Hi all,

I intend to apply international license for vehicle ride at Thailand.

FYI, I have applied the IDP from jpj mysikap website, and already made the payment, receipt has been issued, and the website told me to go to JPJ to handle for the next step. I'm not sure anything I have skipped at this point.

Any required documents I need to prepare before I proceed to JPJ branch to proceed the next step? Anyone who has experience about this, can enlighten me about this?

Thank you.

Plot twist. Our driver license is recognized throughout whole of ASEAN.

There is an agreement to this, as long as there is English translation (which we already have), then it is recognized & valid.

I've used it to rent cars in Thailand.

I walked in. I not sure abt applying online but needed passport picture and payment only. Then they will give u a brown little book that serves as the IDP. Whole process took abt 1.5 hours...not too bad

I didn't know this. That is actually make sense as my friend didn't know need to apply IDP until he drives at Thailand. The police blocked him, he just hand over his driving license, and the police just let him go.

Sadly, I just applied it not long ago, and spend for RM150

It's good to know that. Will take note on that in the future. Thanks ya.

This post has been edited by creations: Sep 13 2023, 09:18 AM

Thanks for the guidelines, that help me alot. I thought they need some photostat documents before reaching you guys here.

My guess I need not to queue for payment, hand over passport request IDP from counter, and they will do right away.

If you still going to collect, bring your IC, license, passport photo (white background i think) and your payment receipt. Should have just walked in as it can be done in about 15mins from the time your number is called if u have all the documents for your future reference.

Awww. Another tedious part to take note before going there. Thanks for the checklist ya, otherwise gonna spend another day go there again. <3

The only countries I know that need IDP are just japan and korea

Almost everywhere else no need

I think countries that don't officially use English language may require it.

Our license got English so it can be verified in countries that officially use English. Others may ask for International license as it cover many languages. Well its just 150 a year so better be safe than sorry.

Nah many countries that don’t officially use english also no issue

In UK, our drivers license is recognized for a period of 6 months (the period of your visa).

Have rented cars in UK & it was accepted as valid document.

Edit: Not recognised in USA even though we have English on our drivers license. Need IDP for USA.

This post has been edited by Lanchio: Sep 13 2023, 10:56 AM

Not true about USA. I've used malaysia's drivers license to rent cars on many visits to USA

I stand corrected. Thanks Lembu

Don't need IDP for Thai.

Sos: do business & regularly rent cars in Thailand using msia driver license.

please take note, even you have international license, local thai authorities have the rights of reject your license.

the proper procedure is, you need to show your international license to Thailand transportation department to get a Thai Driving License



This post has been edited by whphon: Sep 13 2023, 11:55 AM

Nope they can’t reject. As stated above ASEAN countries agreed to recognize each other’s domestic driving licenses

The agreement:
https://agreement.asean.org/media/download/...61129035137.pdf

valid in Japan too. I applied walk in rm150 few years ago planning to rent bike at okinawa. too bad i couldn't make it, only able to spend time at Jp main island.

please note that when u rent vehicle in thailand, u need insurance, and international lesen..
if own vehicle , our lesen kopi enuff

This is incorrect; it depends on the state that you are renting the car from.
The IDP requirement depends on the state as USA DMV is within state jurisdiction and not federal.

So do tell us sir, which states do not allow?

Lol you must be the one never kena stopped by police before

I kena once at Pattaya police roadblock riding bike, kena stopped and show my Malaysia driving license. not recognised. straight on the spot rampas passport and settle balai polis 500b with official receipt. Dun believe me? Call Malaysia embassy and say ur passport confiscated because they issue fine for driving with Malaysia license. The embassy people will advise you to just pay the fine.

Driving in Phuket/Hatyai with MY license is ok.
Northern like Chiang Mai/Udon better dun risk it.

Also Vietnam is also part of ASEAN. Good luck riding bike with Malaysia license there Either you cough up 250k-500k dong or prepare to sit in jail and deal with bureaucracy with the rental company because their motorbike impounded.

This post has been edited by Icehart: Sep 13 2023, 03:13 PM

Google lor. Nah here

https://www.rhinocarhire.com/Car-Hire-Blog/...permit-USA.aspx

Sorry to hear of your bad luck, i’ve been stopped few times before by police no issue. So the fine of 500b is because you did not have IDP?

