Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to perform motorbike emission testing in July 2027
Motorbikes in major Vietnamese cities face new emission checks starting 2027, aiming to cut pollution and enhance urban air quality.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City start emissions testing for all active motorbikes and mopeds on July 1, 2027.
Hanoi has about 450,000 gasoline-powered motorbikes operating within the Ring Road 1 area. Photo: Economic and Urban Newspaper
In the proposal, the emission testing will apply to four other centrally-governed cities of Haiphong, Hue, Danang and Cantho on July 1, 2028.
For the other 28 provinces, emission testing will be performed two years later. The provincial governments may implement the test earlier depending on their practical conditions.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also proposes four emission levels that motorbikes and mopeds must be allowed to operate in public.
Motorcycles are categorized into four groups by production year: prior to 2008, from 2008 to 2016, from 2017 to June 30, 2026, and from July 1, 2026.
Vechiles produced before 2008 must meet emission level 1, the lowest level, while level 4, the highest. applies to those produced from July 2026 onward.
For mopeds, registered users must ensure the vehicle meets level 1 if it was produced before 2016, level 2 if produced between 2017 and June 30, 2027, and level 4 if produced from July 1, 2027.
The ministry also suggests that all motorbikes and mopeds in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City must meet at least the level-2 emission standard from January 30, 2030., with stricter rules in Hanoi’s designated low-emission zones.
Vehicles traveling to Hanoi's designated low-emission zones must meet the rules set by the municipal People's Council.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the proposal aims to curb air pollution and improve living conditions in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City - the two busiest localities.
In a previous version published in early May 2025, the ministry proposed that emission testing on all motorbikes and mopeds will begin on January 1, 2027 - six months earlier than the latest proposed timeline.
There are now no official records on the number of motorbikes and mopeds in Vietnam. It was estimated in September 2024 that Vietnam had 77 million registered motorbikes.
