Is the driving license valid?

1. Types of motorcycle licenses in Vietnam:

1.1. A1 motorcycle license:

- Issued to individuals who operate motorcycles or scooters with engine capacity from 50cc to 175cc, and individuals with disabilities who operate 3-wheeled motorcycles.
- Required documents: Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 portrait photo.
- Validity: Unlimited.

1.2. A2 motorcycle license:

- Issued to individuals who operate motorcycles with engine capacity of 175cc or higher, and individuals who hold an A1 license.
- Required documents: Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 photo.
- Validity: Unlimited.

1.3. A3 motorcycle license:

- Issued to individuals who operate 3-wheeled motorcycles, including motorized tricycles, cyclos, and other vehicles specified for A1 license.
- Required documents: Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 portrait photo.
- Validity: Unlimited.

1.4. A4 motorcycle license:

- Issued to individuals who operate tractors with a payload of less than 1,000kg.
- Required documents: Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 portrait photo.
- Validity: 10 years.

In addition, the laws and regulations also provide clear provisions for licenses for electric motorcycles. Based on point d, clause 1, Article 3 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, this refers to vehicles powered by electric motors with a maximum power not exceeding 4kW and a maximum design speed not exceeding 50km/h.

According to Article 60 of the Road Traffic Law 2008:
- Individuals aged 16 and above are allowed to operate motorcycles with an engine capacity below 50cc.
- Individuals aged 18 and above are allowed to operate two-wheeled motorcycles, three-wheeled motorcycles with an engine capacity of 50cc or higher, and other vehicles such as trucks with a payload below 3,500kg, and passenger vehicles with up to 9 seats.

2. Types of car licenses in Vietnam:

The current types of car licenses used in the Vietnam Road Traffic Law 2008 include B1, B1 automatic, B2, C, D, E, and F licenses. B1, B2, and C licenses are issued to individuals aged 18 and above, but there are age differences for D, E, and F licenses.

2.1. B1 automatic car license:

- Applicable for automatic vehicles with up to 9 seats (including the driver's seat), automatic specialized trucks with a design payload below 3,500kg, and specially designed vehicles for people with disabilities.
- Required documents: Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 portrait photo.
- Validity:
- Up to 55 years old for females and 60 years old for males.
- For females above 45 years old and males above 50 years old, the B1 automatic license is valid for 10 years from the date of issuance.

2.2. B1 Driver's License

Types of vehicles applicable for B1 license: The B1 driver's license is used for the following types of vehicles:
- Cars with up to 9 seats used for passenger transportation, including the driver.
- Trucks, including specialized trucks with a design weight below 3,500kg.
- Towing vehicles used to tow a trailer with a design weight below 3,500kg.

Registration documents: Application form as prescribed; copy of ID card; health examination certificate issued by authorized medical facility; 3x4 portrait photo.
Validity period:
- Valid until 55 years of age for females and 60 years of age for males.
- For drivers over 45 years old (female) and 50 years old (male): The B1 driver's license is issued with a validity period of 10 years from the date of issuance.

2.3. B2 Driver's License

Types of vehicles applicable for B2 license: The B2 driver's license is issued to drivers of service vehicles, using the following types of vehicles:
- Specialized vehicles with a design weight below 3,500kg.
- Vehicles specified for B1 driver's license.

Registration documents: Application form as prescribed; copy of ID card; health examination certificate issued by authorized medical facility; 3x4 portrait photo.
Validity period: 10 years from the date of issuance.

2.4. C Driver's License

Types of vehicles applicable for C license: The C driver's license is issued to drivers of the following types of vehicles:
- Trucks, including specialized trucks with a design weight above 3,500kg.
- Towing vehicles for trailers with a design weight above 3,500kg.
- Vehicles specified for B1 and B2 driver's licenses.

Registration documents: Application form as prescribed; copy of ID card; health examination certificate issued by authorized medical facility; 3x4 portrait photo.
Validity period: 10 years from the date of issuance.

2.5. D Driver's License

Types of vehicles applicable for D license: The D driver's license is issued to drivers of the following types of vehicles:
- Cars used for passenger transportation with 10 to 30 seats, including the driver.
- Vehicles specified for B1, B2, and C driver's licenses.

