Buy or Rent a Motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City: Costs, Papers
Rent if you stay under about a year or hold no residence card yet: a Honda Vision costs VND 2,000,000 to 2,800,000 a month. Registering a bike of your own needs a residence card with 6 months or more left. A new Vision has a suggested retail price of VND 31,506,545.
On this page
- Rent or buy: where the break-even sits
- What renting costs per month in Saigon
- The licence you need, rent or buy
- Compulsory insurance: what a bike carries
- What a new bike costs
- Can a foreigner register a bike in Ho Chi Minh City?
- Buying a used bike: the papers, step by step
- Tax and fees to add to the price
- Selling later, and the penalties
- Common questions
A month of renting a Honda Vision costs VND 2,000,000 at one Saigon operator. To register a bike of your own, you first need a residence card with 6 months or more left. No card, no registration: rent until you have one.
Rent or buy: where the break-even sits
Compare a year of each. Renting a Vision for twelve months costs VND 24,000,000 at Saigon Motorcycles or VND 33,600,000 at The Extra Mile. A new Vision has a suggested retail price of VND 31,506,545.
Buying starts to win once you stay about a year or longer and can register the bike. A new Vision at retail price, with the plate fee and a year of insurance, costs VND 32,966,545. Add the 2% registration tax on top.
If you stay a few months or hold no residence card
Rent. The registration rule asks a foreigner living and working in Vietnam for a residence card with 6 months or more left. Rental shops ask for a licence, and by law an IDP counts only with your national licence.
If you live here on a residence card
Price both. A used bike is cheaper to buy than the new-bike total above, and the change-of-owner steps below are short. A new bike pays tax at 2%, a used one at 1%.
What renting costs per month in Saigon
Rates below are from the operators’ own pages, read on 15 October 2026. Saigon Motorcycles charges by the day, week and month for city scooters:
| Bike | Day (VND) | Week (VND) | Month (VND) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Vision 110, new model (Saigon Motorcycles) | 220,000 | 900,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Honda Lead 125 | 220,000 | 1,000,000 | 2,300,000 |
| Honda Air Blade 125, new model | 250,000 | 1,200,000 | 2,600,000 |
| Honda SH 125 | 300,000 | 1,600,000 | 4,500,000 |
The Extra Mile, a monthly-rental specialist, rents older bikes, not the new models in the table, at higher monthly prices:
- Honda Vision, 2019-2020: VND 2,800,000 a month.
- Honda Lead 125, 2017-2021: VND 3,000,000 a month.
- Honda PCX 125, 2015-2018: VND 3,500,000 a month.
Saigon Motorcycles asks a deposit of VND 2,000,000 on city scooters and refunds it when the bike comes back. Long-term rentals get a discounted rate on request.
Quoc Huong/36 Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh 70000, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
At The Extra Mile:
- The first month of rent is due upfront together with the security deposit.
- A passport is never taken as a deposit.
- Bikes come with a phone holder, up to 2 helmets and a copy of the registration.
- City rentals have a distance allowance of 20 to 50 km a day.
- Delivery is free to Thu Duc, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan and the central districts.
LK 3-8, Saigon Mystery Villas, 2 D. N1, Binh Trung, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Bring your IDP and your national licence to the shop.
The licence you need, rent or buy
The licence rules are the same whether the bike is yours or rented. A two-wheeled motorbike up to 125 cm3 needs class A1. A bigger one needs class A.
Carry the international driving permit (IDP) together with a valid national licence for the same class. Vietnam accepts only a permit issued by a Vienna Convention member. A rider caught with a permit but no national licence is fined VND 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 on a bigger bike. On a bike up to 125 cm3, the fine for no valid licence is VND 2,000,000 to 4,000,000.
At a check you show both documents.
A moped is a vehicle with a combustion engine of no more than 50 cm3 and a design speed of no more than 50 km/h. A person aged 16 or over may ride one. Full conversion steps are in Driving Licence in Ho Chi Minh City, and the penalties in Riding Without a Licence in Vietnam.
If you lend your bike to someone without the right licence, you pay too. The owner who hands a motorbike to such a person is fined VND 8,000,000 to 10,000,000 as an individual.
Compulsory insurance: what a bike carries
The compulsory civil-liability policy has a yearly premium of VND 55,000 for bikes under 50 cc and VND 60,000 from 50 cc up, before VAT.
The policy pays up to VND 50 million in property damage per accident from a two-wheel motorcycle. For injury or death it pays up to VND 150 million per person per accident.
It pays nothing when the driver has no licence, or uses an invalid, erased, expired or unsuited one. The compulsory insurance does not cover much, so add travel or personal insurance.
What a new bike costs
These are suggested retail prices, so the price on the showroom sticker differs. Honda’s list shows these standard versions:
| Honda model | Suggested retail price (VND) |
|---|---|
| Wave Alpha | 17,957,455 |
| Vision | 31,506,545 |
| LEAD ABS | 39,753,818 |
| Air Blade 125 | 42,404,727 |
Yamaha’s October 2026 price page starts the Janus 125 at VND 29,151,000 and the Grande at VND 46,244,000.
