Vietnam eases licence renewal and doubles theory test questions

From 1 July 2026, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security will apply the new Thông tu 108/2026 regulation on driver’s licences. Holders whose licences have been expired for less than 30 days may renew without any re‑testing. Those expired between 30 days and one year must pass a theory exam, and those expired for a year or more must pass both theory and practical (simulator and road) tests. The rule also covers licences that have been lost but are overdue, and extends the grace period by one month compared with the previous regulation.

Starting 1 March 2027, the same ministry will increase the number of theory‑exam questions for all vehicle classes, effectively doubling them for many categories (e.g., from 45 to 90 questions for car classes BE, D1E, D2E, DE, C1E, CE) and extending the allotted time to 90 minutes. The transition provisions allow candidates who passed the old exams before the change to retain their results, while those who had not yet completed all components must retake the unfinished parts under the new rules. The reforms aim to raise driver competence and improve road safety.