Car buyers in Hanoi and TP HCM will benefit from lower vehicle registration and license plate fees starting 1/1/2026. This change follows Circular 155/2025, issued by the Ministry of Finance on 31/12/2025.

The new fee for issuing a registration certificate and license plate for passenger cars with nine seats or fewer, including pick-up trucks, in Zone I (Hanoi and TP HCM) will be 14 million dong. This marks a 30% reduction, or 6 million dong, from the previous fee of 20 million dong. In contrast, vehicles in Zone II, which encompasses other provinces and cities, will have a license plate fee of 140,000 dong.

Vehicle registration fees in Zone I and II from 2026. *Graphic: Ho Tan*

This adjustment represents the first fee reduction in years for personal automobiles in Hanoi and TP HCM. Previously, the 20 million dong car license plate registration fee in these two cities aimed to curb the growth rate of private vehicles.

Motorcycle license plate fees in Zone I have also been reduced. For motorcycles valued over 40 million dong, the fee decreases from 4 million dong to 2,8 million dong. Motorcycles valued between 15-40 million dong will now cost 1,4 million dong, while those under 15 million dong will be 700,000 dong. In Zone II, the motorcycle license plate fee is 105,000 dong, regardless of vehicle value.

Fees for other services, such as changing registration certificates, replacing license plates, or issuing temporary registrations, have also been lowered. The fee for changing car license plates is 100,000 dong, and for motorcycles, it is 50,000 dong.

Residents complete vehicle registration procedures at the Motor Vehicle Registration and Management Team in Binh Thanh District, TP HCM. *Photo: Pham Trung*

The fee reduction is particularly significant for areas recently reclassified into Zone I following administrative boundary mergers. Previously, regions like Vung Tau and Binh Duong, which were part of Zone II, saw car license plate registration fees jump from one million dong to 20 million dong upon being reclassified into Zone I (TP HCM). The 30% reduction from 2026 will help alleviate some of the financial burden on residents in these areas compared to when they first transitioned to Zone I.