Nha Trang Motorbike Rental 2026: Prices, Deposit, Police

Renting a scooter in Nha Trang used to mean leaving a passport on the counter and riding off within minutes. This year the shops, the police and the paperwork around foreign riders have all changed, so advice from older forum threads no longer fits. Here are the current prices, what a safe deposit looks like, which papers police ask for on the seafront streets and how I check a bike before signing anything.

In short: an automatic scooter costs $5-8 a day, shops and police now want a licence plus a 1968 international permit, and the original passport stays in your pocket.

Do Nha Trang rental shops and police check licences in 2026?

Yes. Since 18 May 2026 Nha Trang police have run a campaign against foreign drivers: by the end of June they had checked more than 720 riders and fined 210 of them a combined 610 million dong, about $23,300. Around 680 more people received a warning or an explanation. Nine rental shops signed pledges to verify licences, insurance and the technical state of each bike.

In May, Tuoi Tre described police on Tran Phu impounding the bike of a Russian rider who held an Indonesian licence and no international permit, and fining the owner of the bike. Warning signs in Russian, English, Korean and Chinese now stand on Tran Phu, Nguyen Thien Thuat, Hung Vuong and near Dam market, and Tuoi Tre saw evening stops on Tran Phu at about 20:30 and 21:46. Many rental signs on those streets have vanished and some shops closed, because few foreigners meet the requirements. Police in Nha Trang counted more than 30 crashes involving foreigners on self-rented bikes in the first nine months of 2025, six of them with serious injuries, as VOH reported.

How much does a scooter cost per day in Nha Trang?

An automatic Honda Vision, Lead or Air Blade usually costs $5-8 a day (120,000-200,000 dong), and a manual Wave or similar semi-automatic costs $4-6 (100,000-150,000 dong). Riderly listings in Nha Trang show a 2019 Vision at about 140,000 dong a day and an Air Blade 150 at 160,000 dong.

A month of an automatic runs about $60-95 (1.5-2.5 million dong), and sources disagree on the top end, so ask for the figure in writing. Long rentals are normally discounted, and the high season from November to April adds roughly 30-40%. A desk at a hotel charges 20-50% more than a street shop, and Russian-language rental services add 10-30%. I walk out of the hotel lobby and ask a street shop for the same Vision, since the lobby markup buys nothing except convenience. For where a bike sits in a monthly budget, see my Nha Trang cost of living breakdown.

Should you leave your passport as a deposit in Nha Trang?

No. Keep the original passport and offer cash, a copy or a card hold instead. A cash deposit for a scooter runs $40-115 (1-3 million dong), and 2-3 million for a Vision is typical. Some Nha Trang shops still ask for the passport plus about 3 million dong on top, practice differs from shop to shop, so agree the deposit in writing before you pay.

A passport held by a shop blocks hotel check-in and currency exchange, and it is missing when police ask for ID on the road. A dispute over a scratch can keep it there for days. The worst case is a stamp that ends in a few days: every day of argument counts against your stay, and an overstay brings a fine. A shop that accepts only the original passport is a red flag, and I walk to the next one.

Counting the days left on a stamp is simple arithmetic, and a bus to the border is easy to book yourself. The part that eats time is fitting a border trip around work and a rented bike, and that is the part I take over: at BestBus Vietnam I run scheduled visa runs from Nha Trang and handle the e‑visa paperwork for the trip. Message me on WhatsApp with your stamp expiry date and I will tell you which departure still fits.

Which licence do you need, and what are the fines?

You need a licence of the right category plus an international permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention, carried together. For scooters up to 125 cc the category is A1, and a car-only category B does not cover a bike. Russia issues the 1968 format, so a Russian permit works, while a 1949 Geneva permit is not accepted. A Geneva-format booklet is the one to check twice, because it looks official at the counter and still counts for nothing on Tran Phu. Bikes under 50 cc need no licence, but nearly every rental scooter is bigger.

Riding without the right papers on a bike up to 125 cc costs $80-155 (2-4 million dong), and above 125 cc about $230-310 (6-8 million dong), with the bike liable to be impounded. A shop that lets an unlicensed foreigner ride is fined as well, which is why checks at the counter have tightened. A missing helmet costs $15-23 (400,000-600,000 dong), and faulty mirrors or lights cost the same, as the government overview of the fine schedule lists under Decree 168/2024. Categories, conversion and the exam are in my Vietnam driving licence guide.

What does insurance cover on a rented scooter in Nha Trang?

Two different policies matter. The compulsory third-party cover (TNDS) costs $2.50 a year (66,000 dong) for a scooter and pays the people you injure, up to $5,800 per person (150 million dong) and $1,900 for property (50 million dong). It pays nothing for you or for the bike. Travel insurance covers your own treatment only when the policy lists motorbike riding and you hold a valid licence.

Ask the shop for the TNDS certificate before you ride, because a stop without one costs $8-12 (200,000-300,000 dong). The daily insurance fee that some shops add is normally a damage waiver for the bike and does not pay for hospital care. I read the waiver wording in the contract before the price line, since that is where the shop decides who pays for a scratch. After a crash, follow the steps in my guide on what to do after a motorbike accident in Vietnam.

Step-by-step: how to inspect and rent a scooter in Nha Trang

1. Match the engine size to your licence category and carry the 1968 permit together with your national licence.
2. Compare two shops and get the daily rate, deposit, fuel terms and any long-rental discount in writing.
3. Offer cash, a copy of your passport or a card hold, and keep the original.
4. Film the scooter from every side in daylight with a shop employee present, including old scratches and cracked plastic.
5. Test the front and rear brakes separately, then the headlight, indicators, stop light, horn, both mirrors, tyres and chain.
6. Ask for the registration papers, the TNDS certificate, two keys and a helmet. A half-face helmet of your own costs $8-19 (200,000-500,000 dong) and a full-face $19-58 (500,000-1.5 million dong), and rental helmets are often thin plastic.
7. Check the fuel gauge, since tanks are often nearly empty at handover, and agree the level for the return.
8. Save the shop’s phone number and return the bike in daylight with the video ready.

Rent, buy or take a taxi: what fits your stay?

For a week or two, rent a scooter from a shop that checks your licence and keeps your passport out of the deal. For a month or longer a monthly rate beats thirty daily ones, and buying is a separate decision that I cover in my guide on buying or renting a motorbike long term. Without a valid licence and permit, take a taxi or Grab, because a fine costs more than a month of rides.

A video at handover, a copy of the passport and a helmet of your own settle most of the bike risks. The stamp in the passport needs more care, because nobody counts its days for you. Tell me on WhatsApp when you arrived and how long you plan to stay, and I will say which route fits, a 90-day e‑visa or a border run.

Frequently asked questions