Can a foreigner register a bike in Ho Chi Minh City?
A foreigner registers with a residence card. Here is the rule for a foreign owner.
Trường hợp chủ xe là người nước ngoài sinh sống và làm việc tại Việt Nam (trừ đối tượng quy định tại điểm a Khoản này): Xuất trình thẻ thường trú hoặc thẻ tạm trú (còn thời hạn cư trú tại Việt Nam từ 06 tháng trở lên).
Where the owner is a foreigner living and working in Vietnam (other than diplomatic and similar staff), the owner presents a permanent or temporary residence card with 6 months or more of residence left.
Circular 79/2024/TT-BCA, Điều 10 khoản 2 điểm b
You register where your registered residence is, which for a foreigner is the registered temporary residence. Registering it first is a separate step, covered in Register Temporary Residence in Ho Chi Minh City.
The traffic police department of the city takes motorbike registration from any individual with a residence in the city. The ward police registration is for domestic owners only. A foreign owner’s plate is managed by the foreigner’s identification number or residence card number.
The registration certificate is written for the term on your residence card. A person with unresolved traffic violations is not processed. The dossier can be filed on the national public service portal or other online channels.
Buying a used bike: the papers, step by step
A used bike bought from an owner goes through a change-of-owner registration. The dossier has five items:
- The registration declaration form.
- Your owner papers, meaning the residence card.
- The ownership-transfer document.
- The registration-tax payment document.
- The certificate that the previous registration was withdrawn.
Follow the order:
- The seller files the withdrawal at their own registration agency.
- You declare the registration form, bring the bike for inspection and file the dossier.
- The agency issues the certificate within 2 working days of a complete file.
Ask for the withdrawal certificate before you hand over cash: your dossier includes it. Under Circular 37/2026/TT-BCA, the electronic transfer data on the public service portal counts as a paper transfer document when the owner’s marital-status data is in the National Population Database.
Tax and fees to add to the price
Registration tax on a motorbike is 2% for the first registration and 1% from the second time on. Ho Chi Minh City is in fee Zone I, the highest fee area, and you pay the fee for the area of your residence. The value tier is the registration-tax price of the bike on the day you register.
| Bike value at registration | First registration, plate fee Zone I (VND) |
|---|---|
| Up to 15,000,000 | 700,000 |
| Over 15,000,000 up to 40,000,000 | 1,400,000 |
| Over 40,000,000 | 2,800,000 |
A change-of-owner registration with a new plate costs VND 70,000 for a motorbike. The plate number stays reserved for the previous owner for 5 years.
Selling later, and the penalties
When you sell, you must file the withdrawal within 30 days of the transfer paperwork. Miss it and the authority starts a penalty procedure.
An individual who skips the change-of-owner procedure is fined VND 800,000 to 1,000,000. Do the withdrawal the day you sign, and keep the receipt slip.
Not confirmed: The city traffic police department registers a foreigner's motorbike, but no page names its counter address: file your papers online on the national public service portal first. A foreigner with only a visa and no residence card cannot register: the rule names only the residence cards.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City?
A year of renting a Honda Vision costs VND 24,000,000 at Saigon Motorcycles or VND 33,600,000 at The Extra Mile. A new Vision has a suggested retail price of VND 31,506,545, and VND 32,966,545 once plate and insurance are added, before the 2% tax.
How much does a monthly motorbike rental cost in Saigon?
As of 15 October 2026, Saigon Motorcycles charges VND 2,000,000 a month for a new Honda Vision and VND 2,300,000 for a Lead 125. A 2019-2020 Vision at The Extra Mile is VND 2,800,000.
Can a foreigner register a motorbike in Vietnam?
A foreigner living and working in Vietnam presents a permanent residence card or a temporary one with 6 months or more left.
Where do I register a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City?
You register at the registration agency where your registered residence is. The traffic police department of the city takes any individual with a residence there.
What do I need to buy a used motorbike?
The change-of-owner dossier is the registration declaration, your owner papers, the ownership-transfer document, the registration-tax receipt and the certificate that the old registration was withdrawn.
How much is registration tax on a motorbike?
The rate is 2% for the first registration and 1% for a bike paying the tax for the second time or later.
What is the plate fee in Ho Chi Minh City?
A first registration costs VND 700,000, 1,400,000 or 2,800,000 in Zone I by bike value. A change of owner costs VND 70,000.
Do I need a licence to rent a scooter?
Carry both: an international driving permit (IDP) counts only together with your valid national licence for the same class. Some shops rent on a permit alone, but riding on it breaks the law, and the compulsory policy pays nothing to an unlicensed rider.
What happens if the seller does not withdraw the old registration?
The seller must file the withdrawal within 30 days of the transfer paperwork. An individual who skips the procedure is fined VND 800,000 to 1,000,000.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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