Car registration in Vietnam: procedures and fees to know in 2026

You have found the car you want, but the on-road quotation includes several costs beyond its purchase price. Where do you start? I find it easier to separate the charges instead of looking only at the final figure. In this guide, I will walk you through the documents, registration process and fees to budget for, so you can ask the dealer informed questions and stay in control of your spending.

Sources reviewed on 2 October 2026. This guide focuses on new passenger cars registered for the first time in Vietnam. Used cars, commercial transport vehicles, special imports and auctioned number plates require checks against their own procedures. It is a reference guide, not a substitute for an official payment assessment or instructions from the receiving authority.

1. Get your documents ready

• Owner identification: identity documents and, for organisations, the required organisational documents and details of the representative or authorised person.
• Check the purchase invoice, proof of vehicle origin and technical information supplied by the seller. Pay particular attention to the owner's name, chassis number and engine number.
• Prepare the data or proof of payment of the registration levy, along with the vehicle registration declaration required for your submission method.
• For a fully online application, prepare a level-2 electronic identity account and eligible electronic records. Retain original documents and engine/chassis number rubbings where the procedure requires them.

Sources: [1] National Public Service Portal — first registration, partially online or in person · [3] Government guidance — fully online registration of domestically produced vehicles

2. What is the registration process?

Start at the Ministry of Public Security's Public Service Portal. Select the procedure for a domestically produced or imported vehicle and the appropriate receiving authority. I recommend checking the current instructions before travelling, rather than assuming from an old article that every application belongs at a district police office.

Sources: [13] Ministry of Public Security Public Service Portal — procedure selection and submission

• Step 1 — Declare and pay the registration levy. Check that the payment information matches the owner and vehicle.
• Step 2 — Submit the vehicle registration declaration. For partially online or in-person applications, obtain an appointment and bring the vehicle and documents for inspection.
• Step 3 — Complete the file, follow the number-plate issuance process for your case and pay the fee stated in the official notice.
• Step 4 — Receive the registration result through your selected channel, then complete the remaining requirements for road use, such as inspection and insurance.

Sources: [1] National Public Service Portal — first registration, partially online or in person · [2] Circular 62/2026/TT-BCA — procedures and processing deadlines

If your application qualifies for a fully online procedure, you can submit the declaration, obtain a plate number and pay online. However, online does not mean that every vehicle can skip checks. Missing or inconsistent data may require additional documents, verification or a visit with the car. Careful preparation can save you an extra trip.

Sources: [3] Government guidance — fully online registration of domestically produced vehicles

Under Circular 62/2026/TT-BCA, a new vehicle registration certificate takes no more than two working days, while a new number plate is issued immediately once the file is valid. Identification plates, auctioned plates and plate exchanges have separate processing periods of up to seven working days. Where a fee is payable, the clock starts after the file is valid and payment is complete; postal delivery time should not be confused with processing time. Physical results or electronic data may be chosen as provided by the rules.

Sources: [2] Circular 62/2026/TT-BCA — procedures and processing deadlines

3. Registration levy: the largest extra cost to plan for

This is the charge I would check most carefully because it often accounts for the largest cost beyond the car itself. The formula is the assessed registration-levy value multiplied by the applicable rate. That value comes from the price schedules and decisions of the competent authorities; it is not automatically the discounted price you negotiated with the dealer. For passenger cars with up to nine seats, the first-registration rate is 10%; a locality may increase it, but not beyond 15%. Confirm the rate at your registration location before settling your budget.

Sources: [4] Decree 175/2025/ND-CP — registration levy and assessed values

Passenger pickups and double-cab cargo pickups do not belong to the same registration-levy category. Decree 175/2025 sets the rate for qualifying double-cab cargo pickups and certain vans at 60% of the rate for passenger cars with up to nine seats. Read the classification in the vehicle documents rather than relying on the sales name.

Sources: [4] Decree 175/2025/ND-CP — registration levy and assessed values

4. What relief applies to electric cars?

As of the source-review date, battery-electric cars qualify for a 0% first-registration levy through 28 February 2027 under Decree 51/2025. This applies to battery-electric cars; it does not automatically extend to hybrids or plug-in hybrids.

Sources: [5] Decree 51/2025/ND-CP — battery-electric car relief through 28 February 2027

Decree 202/2026 has been issued and takes effect on 1 March 2027, continuing the 0% rate through 31 December 2030. Distinguish the issue date from the effective date. A 0% registration levy also does not make every registration, number-plate, insurance and road-use cost free.

