Are you wanting to be able to drive in China in 2023? Curious how to get a Chinese driver’s license? Driving in China is a thrill, but you can’t get behind the wheel unless you have an official China driver’s license. I’ve applied for a Chinese driver’s license twice (motorcycle license & car license) and below I share how you can get one too.
Before I go into how to get a Chinese driver’s license, let me explain one very important policy in China:
You must have a Chinese drivers license in order to drive any vehicle in China.
Period.
Many countries around the world and even throughout Asia accept a license from your home country or even an international driver’s permit (IDP).
Unfortunately, China is not one of those countries.
If you plan to drive a car or motorcycle in China, you need to be between 18-60 years old and will need one of the following two types of China driver’s licenses. I will go into more detail about each of these licenses further down.
- Full Driver’s License (time consuming): This driver’s license is for foreigners visiting China for over three months or plan on staying in China long term as it is good for 6 years. Unfortunately, it takes a few trips (if you’re lucky) to get a full-license as well as passing a 100 question written test.
- Provisional Driver’s License (easier): This driver’s license is temporary and available for foreigners visiting China for up to 3 months. The biggest perk to the provisional driver’s license is you don’t need to take a written test.
Use the links below to jump to a particular section or just scroll down to keep reading.
First things first.
Is it even worth it to get a Chinese driver’s license?
China Drivers License: Worth It?
Coming from the perspective of an expat who has enjoyed the freedom of driving my own car and motorcycle around gorgeous parts of China, my first instinct is to say…
Yes! Getting a Chinese driving license is absolutely worth it!
But I realize it’s not that simple.
Every person’s situation, perspective and risk tolerance is unique. And this plays a big role in deciding whether a Chinese license is worth it.
For example, are you willing to overcome the obstacle of:
- Actually Getting the License: It takes time and money. Personally, it took me two weeks of back and forth to get my license.
- Renting/Buying a Car: Buying a car was a huge headache for me and while renting a car in China isn’t nearly as bad, it’s not the simple process you know from back home. Oh, and as for selling your car when you’re finally ready to leave China? Yea…that was a massive headache too.
- Navigating Chinese Roads: You can’t rely on the English instructions of Google Maps in China since it’s blocked. It took me at least a year to understand Chinese roads without getting utterly confused.
- Finding Parking: The biggest challenge to driving, especially in the bigger cities, is finding parking. It’s frustrating and not cheap!
- Accepting the Liability: If you get in an accident, as a foreigner the blame will likely fall on you. Are you willing to accept this liability?
As you can see, I’m doing everything in my power to convince you that a Chinese driver’s license isn’t as awesome as it might sound.
Ultimately, it’s your choice.
If you’re still determined to get your own license, I recommend that you buy some good travel health insurance for China and then read on for instructions on how to apply.
**NOTE** Everything in this article also assumes you have a current (not-expired) driver’s license in your home country. If your driver’s license is expired, I’d probably pass on getting a Chinese driver’s license as it will take several months, thousands of RMB, and a much more complicated process.
What Paperwork Do You Need for a Driver’s License in China?
Did you ever go to the department of motor vehicles (DMV) in your home country to learn after waiting-in-line for an unspeakable amount of time that you were missing necessary information to get your driver’s license?
It sucks right?
In China, the DMV not only has long waiting times too, but it’s typically always in the outskirts of town.
So to avoid traveling a long distance to only be disappointed that you forgot something, make sure you have the following materials to get a Chinese driver’s license (you’ll need everything below for both the full or provisional driver’s license):
Required Paperwork for a China License
- 3-4 Copies of Your Passport and Visa: In addition to these clear photocopies, you’ll also need to bring your actual passport with you, so don’t forget it!
- 3-4 Copies of Your Residence Card/Certificate of Temporary Registration: The Residence Card or Certificate of Temporary Registration details where you live and is provided by your local police station. If you are applying for the provisional driver’s license, you can request a certificate of temporary registration from your hotel after checking-in.
- 5 One-Inch Identification Photos with a White Background: Some regions may require more or less, so it couldn’t hurt to bring a good number of spare photos. You can always get more photos directly at the DMV, but they will charge you more than elsewhere. Remember that you also cannot smile in these photos!
- Notarized Translation of Home Driver’s License: You’ll find translation companies near most of the major government buildings, and you’ll need to make sure that they are a licensed translator with a chop. Expect to pay at least 250-300 RMB for the translation. Notarization happens at the local 公证处 (Gōngzhèng chù) in your city. I’ve gone into more detail about how to get a document notarized in China.
You’ll also be required to complete a physical exam at the DMV to prove you’re physically fit and healthy to drive.
At first I thought that the comprehensive exam you take after arriving in China to get your residence permit will do, but that is not the case. It must be the physical exam they administer at the DMV.
How to Get a Temporary China Driving License
You’ll see that I’m referring to this as a temporary China driving license, but the official name of this document is:
China Provisional Driving Permit
临时机动车驾驶许可/Línshí Jīdòngchē Jiàshǐ Xǔkě.
