) Indirect exploitation: Agencies, organizations, and individuals requiring exploitation of driver's license data provide information extracted from the driver's license database, including: information recorded on the driver's license (in cases where authorized agencies require additional information, such information about training, examination, and traffic law violations will also be provided in addition to the printed information on the driver's license).

Article 32. Data Retention Period on the Information System

The head of the agency or organization is responsible for directing the implementation of electronic document management in accordance with the following regulations:

1. The retention period for examination data at the driving license examination center is a minimum of five years.

2. The retention period for examination, issuance, renewal, reissuance, and revocation data at the Traffic Police Department is a minimum of fifty years.

3. The retention period for examination, issuance, renewal, reissuance, and revocation data at the General Traffic Police Department is a maximum of seventy years.

Article 33. Procedure for Exploiting the Driver's License Issuance Information System

1. For New Driver's License Issuance

a) Traffic Police Department: exploits information on examination application data on the driver training information system to review candidate lists meeting examination conditions; based on the decision to organize the examination, creates a list of trainees eligible to participate in the examination and sends it to the driving license examination centers and motorcycle driving test grounds for coordination in organizing the examination; receives examination result data from driving license examination centers and motorcycle driving test grounds through the examination information system to create a list of individuals eligible to receive a driver's license;

b) Driving license examination centers and motorcycle driving test grounds equipped with examination information systems: receive candidate lists for examinations synchronized from the Traffic Police Department on the information system and implement the examination procedures on the examination information system; synchronize examination result data into the examination information system;

c) General Traffic Police Department: receives driver's license data synchronized into the driver's license information system by the Traffic Police Department to organize management and use of data in accordance with regulations.

2. For Driver's License Renewal

a) Local police station where the reception point is located: receives applications, checks, updates, and verifies electronic files into the driver's license information system and synchronizes data into the driver's license information system at the Traffic Police Department;

b) Traffic Police Department: receives applications, implements the driver's license renewal procedures on the driver's license information system; checks, updates, verifies electronic files into the driver's license information system and synchronizes data into the driver's license information system at the General Traffic Police Department;

c) General Traffic Police Department receives driver's license data synchronized into the driver's license information system at the General Traffic Police Department to organize management and use of data in accordance with regulations.

Article 34. Procedure for exploiting the information system for issuing and managing international driving permits (IDPs)

1. Traffic Police Department: receives applications and implements the IDP issuance process on the driver's license information system at the Traffic Police Department; checks, updates, and verifies electronic files into the driver's license information system at the Traffic Police Department and carries out the printing process for IDPs; checks the quality of the printed driver's licenses and synchronizes data into the driver's license information system at the General Traffic Police Corps.

2. General Traffic Police Corps

a) Receives IDP data synchronized by the Traffic Police Department into the driver's license information system at the General Traffic Police Corps to organize management and use of data as prescribed;

b) In case of receiving applications for IDP issuance from individuals, it shall be carried out as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTATION

Article 35. Responsibilities of the General Traffic Police Corps

1. Driver examination work

a) Provides professional guidance on the construction of driver examination centers and examinations to ensure uniform implementation nationwide;

b) Develops question banks; software for the examination information system, issuance of driver's licenses; software for theoretical examination; traffic situation simulation software to serve driver examinations, and guides their uniform implementation nationwide and transfers them to the Traffic Police Department and driver examination centers;

c) Develops programs, directs, and organizes training sessions, issues examiner cards for national examiner teams, and stores examiner records as prescribed;

d) Announces and updates lists of driver examination centers granted or revoked examination permits on its official website.

2. Work on issuing, renewing, reissuing, and revoking driver's licenses

a) Provides professional guidance on the issuance, renewal, reissuance, and revocation of driver's licenses to ensure uniform implementation nationwide;

b) Guides and manages the use of driver's license blanks;

c) Manages centralized data and issues driver's licenses.

3. Work on issuing international driving permits

a) Provides professional guidance on the issuance of IDPs to ensure uniform implementation nationwide;

b) Guides and manages the use of IDP blanks within its authority;

c) Announces and updates annually the list of countries participating in the Vienna Convention based on official notifications from the United Nations on its official website;

d) Implements public services for IDP issuance;

đ) Manages centralized data and issues driver's licenses.

4. Work on managing the information system

a) Constructs, upgrades, and maintains the operation of the examination and driver's license issuance information system at the General Traffic Police Corps; the online public service system for full-cycle driver's license renewal on the national public service portal; the online public service system for IDP issuance; integrates and shares driver's license data according to the requirements of competent authorities; applies digital technology in examinations and driver's license issuance;

b) Provides accounts for local police stations designated to receive applications and the Traffic Police Department to log in, transmit, and exploit data on the information system;

c) Develops, trains, and transfers business software in the examination information system and the driver's license information system at driver examination centers and the Traffic Police Department.

5. For inspection work

a) Periodically or randomly inspects the management of examinations, issuance, renewal, reissuance, and revocation of driver's licenses and record storage at local police departments;

b) Periodically or randomly inspects the organization of examination periods at driver examination centers, handles or reports to competent authorities to handle violations according to current regulations.

6. The General Traffic Police Corps takes the lead and coordinates with the Security Industry Corporation to design, produce, and print common information on driver's license blanks and IDP blanks issued to local police units and areas.

