VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam will issue international driving licenses with information in English, French, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, specifying the type of vehicle that the holder is allowed to use.

Mr. Nguyen Van Huyen, Director General of the Road Administration, said the agency has submitted a Circular guiding the issuance of international driving licenses to the Ministry of Transport for approval. The circular is expected to take effect in the first quarter 2015.

This type of driving license will be issued in accordance with international standards in the form of a passport, and will be valid in 85 countries that participated in the 1968 International Convention on Road Traffic and the Convention on the Road Signs (Vienna Convention).

The information in the international driving licenses will be in English, French, Russian, Spanish, English and Vietnamese. It can be used in most European countries and five countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. The license is valid from one to three years.

According to Huyen, the international driving license is granted to citizens of Vietnam who are in need and the issuance procedure is simple, similar to a normal driving license. Initially, the licence will be issued on a pilot basis by the Road Administration and in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City only.

It is expected that the issuance fee will be VND135,000 ($6).

Minh Son