Requirements for issuance:
- Citizens aged 24 and above.
- Having at least 5 years of driving experience.
- Education level of at least secondary school or equivalent.
- Holding a B2 or C driver's license and having a safe driving experience of 100,000km.

Registration documents:
- For first-time applicants: Application form as prescribed; copy of ID card; health examination certificate issued by authorized medical facility; 3x4 portrait photo.
- For upgrading applicants: Documents applicable for first-time applicants; declaration of professional experience and safe driving distance as prescribed; copy of high school diploma or equivalent.

Validity period: 5 years from the date of issuance.

2.6. Class E Driver's License

Types of vehicles applicable to Class E license:
- Class E driver's license is issued to individuals operating vehicles such as:
- Passenger cars with over 30 seats
- Types of vehicles allowed to be operated with Class B1, B2, C, and D licenses

Conditions for obtaining the license:
- Citizen aged 24 or above
- Have at least 5 years of driving experience
- Education level of at least secondary school or equivalent
- Have Class B2 license to upgrade to Class D, or Class C license to upgrade to Class E:
- Minimum 5 years of driving experience and a safe driving record of over 100,000 km

Registration documents:
- For first-time license applicants:
+ Application form
+ Copy of ID card
+ Health certificate issued by authorized medical facility
+ 3x4 portrait photo
- For license upgrade applicants:
+ Required documents as specified for first-time applicants
+ Record of driving experience and safe driving distance according to the specified template
+ Copy of secondary school diploma or equivalent

Validity period: 5 years from the date of issuance

2.7. Class F Driver's License (FB2, FC, FD, FE)

Types of vehicles applicable to Class F license:
In the Vietnamese driver's license classification system, Class F is the highest level and is only issued to individuals who already possess Class B2, C, D, and E licenses. It allows the operation of corresponding vehicles, including articulated lorries with a design weight exceeding 750 kg, semi-trailer trucks, and trailer buses. Specifically:
- Class FB2: Issued to individuals operating vehicles specified for Class B2 license with a trailer.
- Class FC: Issued to individuals operating vehicles specified for Class C license with a trailer.
- Class FD: Issued to individuals operating vehicles specified for Class D license with a trailer.
- Class FE: Issued to individuals operating vehicles specified for Class E license with a trailer.

Conditions for obtaining the license:
- Citizen aged 21 or above (Class FB2); 24 or above (Class FC); 27 or above (Class FD, FE)
- Only eligible for upgrade from Class B2, C, D, and E licenses. Specific requirements depend on the previous license.

Documents for license upgrade:
- Application form, copy of ID card, health certificate issued by authorized medical facility, 3x4 portrait photo
- Additional documents depending on the upgrade requirements: Record of driving experience and safe driving distance according to the specified template, copy of secondary school diploma or equivalent

Validity period: 5 years from the date of issuance

*Note:
- Individuals with a Class FE license can operate vehicles specified for Class B1, B2, C, D, E, FB2, and FD licenses.
- Individuals with a Class FD license can operate vehicles specified for Class B1, B2, C, D, and FB2 licenses.
- Individuals with a Class FC license can operate vehicles specified for Class B1, B2, C, and FB2 licenses.
- Individuals with a Class FB2 license can operate vehicles specified for Class B1 and B2 licenses.

According to current regulations, all types of driver's licenses in Vietnam are only issued when citizens meet the requirements regarding age, health, civil capacity, and pass the examinations conducted by authorized training institutions approved by the State. Currently, electric cars are becoming more popular in Vietnam, and the legal documents also include provisions regarding driver's licenses for this type of vehicle. Article 3.1 of Circular 86/2014/TT-BGTVT of the Ministry of Transport defines various types of vehicles (including electric cars) as follows: "Four-wheeled vehicles with motors for transporting people are motorized vehicles running on the road with an engine, designed to carry people, with two axles, at least four wheels, a maximum design speed not exceeding 30 km/h, and a maximum seating capacity of 15 seats (including the driver's seat)." In addition, Article 18 of this Circular stipulates that the driver of a four-wheeled electric vehicle must have a driver's license from Class B2 or higher and must meet the conditions specified in Article 58 of the Road Traffic Law 2008. Therefore, individuals with a Class B2 driver's license or higher can operate various types of cars with 4-9 seats, including gasoline and electric cars. The above information provides details about the classification of driver's licenses in Vietnam at present (2022). Hopefully, this article has provided useful information for readers.