One motorbike, one bad decision — most serious foreigner injuries in Da Nang start here. Licences, insurance, alcohol and floodwater are the four things that turn a scrape into a catastrophe.
2 do · 3 never do
Foreigners are fined exactly like locals — licence, insurance, fastened helmet.
Anything above 50cc needs a licence Vietnam recognises: an IDP under the 1968 convention, or a converted Vietnamese licence. Without it your insurance will decline the claim, which matters far more than the fine.
Source Official — Vietnamese decree
Xanh SM, be and Grab price the trip up front — match the plate to the app before getting in.
App fares remove the negotiation and log the driver, which is what you want at 2am or at the airport. If the plate does not match, cancel; the app will not penalise you for it.
Source Community-reported
Vietnam runs a zero-tolerance regime and insurance may be void.
The legal limit is zero, roadside checks are frequent and evening-heavy, and fines are steep. An accident with alcohol on your breath typically voids both your motorbike and your travel insurance — take a Grab.
Source Official — Vietnamese decree
Commission steering and fare-padding are common — insist on the meter or an app fare.
A driver who offers a restaurant, tailor or tour is earning a commission, and it is added to your bill. Agree the fare or the meter before the doors close, and choose your own destination.
Source Community-reported
You can't see open drains, missing manhole covers or dropped cables underneath.
Brown water hides everything, including live cables. Da Nang drains fast once rain stops, so waiting an hour is almost always the better decision — and a hydrolocked engine is on you, not the rental shop.
Source Official — embassy advisory
Only with a licence Vietnam recognises: your home motorcycle licence plus a 1968 Vienna Convention International Driving Permit, or a converted Vietnamese licence. Anything 50cc or under, including electric scooters, needs no licence.
No. Those countries issue the 1949 Geneva Convention permit, which Vietnam does not accept. You need the separate 1968 Vienna Convention IDP, or a Vietnamese licence converted from your home one.
Police in Da Nang now issue official tickets of around 5 million VND and can impound the bike for 10–15 days. The bigger problem is that riding unlicensed voids your insurance if you crash.
Yes — Grab, Xanh SM and be all operate here. App fares are priced up front and log the driver; match the number plate to the app before you get in, and cancel without penalty if it does not match.
Zero. Roadside breath checks are frequent and evening-heavy, fines are steep, and a crash with any alcohol on your breath typically voids both your motorbike and your travel insurance. Take a Grab.
No. Brown water hides open drains, missing manhole covers and live cables, and a hydrolocked engine is charged to you, not the rental shop. Da Nang drains fast once rain stops, so waiting an hour is almost always safer.