How to proceed with the renewal of an expiring driver's license in ?

Under what circumstances can a driver's license be changed?

The process of changing a driver's license is carried out according to the regulations in Article 37 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT.

Accordingly, an expiring driver's license is also one of the cases where a license can be changed.

The procedure for changing an expiring driver's license must be carried out in accordance with the prescribed legal sequence and procedure.

Specifically, Article 37 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT stipulates the cases where a driver's license can be changed, including:

2. Individuals with a driver's license with a specific expiration date can change their license before it expires; individuals with a damaged driver's license within the validity period can also change their license.

3. Individuals with a class E driver's license who are 55 years old for men and 50 years old for women, and have the desire to continue driving, can apply to change their license from class D or lower if they meet the health requirements.

4. In the case where the date of birth, surname, given name, middle name on the driver's license differs from the information on the ID card or citizen identification card, the licensing authority will process a new driver's license that matches the information on the ID card or citizen identification card.

Based on the above basis, it can be concluded that the cases where a driver's license can be changed include:

- Individuals with a driver's license with a specific expiration date can change their license before it expires (including individuals with a damaged driver's license).
- Individuals with a class E driver's license who are 55 years old for men and 50 years old for women, and have the desire to continue driving, can apply to change their license from class D or lower.
- In the case where the date of birth, surname, given name, middle name on the driver's license differs from the information on the ID card or citizen identification card, the licensing authority can issue a new driver's license that matches the information on the ID card or citizen identification card.

Additionally, changing a driver's license is also applicable to cases where individuals have a driver's license issued by a competent authority of a foreign country.

Therefore, in your case, since your driver's license is expiring, it is mandatory for you to register for a license renewal.

If you do not register for a license renewal within the valid period of your license, you will have to go through the process of reissuing a driver's license.

In this case, you will have to retake the theory or practical exam, or both, in order to be issued a new driver's license.

How are the validity periods of different types of licenses regulated?

The validity periods of driver's licenses are a question of great concern for many people who are preparing to renew their expiring licenses.

According to Article 17 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT, A1, A2, and A3 licenses have no expiration date.

The remaining types of licenses have a limited validity period, specifically:
- B1 license is valid until the driver reaches 55 years old for women and 60 years old for men. (If the driver is over 45 years old for women and 50 years old for men, the license will be issued with a validity period of 10 years from the date of issuance).
- A4 and B2 licenses are valid for 10 years from the date of issuance.
- C, D, E, FB2, FC, FD, and FE licenses are valid for 5 years from the date of issuance.

How to proceed with the renewal of an expiring driver's license in 2023?

The procedure for renewing an expiring driver's license in 2023 is carried out according to the regulations stated in Article 38 of Circular 12/2017/TT-BGTVT, paragraph 7 of Article 2 of Circular 01/2021/TT-BGTVT, which consists of 4 basic steps: document preparation, submission of documents, processing of documents, and result delivery. Specifically, the steps are as follows:

Step 1: Document preparation for renewing an expiring driver's license
The documents include:
- Application form for renewing a driver's license (as prescribed in Appendix 19, issued in Circular 01/2021/TT-BGTVT).
- Health certificate of the driver issued by a qualified medical facility, as regulated (except for those who hold A1, A2, A3 driver's licenses or those who want to separate their licenses with limited and unlimited terms).
- Copies of the following documents:
+ Previously issued driver's license.
+ Identity card/citizen identification card/passport (valid for Vietnamese citizens)/valid passport (for foreigners)/valid passport for Vietnamese residing abroad.

Step 2: Submission of documents
The submission of documents can be done in the following ways:
- Direct submission at the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam or the Department of Transport.
- Online submission through the online public service system to either of the two agencies.
Note: In the case of direct submission, the applicant for the driver's license renewal must take a direct photo at the submission agency and present the original copies of the documents mentioned above for verification.

Step 3: Processing of documents
The competent authority will receive and process the documents within a maximum of 5 working days from the date of receiving the complete and correct documents. The applicant for the driver's license renewal must pay the fee according to Circular 188/2016/TT-BTC, which is 135,000 VND per application.

Step 4: Result delivery
The result will be delivered to the applicant at the place where the documents were submitted.

Therefore, the procedure for renewing an expiring driver's license is carried out in the 4 steps mentioned above. The applicant is obligated to pay the fee according to the regulations before receiving the renewed driver's license.