We get some version of this question before almost every trip: what license or permit do I actually need? It sounds simple until you start reading up on it, because most articles cover a single country, use different terms for the same document, and never mention that two countries on the same itinerary can ask for opposite paperwork.
So here’s the comparison in one place, for the five destinations riders ask us about most: Morocco, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain, and Japan.
The basic vocabulary
An International Driving Permit isn’t a license on its own. It’s a translation of your home license, and it only works alongside that original license — you still need to carry both.
IDPs are issued under a couple of different international conventions, mainly the 1949 Geneva Convention and the 1968 Vienna Convention, and not every country accepts both. This is the part that trips people up most, because a permit that’s perfectly valid in one country can be the wrong one in the next.
Vietnam
Vietnam only recognizes 1968 Convention permits, but most travelers from the US, Australia, Canada, and Japan are issued a 1949 Convention permit by default. That’s the wrong one here.
Enforcement has tightened under Decree 100/123, with zero-tolerance alcohol checkpoints and real consequences for riders without valid paperwork — a fine of 2 to 4 million VND and a week-long bike impound. One more detail worth checking: your IDP needs the “A” motorcycle category stamp specifically. A “B” car stamp doesn’t cover a bike, even if everything else on the permit checks out.
Japan
Japan does the opposite of Vietnam. It only recognizes 1949 Convention permits, so a rider who got the right IDP for Vietnam is technically wrong for Japan, and the other way around.
There’s a separate exception worth knowing: riders from Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Slovenia, Taiwan, and Estonia skip the IDP for Japan entirely. Instead they need an official translation of their home license, arranged through JAF (the Japan Automobile Federation) or their embassy.
If Vietnam and Japan are both on your route, don’t assume the same paperwork covers both legs.
Morocco
This one’s genuinely unsettled. Riders on forums like Horizons Unlimited have been going back and forth for years about whether a Carnet de Passages en Douane is required for a motorcycle. Some cross without one and never get asked. Others get turned back at the same border a few months later.
Our honest answer: enforcement isn’t consistent enough to give a firm yes or no, so check current requirements close to your actual travel dates rather than trusting an old thread.
Turkey
Compared to the above, Turkey is easy. No carnet, and your home motorcycle license is enough on its own. It gets lumped in with Morocco in a lot of generic guides that treat every North Africa/Middle East-adjacent border as equally complicated — it isn’t, at least not on this front.
Spain
Spain has two tracks. EU and UK licenses are accepted without an IDP. Non-EU visitors generally need an IDP alongside their home license.
The detail most tourists miss is a rule tied to how long you’ve held a car license: 1 to 3 years gets you a 49cc moped, and over 3 years gets you up to 125cc. Neither covers a full-size adventure bike, which is exactly the assumption that catches people out at the rental counter.
Side-by-side
| Destination | IDP convention | Carnet required | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 1968 | No | Needs the “A” motorcycle stamp |
| Japan | 1949 | No | A few nationalities use a JAF translation instead |
| Morocco | Not clearly defined | Inconsistently enforced | Confirm close to your travel date |
| Turkey | Not required | No | Home license is enough |
| Spain | Required for non-EU visitors | No | Car-license tenure rule doesn’t cover a full bike |
Common questions
Is an IDP the same as a motorcycle license?
No. It’s a translation of your existing license, and you need to carry both together.
Can one IDP cover a multi-country trip?
Not always. Vietnam and Japan accept opposite conventions, so a permit that’s valid for one can be invalid for the other. Check each country on your route separately.
What actually happens if you’re stopped without the right paperwork?
It depends on the country and how enforcement is going at the time — fines and a bike impound in Vietnam, or being turned back at the border in Morocco, are both things we’ve seen happen.
Does a car license cover a motorcycle rental?
Usually not. Spain’s rule is a good example: even years of holding a car license only unlocks a smaller-displacement bike, not an adventure-class one.
Before you book
Match the document to the specific country, sort it out well before departure, and don’t carry over an assumption from one border to the next — these rules genuinely contradict each other more often than most people expect.
If you’re planning a route across more than one of these countries with us, tell us your nationality and itinerary and we’ll walk you through exactly what to arrange and when.
Related reading: Spain motorcycle tour guide · Vietnam by motorcycle · Morocco motorcycle tour guide · Turkey motorcycle tour guide · Frequently asked questions