Sources: [6] Decree 202/2026/ND-CP — effective from 1 March 2027

5. Registration and number plates: use the 2026 fee schedule

Circular 155/2025/TT-BTC, effective from 1 January 2026, sets two fee levels for a newly issued registration certificate with number plates for passenger cars with up to nine seats, including passenger pickups:

Sources: [7] Circular 155/2025/TT-BTC — registration and number-plate fee schedule (PDF)

• Region I: VND 14,000,000 per vehicle per issuance — Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, excluding provincial-level special zones.
• Region II: VND 140,000 per vehicle per issuance — other localities and special zones within Region I.

Sources: [7] Circular 155/2025/TT-BTC — registration and number-plate fee schedule (PDF)

These are ordinary first-issuance fees, not auctioned-plate prices or a universal charge for ownership transfers and plate exchanges. The owner's residence or registered office and the procedure determine the fee. If a quotation still lists VND 20 million for plates, I suggest asking for the applicable legal basis rather than accepting it automatically.

Sources: [7] Circular 155/2025/TT-BTC — registration and number-plate fee schedule (PDF)

6. Road-use costs: do not bundle everything into an inspection fee

Under Decree 364/2025, the road-use fee for a noncommercial passenger vehicle with up to eight seats excluding the driver's seat is VND 130,000 per month, or VND 1,560,000 for 12 months. The corresponding commercial transport category pays VND 180,000 per month, or VND 2,160,000 for 12 months. This vehicle-based fee is separate from tolls at BOT toll stations. Company ownership alone does not make a car a commercial transport vehicle.

Sources: [8] Decree 364/2025/ND-CP — road-use fees (PDF)

For vehicle inspection, I suggest asking for two separate amounts: the inspection service price and the certificate issuance fee. Cars exempt from their first physical inspection still need to complete the relevant procedure. Circular 40/2025/TT-BXD governs the pricing mechanism and price-display requirements. Ask your inspection centre for its current charges, including VAT and any additional items. An old total found online may not fit your application.

Sources: [9] Circular 40/2025/TT-BXD — vehicle inspection service pricing (PDF)

The base inspection certificate issuance fee under Circular 156/2025/TT-BTC is VND 40,000 per certificate from 1 January 2026. It is separate from the inspection service price and road-use fee. Check any exemptions or reductions that apply to your file.

Sources: [10] Circular 156/2025/TT-BTC — inspection certificate issuance fees (PDF)

For compulsory motor civil liability insurance, Decree 67/2023 lists annual base premiums before VAT of VND 437,000 for noncommercial cars with fewer than six seats and VND 794,000 for those with six to eleven seats. Check the applicable tax and a valid insurer quotation for the amount actually payable. Own-damage insurance is a separate product; it does not replace compulsory civil liability insurance.

Sources: [11] Decree 67/2023/ND-CP — compulsory motor civil liability insurance

7. Be careful with claims of a 50% registration-levy discount

Circular 117/2026/TT-BTC, applicable from 15 August 2026 to 28 February 2027, provides concessions for citizens who meet electronic identification, document-integration and electronic-procedure conditions. Its 50% registration-levy reduction for cars with up to nine seats applies to the second payment onwards, not generally to buyers registering a new car for the first time.

Sources: [12] Circular 117/2026/TT-BTC — conditional digital-citizen concessions

The concession is also limited to once per asset category per year, has a monetary cap and includes conditions concerning the transferor's data. Its registration-fee exemptions target registration/plate exchanges and temporary registration, rather than every newly issued plate. If you are buying a used car, ask the tax authority to confirm your eligibility before deducting any concession from your budget.

Sources: [12] Circular 117/2026/TT-BTC — conditional digital-citizen concessions

8. A worked example to check your quotation

Suppose a petrol car has an assessed registration-levy value of VND 800 million. At 10%, the levy is VND 80 million; at 12%, it is VND 96 million. That rate difference alone changes the budget by VND 16 million before plates and other charges. This is a calculation example, not confirmation of the rate at a particular address.

I find a useful budget separates the actual purchase price, registration levy, registration/plates, inspection, road-use fees for the chosen period and compulsory insurance. Ask for paperwork-handling services, delivery, accessories, own-damage insurance and borrowing costs to be listed separately. For each charge, establish whether it is collected for the government or paid for a service, and what receipt you will receive. This also helps you avoid counting an item twice.

9. Your final checks before collecting the car

• Check the owner's name, address, chassis number and engine number across all documents.
• Make sure the quotation uses the correct vehicle category, registration location, road-use period and insurance cover.
• Government concessions should have a stated basis and eligibility conditions; dealer promotions should be listed separately.
• Keep payment notices, receipts and application reference numbers. Pay only through the official channels specified.
• The on-road prices on Mua Xe Gì are planning estimates for shortlisting cars, not final assessments of your individual fees.

In my view, a good quotation explains where your money goes instead of simply giving you a total to sign. Take a few minutes to check each line and keep the supporting documents. Once the costs are clear, comparing cars and collecting your new one becomes much less stressful.