Temple stonework in Cambodia
The exclusion that catches people

Riding a motorbike or scooter

Anyone planning to rent a scooter, or ride pillion on a dirt bike tour.

In short

Cambodian law lets you ride a motorbike under 125cc without a licence; at 125cc and above you need one. Travel insurers set their own rule, and most require you to hold a licence valid for that machine in your home country. Riding without it is the most common way travellers find themselves uninsured after a crash.

Checked

September 2026

At a glance

Riding a motorbike or scooter in brief

Cambodian law
Under 125cc, no driving licence is required. From 125cc upward, a licence is required
Minimum age
15, for the under-125cc category, carrying identification
What insurers require
Their own standard, usually a licence valid for that class of machine at home - regardless of what Cambodian law allows
International Driving Permit
Guidance is inconsistent. The UK advises carrying the 1949 IDP with your home licence; the Australian embassy states international licences are not accepted
The real risk
A crash while riding outside your policy's terms can leave both your medical costs and any third-party liability uncovered
Helmets
Required by law, and the single best thing you can do for yourself on Cambodian roads

This is the exclusion that turns a bad day into a catastrophic one, and it catches people because two different rules are in play at once.

What Cambodian law says

Cambodian road law sets the line at 125cc. Below that, no driving licence is required – you need to be at least 15 and carrying identification. At 125cc and above, a licence is required.

What your insurer says

Your insurer is not bound by Cambodian law. Most policies require you to hold a licence valid for that class of machine in your own country, and many require a helmet, before they will pay out on a motorcycle claim. So the fact that it is legal for you to rent a 110cc scooter in Siem Reap tells you nothing about whether you are insured on it.

The guidance on International Driving Permits is genuinely contradictory between governments, which should tell you how much weight to put on it. If you intend to ride, get the answer from your insurer in writing before you fly.

An honest word

We live here and we ride here. Cambodian traffic is not forgiving of people learning on holiday, and the hospital end of a scooter accident is the scenario the rest of this section is about. If you are not an experienced rider at home, a driver or a tuk-tuk costs very little and removes the whole problem.

Questions travellers ask

Can I ride a scooter in Cambodia without a licence?
Under Cambodian law, yes, for a machine under 125cc. Your travel insurer may still require a licence to cover you, and those are two separate questions.
Will my travel insurance cover a scooter accident in Cambodia?
Only if you met the policy's conditions - typically a valid licence for that class of bike, plus a helmet. Read the motorcycle clause specifically; it is where most Cambodia claims fail.
Is an International Driving Permit enough?
It depends whose advice you follow, which is itself the warning. UK guidance suggests the 1949 IDP with your home licence; the Australian embassy says international licences are not accepted. If you intend to ride, resolve this with your insurer before you travel.
What about riding pillion on a tour?
Being a passenger is usually treated differently from riding, but not always, and some policies exclude off-road riding entirely. If you have booked a dirt bike trip, check the activity by name.
Travel insurance

Compare the alternatives

All of them
The one that matters most

Medical cover and evacuation

The single most important line in any Cambodia policy.

 Check the list, by name

Adventure activities

Diving off the islands, ziplining at Angkor, kayaking, climbing at Kampot, dirt biking.

 Small claims, strict rules

Theft and belongings

Phones, cameras and bags - the most common claim travellers actually make.

 The checklist

What to check before you buy

Ten minutes with the policy wording before you pay.