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I am a foreign expat currently working in Vietnam and have been granted a residence permit with a validity period of three years. I’m considering buying a motorbike or a car for use in Vietnam. Can I register the vehicle under my name and what is the procedure for vehicle registration?
Under the Ministry of Public Security’s Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA providing the registration and grant of number plates of motor vehicles, effective as of August 15, foreigners can register their motorbikes and cars at their places of temporary or permanent residence.
In particular, you can register your vehicle online via the National Public Service Portal or the Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security. If you cannot carry out online registration because of unavailable e-data or technical errors, you can go to the Traffic Police Division in the locality where you reside to complete the formality.
You’ll have to pay a fee for vehicle registration. Payment may be made via online payment services integrated into the Public Service Portal or directly at the Traffic Police Division.
If your vehicle registration dossier is complete and valid, you will be granted a vehicle registration certificate and a vehicle number plate. You may choose to receive the vehicle registration certificate and vehicle number plate via the public postal service or at the Traffic Police Division. Please note that the first option is available only if you carry out vehicle registration procedures online.
Your vehicle registration number will be managed based on your ID number which is established by the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security’s Electronic Identification and Authentication System or based on the number of your temporary residence permit or another identity card issued by a Vietnamese authority. Your vehicle registration number will not change even in case you move to another locality in the country. However, when your vehicle is damaged to an extent that it becomes unusable or reaches the end of its life or when you sell it to another person, your vehicle registration number will be revoked and re-granted to you if you register a new vehicle within the subsequent five years. Past this time limit, such number may be granted to another person or organization according to regulations. When you sell your vehicle to another person, you have to return the vehicle registration certificate and number plate to the vehicle registration agency or authorize the buyer to do so. But please keep in mind that you will be fined if the certificate and number plate are not returned within 30 days after the vehicle title transfer agreement is signed, and held responsible before law for all violations concerning the vehicle if failing to carry out procedures for revocation of the vehicle registration number.- (VLLF)
