Tran Thi Tuyet, 33, from Hoai Duc district, Hanoi, completed her driver's education in 10/2024. She's still waiting to take her B1 license test, putting her plans to buy a car on hold. "The wait is incredibly nerve-wracking, and there's no information from the testing centers," Tuyet said, adding that she anticipates waiting several more months due to the backlog.

Le Thanh Long, 28, from Nam Tu Liem district, shares Tuyet's frustration. He's been waiting for his driving test for six months. Repeated calls to the application center have yielded no answers. "They once mentioned a test date on 19/5, but I never received a call," he said.

The delay has not only prevented Long from buying a car, creating difficulties for his long-distance commute, but he's also worried about forgetting the theory and simulation training. Upcoming changes to the testing process, particularly the theory section, will likely require him to start studying from scratch. His medical certificate has also expired.

Tran Khanh, a driving instructor with almost 10 years of experience, has never encountered such difficulties. His team used to train seven students every 2.5 months. Since 1/3, however, over 100 students have been waiting for their tests, a backlog accumulated since the beginning of the year.

The uncertainty surrounding test dates has made recruitment challenging. Despite advertising on social media, Khanh hasn't had any new students. "No one wants to sign up when they can't even take the test," he said sadly. His two training cars sit idle.

Since 1/3, traffic police nationwide have taken over driving tests and license issuance, renewals, and international license issuance from the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction). Official statistics show a backlog of over 705,105 people who have completed training but haven't been tested. This includes 340,483 awaiting car licenses and 364,622 awaiting motorcycle licenses.

Many trainees have completed their training but are still waiting for their driving tests. Photo: Viet An

Many trainees have completed their training but are still waiting for their driving tests. Photo: Viet An

Between late April and mid-May, over 10 provinces and cities, mostly those with smaller backlogs, resumed testing. On 14/5, Ho Chi Minh City's traffic police conducted their first driving test since the handover, facing a backlog of 119,000 applications. Hanoi has almost 73,000 pending applications and resumed testing yesterday, primarily for category C licenses.

"With such a huge backlog in Hanoi, competition for test slots will be fierce, leading to further delays. My students have no idea when they'll get their chance," Khanh said.

In a May 2025 letter to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Security explained that the delay is due to funding difficulties for purchasing PET card blanks, supplies for license issuance and international driving permits, and software and internet access for online services. The Ministry of Public Security did not receive any funding when taking over these responsibilities from the Ministry of Transport.

Local authorities are also required to conduct open bidding processes to select driving test centers, as stipulated by the 2023 Bidding Law, which is time-consuming and has contributed to the delays. This issue was previously reported to the Ministry of Finance by provincial Departments of Transport during the drafting of the Bidding Law.

Another factor contributing to the backlog is the limited capacity of testing centers. While 160 centers are licensed nationwide, only one center per area is selected through the bidding process, leading to overload and long wait times. Many qualified centers that didn't win bids cannot conduct tests, resulting in wasted resources and limited choices for applicants.

A driving school in Hoai Duc district sits empty. Photo: Viet An

A driving school in Hoai Duc district sits empty. Photo: Viet An

To address these issues, the Ministry of Public Security requested the Ministry of Finance to adjust the budget and allocate funds for PET card blanks. They also requested permission to select contractors in special cases with unique requirements to rent testing centers and conduct tests.

In a response dated 22/5, the Ministry of Finance requested the Ministry of Public Security to collaborate with the Ministry of Construction to reconcile budget adjustment figures and secure funding for PET card blanks and supplies. Pending budget adjustments, the Ministry of Finance agreed to the Ministry of Public Security's proposal to reallocate its 2025 budget for license issuance and related tasks.

Regarding driving tests, the Ministry of Finance acknowledged the urgent need to address the backlog of over 705,000 cases and suggested the Ministry of Public Security consult Decree 24/2024, which details contractor selection under the Bidding Law, for special case applications.

Viet An