Remember that the provisional driver’s license in China is only available to travelers visiting China on a visa that allows up for 3 months (90 days) of stay per entry.
However, starting in late 2019, this provisional license can be renewed for up to a year.
In other words, if you’re traveling to China on a tourist visa, this is the Chinese driver’s license for you.
In terms of the steps required to apply for a provisional license, China has made some effort to simplify the process and the paperwork required.
According to this Xinhua news article, the documents you’ll need to apply for a Chinese provisional license include:
- Your passport;
- The driver’s license from your home country;
- Official translations of both documents;
This translation can be done before you enter China or on the ground, but keep in mind that it usually takes 24 hours for a translation to be completed.
It’s important that this translation have a red stamp certifying that it is an officially recognized translator. You can’t just use Google Translate on your own.
Applying for a China Provisional Driving Permit
In order to apply for a China Provisional Driving Permit, you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the documents listed in the section above and then follow these steps.
- Step 1: Visit the DMV – Once you have all the necessary paperwork detailed above, make the journey out to the DMV or 车管所/Chēguǎnsuǒ where your certificate of temporary registration is issued. For example, if your temporary registration is at a hotel in Xi’an, then you need to go to the DMV in Xi’an.
Note: Your certificate of temporary registration must be certified by the local police station nearby your place of residence. When requesting from the the certificate from the hotel, ask if they can do this for you. If not, have them point you to the local police station and provide you with a note detailing that you need the temporary registration certified.
Step 2: Health Check– Update 2023: Thankfully the health check has been removed as part of the application process for a provisional drivers license.- Step 3: Present Permit Application – Present all the documents and fill out an application for the provisional driver’s license.
Since the application document is written in Chinese and needs to be filled out entirely in Chinese, don’t hesitate to ask the staff to help you.
A simple phrase like “请帮我填写申请表 / Qǐng bāng wǒ tiánxiě shēnqǐng biǎo.” works wonders.
- Step 4: Wait for Processing – After filling out the application, the DMV will process your provisional license within an hour or so. It’s that easy and there is no written or driver’s exam required!
In terms of how much the provisional Chinese driver’s license costs, I’d bank on spending around 300-400 RMB.
The notary translation will be the bulk of that amount where the remaining will be spent on the photos and application for your driver’s license.
How to Get a Full China Driver’s License
The full driver’s license is for folks coming China for work (business, teaching English, etc) or those traveling for more than 3 months with the intention to frequently drive a car.
You should also expect to take multiple trips to the DMV before you finally get your hands on your Chinese driver’s license.
Let’s go over the steps needed to get a full driver’s license in China. I gathered all this information from a Chinese website detailing vehicle and traffic regulations all across China.
Depending where you live, there may be slight differences, so it couldn’t hurt to do a little research yourself before heading to the DMV to get your driver’s license in China.
Applying For a Full Chinese Driver’s License
In order to apply for a full Chinese Driver’s License, you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the documents listed in the section above and then follow these steps.
- Step 1: Visit the DMV – Locate and visit your local DMV or 车管所/Chēguǎnsuǒ. You must go to the DMV where your residence permit is issued. For example, if you have a residence permit issued in Beijing, you cannot go to the DMV in Shanghai.
- Step 2: Take the Physical Examination – Somewhere on the grounds of the DMV is a place to take the physical exam. Once you arrive at the DMV, pay the fee and take the exam, which will mostly test your eyesight, hearing and reflexes.
- Step 3: Fill Out the Application – After receiving the results, share them along with all your other paperwork for approval. You’ll also have to fill out the application for a full Chinese driver’s license, but since it is written and needs to be filled out entirely in Chinese, try to get the staff to fill it out for you since they already have your information handy.
- Step 4: Take the Written Test – Then it’s time to take the written test, which can be taken in eight different languages including English. In many cases you’ll have to make an appointment for the exam, so be ready for news that you’ll have to come back another day to take the test.
Think of that time between trips as a great opportunity to prepare for the test.
You’ll be surprised to find that the written test for a Chinese driver’s license is actually really hard! It’s a whopping 100 questions that requires a 90/100 score to pass.
I ended up failing twice before finally passing on my third attempt, so I highly recommend taking some time to study for the test so you can hopefully pass on the first attempt.
After passing the written test you can now have a driver’s license in China. There is no need for a driver’s test!
Following the test, listen out for and double check on the processing time for your Chinese driver’s license.
Typically you can expect around 5 business days before you can come back up to pick up your driver’s license. But sometimes you may be lucky to where they can process it for you immediately.
I personally spent around US$100 on everything from getting a notarized translation of my US driver’s license to the medical check, the fee for the written test, and the license itself.
Should You Get a Chinese Driver’s License
Always remember that you must have a Chinese driver’s license to drive in China. There’s no getting around this.
I recommend getting a provisional driver’s license in contrast to a full Chinese driver’s license as they are faster and easier to get. You also don’t have to worry about the written driver’s test too, which is a big perk.
