To drive a car in China, you will need to obtain a Chinese driver’s license. International Driving Permits or other foreign driver’s licenses are not recognized in China. Only foreigners with a valid residence permit can apply for a permanent Chinese driver’s license, but other options are available for short-term visitors. In this blog, we will go into detail about how to obtain both temporary and permanent driver’s licenses in China.
Getting a Temporary Chinese Driver’s License
Since September 2019, foreigners visiting China for shorter periods can obtain a temporary driver’s license known as the ‘China Provisional Driving Permit’ (临时机动车驾驶许可) without having to do any written, driving, or health examinations. The only requirement for this permit is to have a valid foreign driver’s license and Chinese visa. It is typically valid for 90 days and can be extended for up to a year, but cannot exceed the validity of your visa. You will also be limited to driving rental cars.
What do I need to apply for a temporary Chinese driver’s license?
To apply for a temporary driver’s license in China, you will need to prepare the following documents:
- Your foreign driver’s license and International Driving Permit (original and photocopy)
- Your passport and Chinese visa (original and photocopy)
- Notarized Chinese translation of the foreign driving license issued by an authorized translation agency (you can look up the government-approved agencies in your city online, or consult your embassy)
- Three recent one inch, coloured headshots taken against a white background
- Proof of temporary registration (details of a hotel booking for at least one night)
- Completed application form (printed at the application service counter)
Where do I need to go to get a temporary Chinese driver’s license?
To apply for a temporary driver’s license in China, you will—armed with the paperwork above—need to make a trip to a branch of the local traffic police department (车管所), also known as Department of Motor Vehicles or ‘DMV’. There, you will also be asked to fill in an application form. Most temporary driver’s licenses are processed within about an hour.
Note that you need to apply at the DMV your proof of temporary registration is issued. For example, if your temporary registration is at a hotel in Guangzhou, then you need to go to a DMV branch in Guangzhou.
More convenient alternatives are also starting to appear in some major cities. For example, there is now a DMV inside Beijing Capital International Airport which allows foreigners to complete temporary driver’s license applications immediately upon arrival. See this video for more details.
How much will obtaining a temporary Chinese driver’s license cost?
To obtain a temporary Chinese driver’s license, you will pay, will pay a 10 RMB administration fee for the permit itself. Translation and notarization of your foreign driver’s license will likely cost between 250 and 300 RMB in total, depending on the agency and the language of your document.
Getting a Permanent Chinese Driver’s License
If you intend to stay in China for a longer period on a residence permit, you can apply for a permanent Chinese driver’s license. This will require a longer application process, including a written theory test and health examination, but be valid for six years once obtained.
What do I need to apply for a permanent Chinese driver’s license?
To apply for a permanent Chinese driver’s license, you will need to prepare the following documents:
- Your foreign driver’s license and International Driving Permit (original and photocopy)
- Your passport and Chinese residence permit with at least three months of validity (original and photocopy)
- Police-issued temporary residence registration form (original and photocopy)
- Notarized Chinese translation of the foreign driving license issued by an authorized translation agency (you can look up the government-approved agencies in your city online, or consult your embassy)
- Three to five 1-inch colored headshots taken against a white background (the number required varies between regions, but best to bring some extra)
- Medical certificate (issued following a complete health check-up at an authorized hospital)
Where do I need to go to get a permanent Chinese driver’s license?
Like those applying for a temporary license, applicants for a permanent Chinese driver’s license need to submit their application materials to the DMV where their residence permit is issued. For example, if your residence permit is issued in Guangzhou, you cannot apply at a DMV in Shanghai or Beijing.
How much will it cost to obtain a permanent Chinese driver’s license?
Fees for obtaining a permanent Chinese driver’s license can vary between regions, but below are some estimates:
|
Expense |
Approximate Cost |
|
Administration fee |
10 RMB |
|
50 RMB |
|
|
Translation and notarization |
300 RMB |
|
50-80 RMB |
With some additional expenses for photos and document copies, you can expect to spend around 500-600 RMB in total to get your permanent Chinese driver’s license.
Preparing for the Chinese Driver’s License Theory Test
You probably won’t get away without studying for your Chinese driver’s license theory test, if that’s what you were hoping to hear. While many questions are common sense, like whether a driver should be “courteous and defensive, instead of being offensive”, it will also test your knowledge of laws and regulations specific to China, such as the exact fines and prison sentences for certain violations.
If nothing else, it is worth having a go at a few practice questions just to familiarize with some of the notoriously confusing English translations, like the one below:
“True or False: When a motorized vehicle causes a road accident involving property damage, if the party leave [sic] the scene on his own but does not leave, the traffic police are not allowed to order the party to leave the scene.”
Thankfully, these ridiculously ambiguous questions are sufficiently rare to be memorized. Most questions are perfectly understandable despite awkward phrasings, and after sufficient practice, you will also be able to pick up on some patterns. For example, how for questions asking whether the traffic police are allowed to do something, the answer is usually yes…
Study resources for the Chinese driver’s license theory test
There are several English-language resources available online to support your preparations for your Chinese driver’s license theory test. The two most commonly recommended are:
- The free website chinesedrivingtest.com, which offers English study guides and a question bank with content virtually identical to the real exams. (The creator has even deliberately tried to recreate its ‘Chinglish’ phrasings).
- The paid phone app Laowai Drive Chinese Test (available on Apple Appstore and Google Play), which is the official and only application with all of the exam questions. It is available in 9 languages and allows you track your progress.
