Foreigners buying their first new car in Vietnam often face a forest of procedures: taxes, registration, plates, insurance, inspection. The 10-step checklist below runs in chronological order — follow it and your car rolls legally within 1–2 weeks.
10-step new-car checklist for foreigners
- 1. Lock the model & on-road price: list price isn’t final — add registration tax (passenger cars: 10% of taxable value, Hanoi 12%), plate fees, compulsory TNDS insurance, inspection and road-maintenance fees. Ask the dealer for an itemised “on-road” quote.
- 2. Check titling eligibility: you need a passport + valid TRC/permanent residence (long enough for procedures). Some offices require minimum TRC validity.
- 3. Deposit & sale contract: state version, colour, price, delivery date, breach penalties, refund terms for late delivery.
- 4. Pay & take the VAT invoice: pay via bank (keep proof); take the VAT invoice in your name — it’s the basis for registration-tax filing.
- 5. Buy compulsory TNDS insurance: uninsured cars can’t register. Buy at the dealer or an insurer (passenger cars ~VND 437,000/year ex-VAT under Decree 67/2023).
- 6. Pay registration tax: declare and pay at the tax office (now online via the Public Service Portal + bank payment). Keep receipts.
- 7. Register & draw identification plates: bring the file to the vehicle registration authority (police) — random system draw or auctioned plates (if any). Plates identify with you (Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA).
- 8. First inspection (waived): new cars get the 36-month waiver — bring papers to the inspection centre for the stamp and road-maintenance fees.
- 9. Mount plates & check the car: take delivery, verify chassis/engine numbers match registration, test-drive, confirm all papers (registration, insurance, inspection stamp).
- 10. Archive everything: photo/scan all documents to the cloud — replacing lost papers costs time, especially for foreigners.
3 costly mistakes foreigners make
- Letting a Vietnamese friend title it: “easier in a friend’s name” — the car belongs to the titled person; in disputes you can barely reclaim it. Title it yourself on your TRC.
- Forgetting registration tax in the budget: 10–12% of car value is big — many “lock” the car price then gasp at the on-road total.
- Buying before having a proper licence: buying is fine, but driving needs a matching licence — plan the conversion (Circular 12/2025/TT-BCA) alongside the purchase.
FAQs
Instalment purchase as a foreigner?
Possible but strict (see EXP-0450): long-term TRC, Vietnam income, 20–30% down. Loan term can’t exceed residence validity.
Will the dealer handle all registration?
Usually a “plates-included” package (registration + inspection) for a service fee — convenient, but verify every paper is in your name before taking the car.
How long for the plates?
Plates are drawn the same day; the registration certificate follows in ~2 working days.
Contact us
FLAT Law Firm advises foreign nationals and their families on inheritance, wills, driving licences, health insurance and money transfers in Vietnam. Contact us for advice on your specific case.