Article 36. Responsibilities of the Traffic Police Department

1. Driver examination work

a) Implement network connection with local driving examination centers and the Traffic Police Corps;

b) Provide system monitoring examination information accounts for the Traffic Police Corps, the Traffic Police Department units bringing trainees to organize examinations at driving examination centers not within their jurisdiction, and for driving examination centers to log in, transmit, and exploit data; examination results data exploited on the system monitoring information software shall be compiled according to the model prescribed in Appendix XVII issued together with this Circular;

c) Publicize schedules and locations for planned driving examinations of the following month before the 20th day of the current month on the Electronic Information Website, National Public Service Portal;

d) Organize driving examinations.

2. Work on issuing, renewing, reissuing, and revoking driver's licenses

a) Carry out the task of receiving applications for issuing, renewing, and reissuing driver's licenses, transferring data to the Traffic Police Corps; print and return driver's licenses;

b) Guide police stations at the commune level to receive applications for renewing and reissuing driver's licenses and transfer data to the Traffic Police Department;

c) Carry out the task of revoking and canceling driver's licenses when there is a decision from the Traffic Police Corps to revoke them.

3. Carry out the task of receiving applications for issuing International Driving Permits (IDPs), transferring data to the Traffic Police Corps; print and return IDPs.

4. Work on managing the information system

a) Invest in, maintain, and upgrade hardware and software systems and data transmission networks of the examination and driver's license issuance information system;

b) Operate the examination and driver's license issuance information system;

c) Receive, organize implementation, and take responsibility for business software in the examination information system and the driver's license information system;

d) Use software in the examination information system to conduct driving examinations, compile results as the basis for issuing and reissuing driver's licenses as prescribed;

đ) Use software in the driver's license information system to update, process, exploit, verify, and synchronize data and manage driver's licenses;

e) Use data on the installed and transferred system at the Traffic Police Department and driving examination centers to serve inspection, supervision, and provide information to relevant agencies;

5. Regularly or unexpectedly inspect the work of receiving applications for renewing and reissuing driver's licenses at commune-level police stations where application reception points are arranged.

Article 37. Responsibilities of Driving Examination Centers

1. Regarding management of examinations

a) Ensure material infrastructure and equipment for testing and scoring in accordance with regulations to conduct examinations accurately and objectively; report to the Traffic Police Department and the Traffic Police Corps when examination equipment and vehicles operate inaccurately, unstably, or when changing examination equipment and vehicles to handle promptly;

b) Coordinate and create all conditions for trainees to review and for examination boards to organize examinations conveniently and according to schedule;

c) Comply with and coordinate with competent authorities in inspecting driving examination centers;

d) Publicize examination fees and prices of other services on the electronic information website of the driving examination center;

đ) Ensure safety for driving examinations; coordinate with related units and agencies to resolve incidents of accidents or safety issues that occur;

e) Publicize examination schedules on the electronic information website of the driving examination center, store examination result files in accordance with Clause 3, Article 17 of this Circular;

g) Transmit and share examination monitoring data to the Traffic Police Department and the Traffic Police Corps, store and take responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, and truthfulness of examination monitoring data; ensure data security; secure login names, passwords, and software for the examination monitoring information system of the Traffic Police Department and the Traffic Police Corps; provide timely and accurate examination monitoring information and data to competent state management authorities upon request;

h) Receive and use theoretical examination software, traffic situation simulation examination software transferred by the Traffic Police Corps for conducting driving examinations, and business management software transferred by the Traffic Police Corps to support organizing driving examinations.

2. Management of the information system

a) Invest in, maintain, and upgrade hardware and software systems and data transmission networks of the driving examination information system located at the driving examination center;

b) Receive and install, organize implementation of software transferred by the Traffic Police Corps; shall not interfere, install devices, or install software affecting the examination process or distorting examination results.

Chapter VII

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 38. Effectiveness and Transitional Provisions

1. This Circular shall take effect from March 1, 2025.

2. For local police forces that have not yet met the conditions regarding information infrastructure to implement the provisions stipulated in Clause 5, Article 12 and Clause 2, Article 16 of this Circular, when candidates fail the examination period, they must re-register for the examination with the same examination authority; the individual's examination application file must be sent by the training institution to the Traffic Police Department. By no later than January 1, 2026, they must uniformly implement the provisions stipulated in Clause 5, Article 12 and Clause 2, Article 16 of this Circular.

3. Individuals who were absent or failed in previous examination periods before this Circular takes effect will retain the results of the examination contents they passed to register for a driving license examination after this Circular takes effect and will be issued a driving license according to the provisions on the issuance and renewal of driving licenses set forth in Clause 3, Article 89 of the Road Traffic Safety Law.

Article 39. Responsibility for Implementation

1. The Director of the Traffic Police Department shall be responsible for monitoring, urging, inspecting, and guiding the implementation of this Circular.

2. Heads of units under the Ministry, Directors of provincial and centrally-administered city public security departments, and organizations and individuals related to this matter shall be responsible for implementing this Circular.

During the implementation of this Circular, if there are difficulties or obstacles, relevant units, localities, organizations, and individuals shall report to the Ministry of Public Security (through the Traffic Police Department) for timely guidance./.

 

THE MINISTER
(Signed)
Senior General Luong Tam Quang

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12/2025/TT-BCA
Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BCA on examination, issuance of driving licenses; issuance and use of international driving permits
In effect

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