Well this is interesting. I lived in one of the states mentioned for 3 years and got stopped by police a couple of times. Maybe police and dmv are not working together lol

I would still not recommend getting an IDP for renting a car in the US. If you look at the major car rental companies, almost all do not require an IDP unless your government-issued license isn't in English. Lookup quora/reddit also you can see many do not recommend getting one and it's a waste of money.

This post has been edited by Lembu Goreng: Sep 13 2023, 04:16 PM

Yah don't know bad luck or what
Phuket/Hatyai is ok. I stopped by police more than 10 times ok, no problem.
Only problem is when u go northern. I think the police there don't know how to read English. So just fine straight if no IDP. I see they holding one piece of whitepaper with IDP picture with what to check for in Thai words.

I guess really bad luck. They cannot fine you for that, the ASEAN agreement recognises your malaysian license in thailand. Probably easier to just pay the fine. Vietnam wasn't part of the ASEAN agreement (in 1985) so that's why an IDP is required but it didnt stop me from renting a bike (though I did not have a run in with police in vietnam).

Yeah 500b to pay the fine and keep the receipt so cannot fine again.

I also printed this: https://agreement.asean.org/media/download/...40119161921.pdf
But when go Vietnam and show this letter even the bike rental advise try to avoid police as much as possible. They will text if got police roadblock. But don't let this hinder everyone, Vietnam is such an amazing country to do bike tour.

For peace of mind, just apply for it… when on holiday, the last thing I want to be doing is to be arguing with the local cops about what the ASEAN charter allows or disallows… especially if the local police are actually out to cari makan….

IDL is just a language translation document.
Our DL is in English, so most country can understand that hence no need to translate.

Just pay RM150 for a peace of mind. Different countries different laws. You may argue with the police about the ASEAN agreement in a road block.
I have been to Indonesia and Vietnam (their) JPJ. In Indonesia's JPJ, it's stated clearly about this ASEAN agreement.
If you read carefully, it's mentioned for "temporary stay".
And in a road block, these enforcers sometimes would not listen to you and they have many reasons to fine you.
Vietnam JPJ when I went there many years ago is very old school type, everything manual, not computerized yet.
Well, one can argue that when you rent a vehicle from the rental company, it's allowed blah blah blah.
Let me tell you they just want to rent out their vehicle. Whatever happens on the road is not their problems.
Remember that whenever you rent a car you need to sign an agreement, please read that agreement.
Ignorant is a bliss.
Thing is, one can take chances but once get into accident, even can argue that the rental company let you rent the car but that is with a foremost condition, valid driving license.
I do not think that one's life is as cheap.
I read up a bit about using Malaysian license to drive in Indonesia, it says that the person has to make report at the nearest JPJ (Satpas SIM terdekat).
To make thing easy, it's better to get a piece of paper than sorry.
Other than just a piece of paper/ booklet can cost RM150 per year, one need to follow each country's laws.
To properly driving in Vietnam, the minimum document is IDL but this does not mean you can drive legally. You need to convert so called this IDL to their local Tieng Viet Driving license.
Just my 2 cents.

This post has been edited by gold member: Apr 8 2024, 11:27 PM

The reason for IDL is just for translation purposes. Depending on the country you are going, the written language on your driving license may not be understood by the law enforcement from that countries hence need IDL. Since our driving license is in BM & English, most ppl can understand except maybe Japan and Korea.

No need international license jn Thailand lah bro. I drove there multiple times. Learn the agreement between all asean countries

haha.. no choice. the car rental company wants my international license before the car get rented, so I have to get the license issued for them

which car company? I always used Budget Car Rental Thailand.

sometimes yes u can get ur rennted car n all goes well is ok.
worry is if got accident then insurance gona play a game then it's hassle..better get 1

In Philippines, it is recognized up to 90 days only

The validity period of your visa

I see. Apparently this is even for PR. They encourage you to change to theirs if driving more than that

The name called north wheel. The best part I booked this that I can start rent my car at Chiang Rai, and return back the car at Chiang Mai as they have branch over there too.

Can we use the JPJ app to show softcopy during car rental etc. or still need the physical card? Tho I have the expired one..
How about during a roadblock aboard?

Nope.

You can pay RM20 to get the physical copy though - https://www.carlist.my/news/planning-to-dri...-135280/135280/

Here just say pay RM 20 print the renew card not the whole license, no need IDP or whatever, but need to bring go overseas supporting documents

I don't get why posters here are saying that can rent car (with MY license) in the country means no need IDP. Are you all saying car rental rules = police rules?

seems that thai accepts our malaysian driving license, although i can't find any black-and-white on this.

