Procedures for re-issuance of driver licenses at commune police in Vietnam from March 01, 2025

Procedures for re-issuance of driving licenses at commune police in Vietnam from March 01, 2025​ (Image from the internet)

On February 28, 2025, the Minister of Public Security issued Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA stipulating the examination and issuance of driver licenses, the issuance and use of international driver licenses.

Procedures for re-issuance of driving licenses at commune police in Vietnam from March 01, 2025

In Article 21 of Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA, from March 01, 2025, driver licenses can be reissued at the Commune Police or Traffic Police Department as follows:

(1) Requirements for reissuing driver licenses:

- Vietnamese citizens or foreigners who have been tested and issued a driver license in Vietnam;

- Individuals with a damaged driver license that is no longer usable;

- Vietnamese citizens or foreigners with a permanent residence card in Vietnam who have a Vietnamese driver license converted from a foreign driver license, and wish to renew if expired;

- In case the date of birth, name, middle name, nationality, place of birth, place of residence on the driver license does not match the identity card or citizen identification, the competent authority will process to issue a new driver license that matches the information on the identity card or citizen identification;

- Individuals wishing to integrate a non-expiring driver license with an expiring driver license;

- driver licenses are not reissued in the following cases: The applicant does not have a driver license, and the license information is not present in the Traffic Police Department's driver license information system or does not have a registry for issued licenses (management book); individuals who violate traffic order and safety regulations and have not complied with the requirements by the competent state agency to resolve and handle administrative violations in the field of traffic order and safety.

(2) Application dossier for reissuing driver licenses includes:

- A request for reissuing a driver license according to the prescribed form in Appendix XII issued together with Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA;

- A health certificate from a certified medical facility that meets legal requirements on medical examination and treatment, still valid (except for individuals with a class A1, A, B1 driver license);

- A valid passport for foreigners or Vietnamese citizens residing abroad;

- Other documents presenting the information specified in point d, clause 1, Article 21 of Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA.

(3) Implementation procedure:

- Individuals prepare 01 application dossier as prescribed in (2) and submit directly at the commune police station where the receiving point is arranged or the Traffic Police Department or submit via the online public service system.

For direct submission, individuals must have their photo taken at the receiving site and fulfill the obligation to pay fees upon acceptance of the application dossier.

For submission via the online public service system, individuals must fill in the application as guided, be responsible for the accuracy and legality of the content declared, and complete the obligation to pay the reissuance fee via the online service system’s payment function according to regulations and pay for additional services based on individual needs;

- The Traffic Police Department or commune police station where the receiving point is arranged will check the dossier upon receipt, search for driver license information from the driver license information system, and in case of missing information, a written request for verification of the issued driver license according to form 01 in Appendix XI issued along with Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA must be made (until verification is received, the request will not be processed); search in the traffic safety order database software or check for driver violations through electronic identification accounts.

In case the driver license is not eligible for reissuance, notification of non-acceptance of the dossier must be given; if the dossier is not compliant, guidance for necessary supplements or amendments will be provided within 02 working days from the dossier receipt date.

The Traffic Police Department or commune police station where the receiving point is arranged will perform electronic information input; print a receipt appointment or send it via the online public service system;

- Within 01 working day from receiving a complete and valid dossier, the Traffic Police Department must transfer the data to the Traffic Police Department for centralized management and issuance of driver licenses, consolidate the driver license into the electronic data system, and electronic identification account within 03 working days from receiving a complete and valid dossier. The Traffic Police Department will print and return the driver license within 05 working days from receiving a complete and valid dossier;

- The driver license is to be returned at the Traffic Police Department or commune police station with the receiving point arranged or via postal services upon individual request; in case of submission via the online public service system, the driver license is issued to the individual who requested the reissuance; upon receiving the driver license, the individual is responsible for sending the previous driver license to the issuing department for disposal in accordance with the regulations, except in cases of reissuance for individuals with an integrated driver license currently under suspension.

(4) If the driver wishes to downgrade the driver license category, they must specify this in Appendix XII issued along with Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA and is responsible for the declared content.

More details can be found in Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA which is effective from March 1, 2025.

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