Remember, there are also many other great phone apps out there to help elevate your Mandarin learning in general! For reading practice, you can check out The Chairman’s Bao’s own reading app, or our guide to some other great graded reading apps on the market.
What to Expect on the Day of Your Chinese Driver’s License Theory Test
So, you have done all the paperwork and studying – the final hurdle before you are free to hit the Chinese roads is to pass the theory test (理论考试). Here is what to expect on the day of your Chinese driver’s license theory.
Sitting the Chinese driver’s license theory test
On the day of your Chinese driver’s license theory test, you need to return to the DMV where you will be shown to the testing station. Once the exam starts, you will have 45 minutes to answer 100 multiple choice questions. The first 40 questions are ‘RIGHT/WRONG’ answers to a given statement, and the remaining 60 are multiple choice with four options.
After the Chinese driver’s license theory test
After completing the Chinese driver’s license theory test, you will receive your score immediately at the front of the exam room. If you scored 90 or over: congratulations, you have passed! It normally takes a few business days before you can come back up to pick up your driver’s license, but sometimes applicants have been able to get it processed immediately.
Your license will be valid for six years, and if you apply for renewal within 90 days before its expiration date, you won’t have to do the test again.
If you did not pass, you are allowed to take the exam again straight away. Should you fail the second attempt too, you will have to wait 30 days and pay the test fee again.
Getting Your First Driver’s License in China
If you don’t have a valid driver’s license in any country, that’s a slightly different story. Though as long as you are over 18, have a valid residence permit in China, and are prepared to go through a bit of an ordeal, you can still get a driver’s license in China.
To get a driver’s license for the first time as a foreigner in China, you will have to complete four exams:
- Theory test (理论考试), a written exam on laws and traffic regulations, alongside basic concepts on vehicles
- Field driving skills test (场地驾驶技能考试), a practical exam on parking and basic driving skills completed on a track
- Common sense test of safe and civilized driving (安全文明驾驶常识考), a written exam on correct driving habits
- Road driving skills test (道路驾驶技能考试), a practical exam carried out on actual roads
Driving schools in China for foreigners
If it is your first time getting a driver’s license, you will also be required to take lessons at a driving school (驾校) before completing your exams. Major cities will have a few driving schools that specialize in providing service to foreigners.
Is Getting a Chinese Driver’s License Worth It?
The short answer is, if you want to drive in China as a foreigner, you have no choice but to get either a temporary or permanent driver’s license. However, the question to ask yourself is whether you really need to be driving at all in China, especially if you are just on a short-term visit for tourism or business.
Getting a Chinese driver’s license costs both time and money, as does renting or buying a car. Even if you manage to secure both of those, the arguably greater challenge still stands: doing the actual driving. To master the roads and traffic of China’s mega-cities can take both time and patience, as will finding parking spaces…
Thankfully, China has the largest transport network in the world – which you can read more about it in our article 15 Interesting Facts About Chinese Culture!
You will find lots of other ways to get around which are likely cheaper, more convenient, and probably safer, than self-driving. Besides well-developed high-speed rail, subway, and bus systems, there are also excellent taxi services available for you to take advantage of.
Just make sure to brush up on how to ask for, give, and understand directions in Mandarin.
Taxis in China
Getting a taxi (打车) in China is both cheaper and more convenient than in most other countries. You will still be able to see many traditional taxis on the road, distinguished from other cars by their bright colours, which you can stop with a wave. However, most Chinese people today prefer using online ride-hailing (网约车) apps on their phones.
The most popular app is Didi (滴滴出行), sometimes referred to as the “Uber of China”. It is available for download on Apple Appstore and Google Play, and also as mini-programs (小程序) in WeChat and Alipay. Online ride-hailing also has the advantage of helping you avoid scams, since the platform will not only determine the price and route in advance, but also process the payment.
I Am Ready to Start My Application for a Chinese Driver’s License. What Now?
If you are still set on getting a Chinese driver’s license, the first thing you need to do is to prepare all your paperwork and bring them to your local DMV. Most major cities have several branches, details for which are available online. (Some may require you to make an appointment, while others allow you to just show up. Make sure to check this beforehand). Below are some commonly visited offices:
- Beijing: Beijing Vehicle Management Office, No. 18 South Fourth Ring East Road, Chaoyang District.
- Guangzhou: Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau Vehicle Administration Office of the Traffic Police Squad, No. 1732 Huaguan Road, Tianhe District.
- Shanghai: No. 1 Branch of Vehicle Administrative Office, No. 2999 West Huaxia Road, Pudong New District.
- Shenzhen: Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Bureau Vehicle Management Office, Xinyi Auto City, Henggang Town, Longgang District, Shenzhen Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Bureau
FAQ
Can Foreigners Drive in China?
Yes, but foreigners must obtain a Chinese driver’s license or a temporary permit to drive legally in China, as international and foreign licenses are not recognized.
Can I Drive in China with My Overseas Driver’s License?
No, you cannot drive in China with an overseas license or international driving permit. You must convert your license to a Chinese driver’s license or obtain a temporary one.
What Side of the Road do They Drive on in China?
In mainland China, traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road.
Author Bio:
Vivianne Zhang Wei is a Swedish-born Chinese social sciences graduate of University College London. Particularly interested in the ethnographic study of rural China, agriculture, and biopolitics, she has spent the past year travelling around and writing about farms in the Chinese countryside. Previously, she has also organised and taught non-profit English language summer camps for young students in rural China, won national awards in student journalism, and worked in the media and communications industry.