Making IDP is a breeze.

1. Pay online @ JPJ website (RM150)
2. bring the payment-receipt (or can email them at JPJ office on the spot) & a passport photo (white background! No more blue background) to JPJ office. There is a special counter for online-applications (no need to take or use number system).
3. Pass the passport-photo to the officer and wait for your name to be called.

Took me ~10 minutes in JPJ Petaling Jaya office today.

EDIT: Ahhh. It’s hidden in MySikap portal. Found it. Just as I’ve paid a runner to help me go JPJ and apply. Will try this next year.

Can share link of jpj online application? Can’t seem to find it.



This post has been edited by Johannlo: Jan 7 2025, 07:17 PM

Did you guy surrender the domestics license when applying for IDP?

IDP and IDL are the same right?

https://jpj.my/international_driving_permit.htm

"You need to surrender your domestic license to JPJ as you are not allowed to hold 2 types of licenses at a time. If you no longer require the IDP, you may be go to the JPJ offices to get back your domestic license."

Why so troublesome?

IDL and IDP are the same right? So, when you go to Vietnam, you will go to the JPJ at Vietnam and conevert the IDP to their local Tieng Viet Driving license? What is the entire process? What form you need to fill and how much you need to pay?

Runner can do international driving license?

Yes.

No, this is incorrect. IDP will be issued in addition to your domestic license - have done it myself.

another plot twist: while our physical driving lesen is accepted in ASEAN, our digital version is not (except for Singapore only). So to get the physical lesen, jpj require to apply for IDP which cost RM150 per year, then only they will give you the physical lesen.

For IDP, you can just walk in and get it done in less than 30 mins.

Last month, I just renewed 10 years license + went to the JPJ to get the Physical license (+ 1 year). I printed the Agoda hotel booking. They didn't accept it and said that I can cancel the booking anytime. Luckily I brought my passport along with me. I showed them that I travelled to oversea at least 1 time per year to countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. Then, they only allowed me to get the Physical license. So, you either need to show the flight ticket or proof from the records of your passport that you travel frequently to overseas

I don't have IDP yet. But, I think I need that if I want to drive in Vietnam

Who know the exact process of riding a motorcycle legally in Vietnam with Malaysia license? Do I need IDP? After I have IDP, I will need to go to the Vietnam JPJ to translate to local language like "gold member" mentioned?

I am planning a trip to go to Vietnam later this year. It will be more convenient if I have my own transport

They have no reasons to doubt you. A physical lesen card is a right for all Malaysians who have passed the driving test and paid the annual fee for the lesen.

What kind of nonsense is to even doubt you even when you already have hotel booking. What if just travelling to Singapore or Thailand for a day trip? or staying in family or friends house while in overseas?

to me this is nonsense.

Correct. It is stupid. On top of that, not all JPJ can issue the physical license. The nearest JPJ from my home can't do it. I had to drive about 1 hour (40-50 km) to another JPJ to get this physical license. Really troublesome

asean countries dont need IDP.

Please tell that to JPJ officers.

I know Singapore and Thailand no need IDP as I drive there multiple times. Even stopped by traffic police roadblock in Thailand for a few times as well, they accepted Malaysia Physical driving license. But, Vietnam might be different as the driving on the right. (Malaysia/Singapore/Thailand: On the Left)

I haven't tried driving/riding in Vietnam yet. I hope to try it later this year

I just asked Chat GPT. Malaysia License can not be used in Vietnam. Not even IDP 1949. We need IDP 1968 which is not issued by Malaysia

---------------
Here is the most accurate, up-to-date, and brutally honest answer for your situation as a Malaysian wanting to drive or ride a motorcycle in Vietnam (as of May 2025):

1. Malaysian License Alone is NOT Sufficient
Despite Vietnam being an ASEAN country and Malaysia being part of ASEAN, in practice, your Malaysian driving license alone is not reliably accepted by Vietnamese authorities for driving or riding a motorcycle. While there is an ASEAN agreement on mutual recognition of driving licenses, Vietnamese police and rental agencies almost always require more than just your Malaysian license, especially for tourists and short-term visitors. This is confirmed by multiple sources and recent traveler reports [source].

2. International Driving Permit (IDP) – Which Version?
Only the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP is officially recognized in Vietnam.
Malaysia issues IDPs under the 1949 Geneva Convention, not the 1968 Vienna Convention.
Therefore, a Malaysian-issued IDP is not officially valid in Vietnam, even though some rental shops may accept it informally. If you are stopped by police, you risk fines and your insurance will likely be invalid [source].

