An International Driving Permit alone is never valid on its own — and one country in this region doesn't even recognize the IDP most Americans, Australians, and Canadians carry. Here's what actually applies where.
You generally need both an International Driving Permit (IDP) and your original home-country license together — the IDP alone is never valid on its own, and it becomes invalid the moment your home license expires. Apply for your IDP before you leave; it's issued by your home country's auto association (AAA in the US, for example), not by anything in Southeast Asia, and takes anywhere from same-day to a few days depending on where you apply.
This is the single most commonly missed detail in the entire region, and it catches people from exactly the countries who'd least expect it.
Vietnam only accepts the 1968 Vienna Convention IDP, not the older 1949 Geneva version. The US, Australia, and Canada are not parties to the 1968 convention — which means an American, Australian, or Canadian IDP is technically not valid in Vietnam, even though it works almost everywhere else in the region. In practice, enforcement varies, but that's not something worth relying on. Long-term residents with a valid residence card can apply to convert to a Vietnamese license instead.
This is recent enough that a lot of existing relocation content simply doesn't reflect it yet.
As of May 19, 2025, Malaysia's JPJ (Road Transport Department) stopped converting foreign licenses to Malaysian ones for almost everyone. The only exceptions are diplomats and MM2H (Malaysia My Second Home) participants. Everyone else now has to go through the same process as a local: enroll in a licensed driving school, complete a theory course, and pass both theory and practical tests — roughly RM1,500–2,500.
In May 2026, Malaysia announced an eased conversion process effective June 1, 2026 — but it applies specifically to Malaysian citizens returning home with a foreign license, not to foreign nationals moving to Malaysia. If you're an expat relocating to Malaysia, the May 2025 restriction above still applies to you; this update doesn't change your situation.
Genuinely straightforward — carry your IDP and home license together. No unusual restrictions apply to visitors or long-term residents on the IDP-plus-license combination.
IDP and home license together works for visitors. Long-term residents typically convert to a Thai license once they have the right visa status in place.
Different from every other country on this list — there's no direct conversion, ever, for anyone.
Visitors can drive up to 6 months on an IDP plus home license. Once you have a KITAS or KITAP, you must apply for a brand new Indonesian SIM from scratch — including a medical and psychological assessment, plus theory and practical tests. There's no shortcut version of this for long-term residents; everyone goes through the full local process eventually.
| Country | IDP + home license (visitors) | Long-term conversion path | 2026 watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Straightforward Safe | Not typically needed | None known |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Works fine Safe | Convert once visa status allows | None known |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | US/AU/CA IDPs technically invalid Caution | Convert with valid residence card | 1968 vs. 1949 convention mismatch |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Works fine Safe | Full local test required Strict (except diplomats/MM2H) | JPJ conversion freeze since May 2025 |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 6 months only Varies | No conversion — full new SIM required Strict | None known |
Sequence matters — you'll generally need your license situation sorted before you can register a vehicle in your name in most of these countries, so it's worth confirming this before you start shopping for a car or motorbike. For everything else about the move, head back to the Moving to Southeast Asia hub.
Moving to Southeast Asia Hub →