3. Translation/Certification?
Some people claim you can get your IDP or Malaysian license translated and certified at a Vietnamese notary or transport department. This is only possible if you are staying long-term (with a residence permit/visa over 3 months), and the process is bureaucratic and requires a lot of paperwork, including a Vietnamese translation certified by a notary or embassy. For tourists, this is impractical and rarely done [source].

4. What Actually Happens in Practice?
Tourists: Most tourists rent and ride bikes anyway, but this is technically illegal unless you have a Vietnamese license or a 1968 IDP. If you are stopped, you may be fined (up to 5 million VND, about RM 1,000), and your bike may be impounded. If you get into an accident, your travel insurance will almost certainly refuse to cover you if you do not have the correct license.
Police: Enforcement is inconsistent. In tourist hotspots (e.g., Ha Giang Loop, Hai Van Pass), police checkpoints are common and they do check for the 1968 IDP. In other areas, you may get away with a bribe or warning, but this is not guaranteed and is risky.

Rental Shops: Many rental shops will rent to you with just your Malaysian license or even no license, but this does not make it legal.

I wouldn't ride bikes or even drive in Vietnam. Their roads and drivers are worst than all asean counterparts

thai accepted our driving license. one of the perks of ASEAN.

sos. me. road block twice in Thai.

but need PHYSICAL LICENSE. myJPJ app they dont want. some work around can use (print color;laminated both side) like the 90s license worked.

looks like only Vietnam wont accept local driving license.

Hi, just to clarify — I’m sharing this based on personal experience, not as a customer service officer.

At least now someone is finally looking into this, which is what I was trying to highlight in my earlier post.

Some people assume that their country’s driving license works everywhere in ASEAN — much like certain nations assume their licenses are universally accepted — without actually understanding the local laws.

But please, take the time to understand each country’s specific legal requirements.

As I mentioned earlier, you can print out whatever ASEAN agreements were signed online by the ASEAN Ministers of Transport, but try showing those to a traffic officer, rental company, or worse, when dealing with insurance claims — and see if it gets you anywhere. The rules are still what matter.

To drive legally in Vietnam, you at least need an International Driving Permit (IDP).

Back then, the process was really tedious — I had to go to the local Vietnam equivalent of JPJ (if you don’t have a runner, it’s even worse) to get registered under their system. If I remember correctly, it was expensive and took weeks to sort out. I eventually gave up and just used my IDP along with my home country’s license, and fortunately nothing happened.

Just a reminder: if you’re driving without valid legal documents, you won’t be covered under travel insurance.

Ignorant is a bliss- peace!

Agree. But certain places like Danang/Hoi An are better in term of traffic. I thought of travelling and riding Bike around Danang/Hoi An but it seems that there is no way for me to riding a bike legally in Vietnam

Well just for the sake of conversation and correcting, Malaysia's issued IDP is not legally recognised in Vietnam either.

So this is a we problem or just a Vietnam bureaucracy issue?

It's Vietnam bureaucracy issue.
Fortunately we look like Asian/Vietnamese, so riding hardly get into issue. Unless you don't look the part or got into accidents.

Protip if really die die wanna go ride motor and an adventurous road trip

I suggest going on the Mae Hong Son Loop. I'm thinking of taking this road trip loop after my Hokkaido loop is done

Malaysia government should sign the 1968 IDP.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Driving_Permit

If you check wikipedia, the are 3 types of IDP: 1929, 1949, 1968. You may ignore 1929 as only a few countries signed it.

Countries with 1949 only: Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Japan, USA, Australia, Canada, India, etc
Countries with 1968 only: Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brazil, Pakistan, Costa Rica, etc
Countries with both: Thailand, Philippines, China, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, etc

By right, ASEAN license can be used in anywhere within the ASEAN countries. But in reality, local enforcement is different and some countries (eg: Vietnam) don't recognise it.

IDP is just a temporary permit for tourists or short term foreigners to drive in the country. I feel that if tourism is a big contribution to the country GDP, the countries should have both 1949 and 1968 IDP. Why? It will provide convenience to tourists and temporary stay foreigners to drive locally and spend money. It will help the economy.

For example: Thailand and Philippines have both the IDP. They provides lots of convenience to foreigners/tourists. So, it helps in term of tourism.

If Malaysia government wants to attract tourists from Countries with 1968 IDP only, Malaysia should sign 1968.
If Vietnam government wants to attract tourists from Countries with 1949 IDP only, Vietnam should sign 1949.

But the problem is based on ChatGPT:-
The last country to accede to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic was Zimbabwe, on 18 February 1991.
After the 1990s, almost all new accessions have been to the 1968 Vienna Convention, not the 1949 Geneva Convention.
The 1949 Convention is now considered “closed” in practice, with no new major signatories in recent decades.

Conclusion: Malaysia government should sign the 1968 IDP to provide convenience to tourists (1968 only) coming to Malaysia and for Malaysians going overseas

Well I did Sapa, Hoi An, Dalat and Nha Trang renting motorbike 150cc. It was really great with the mobility and flexibility.

Generally I feel riding in Vietnam is a lot safer than in Malaysia because people there ride 35-40km/h max. However, the issue is when approaching junction need to be extremely careful.

I also passed by multiple roadblocks and I notice they tend to target angmos as these group standout from the crowd. 

This is not an advice - your mileage and riding experience may vary so do proceed with caution and you are at your own risk.

Haha you should send a response to Anthony Loke ask him to consider this issue.

You ride without IDP? Do they check you at the roadblock? Kena saman?

I believe only Ministry of Tourism can convince Anthony. They probably need to conduct a feasible study on how much extra tourism income the IDP 1968 can bring to Malaysia. Then, need to go through parliament debate, etc etc. The execution is probably many months/years from now

It's actually the IDP that gets converted into a document recognized by the Vietnamese authorities. If not, then what did I submit back then? It definitely wasn't just my Malaysian driving license.

This is the key point: "You need to comply with local laws."
Yes, ASEAN Ministers of Transport may have signed mutual agreements, but at the end of the day, compliance with local laws is still mandatory.

It’s not just Vietnam. This also applies to other ASEAN countries like Indonesia. I’ve shared my experience in previous posts. Countries like Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan), and Thailand are directly connected to Malaysia, so they might recognize our license more readily — though I’m not 100% sure about Brunei, Kalimantan, or Thailand.

In practice, if nothing goes wrong (like an accident), some local enforcers might turn a blind eye — it's a grey area. But if something does happen, authorities will check your documents strictly. If you're not in full compliance, you could face penalties and also risk your travel insurance being void.

To be on the safe side, always verify with:

- Local transport authorities

- Your travel insurance provider

- The car/motorbike rental company (though they might not always give accurate info)

Better safe than sorry.

This post has been edited by gold member: May 30 2025, 06:29 PM

Yes I ride but with Malaysia issued IDP hoping to convince police if kena stopped. But so far haven't happened before. All smooth.

The above information is very useful - thank you.

I intend to drive in Indonesia.

From the list above, I noticed that Malaysia has signed the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP, but Indonesia signed the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP. Would our Msian IDP be accepted by the Indonesian police in the event of a roadblock ?

I wished to drive in Indonesia, on Flores Island and on the Maluku Islands.

I went to Bali about 10 years ago and rode a motorcycle without IDP. Only used Malaysia Physical License. But, I didn't see any police roadblock when I was there for about 1 week though. I hope Indonesia recognises the ASEAN agreement more than Vietnam since Indonesia is driving on the left like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand

Thank you, brother,... for taking the time to reply here,... ok. I think it's better to have both identifications,... but that's just me.

Don't have time to prove this out yet because I lost my chance to go to see Mt Lewotobi for now,... it just erupted.

No problem bro. Yes, both is better. But, if the police really tries to "drink coffee", he can find any excuse to trouble you

Ah... better safe than sorry. Maybe next year

Yes,... I agree to ur first para,...

To ur second para,... I'm still thinking of going to Maumere,... to see the aftermath of the eruption. But I'm nervous that I might be stuck there because I need to do some imoprtant work in SG in July,... it's called the AGM Month for every year,... Following that,.. I am going to start my expedition to drive across Southern Europe and thru Eastern Europe.

So,... not risking it first. There will be other volcanoes erupting in Indonesia in future for which I can go to.

Tks again, bro,... we can talk more here.

Bro,.. if there is not eruption, there is nothing to see, right ??? We need an eruption for motivation to be there. We can buy equipment and do scientific observations there too,....

It is true its state jurisdiction and not federal.
However as tourist and not long term stayers those states do not require IDP.