Lastly, many foreigners may think you are crazy wanting to drive on the open roads in China.
You probably are…
…but that’s just part of the adventure 🙂
Remember, you’ll need to get yourself some traveler’s insurance and probably some good road maps in order to stay safe on the road.
Any route to get a PROVISIONAL license when above 60 ?
Unfortunately no. If you get your license before 60, you can get it renewed, but you can’t get a new license.
I’m Turning 59 this summEr. So if i get a provisional license on a 2-3 week vIsit, can it be renewed for a long-term license later for when i live theRe?
Hey Bob, unfortunately, I don’t think a provisional license can be “renewed” into a full license. And as you probably read, once you turn 60, you won’t be able to get a long-term license.
I lived in China for almost two yeaRs and I would never ever drive there but I had an expat friend who had been driving for years and never got into an accident.
Keep on doing your great job.
It’s always a pleasure reading your posts.
Thank you! It can be scary, but it can also be very exciting 🙂
We lived in shanghai from 2005 to 2009. after discovering how expensive a car and driver were to rent, we decided to be self drivers. the process of getting driving permits, buying a car (only cash paymenT WAS possible at the time), getting insurance and making it through the Licence plate bidding war were amazing experiences. Although our chinese car suffered many mechanical problems, we were never involved in any accidents and getting countless parking tickets was not a problem once I figured out where to go to pay them. all costs were cheap in comparison to europe and we had a blast! Yes, you have to watch out for every other car on the road but there is a certain flow to the madness. We felt much safer driving than taking taxis! A navi gave directions, I took my time, and we always arrived everywhere safely. Doing school drop offs and pickups was a joy. weekend family trips to mountains, lakes, watertowns and even cubscout camping gave us a feeling of freedom as well as getting us out of the smog. We loved driving.
Awesome story, Brigitte. Thanks for sharing! I have a similar story – it was a nightmare getting the license, the car and everything else required to be legal, but the payoff in the end was totally worth it.
Hi Josh, Do you know if you need a motorcycle license to drive a scooter/moped? We’re moving there in a couple months and while I would never want to drive a car, I wouldn’t mind a moped!
Thanks for all the helpful posts!
Most of the time you can get by without a license for a simple electric moped as long as you don’t drive it all across town. If you use it for convenience around your home, you should be fine. I know many others who were!
Yes theres new laws now
I have a Chinese drivers liCense that expires may 24. I am not Living in china any longer, but i have a 12 month business visa.
Can i renew my license?
Thanks.
Daniel
You’ll be able to renew it once you get back in China. You can’t initiate a renewal from outside of China, unfortunately.
Just came across this article. I am in Nanjing and wanted to make the temporary driving permit, since I stay for around 3 weeks and I wanted to go to a mountain nearby on the Weekend and some other places. Someone called the office for me you mentioned above and they said something like a “temporary driving permit” does not exist and one must make a real chinese driving license. Now I am really confused. Are they lying? Are they clueless? Or are there different laws in Nanjing?
I’ve spent some years in china and the only consistency is change. Enjoy the bureaucratic run around.
I live in Dalian with my Chinese wife ,can I get a provisional LICENCE I am over 60.
They don’t allow new licenses for people over 60, unfortunately.
Hello Josh, I appreciate your information about the driving licenses. I actually got a China provisional driving license from the Beijing airport last May. I don’t speak Mandarin, but the Beijing airport police let me translate my own English driving license into Mandarin. How hilarious.
My next trip will take me to Sanya, however I don’t believe I can get a provisional license at the Sanya airport.
BUT it seems this is all changing as of super recently, with the announcement of the new pilot programs in Hainan. I’ve done some extensive searching about “How to get the provisional license in Sanya” but every time I just find news articles talking about the new changes on August 1st, but not actually how to do it.
Do you know much about where and how I can get the provisional license in Sanya? I do have a valid driving license from another country.
HERE IS SOME INFO I DID FIND:
http://www.hinews.cn/english/system/2019/07/04/032127199.shtml
Thanks for sharing, Angelo! Unfortunately I don’t have any other information to share, but I’ll publish anything I find.
Hi Josh, FIRSTLy thank you so Much for this blog. It inspired me to go for my license. Very helpful thanks. In my province, Zhejiang, they require much less than what you experienced AND luckily I got my license first time.
My question is, IS it normal for Them to Put a Chinese name on the licence, one that I Sucked out of my thumb, rather than my names as in my PASSPORT?
Thanks
Cornel
That’s awesome, Cornel! Unforunately, they won’t use your given name – they have to put a Chinese name on the license. It sucks, I know!
If the holder of driving classes A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 who reach the age of 60, he/she has to visit Traffic Bureau and change driving class into C1.
If the holder of driving classes D,E who reach the age of 70, he/she has to visit Traffic Bureau and change driving class into F.
age limits ?
If one has A C1 Driver’s licence, is there an age limit to use it / prevent its renewal ?
Thank You !
Gerard
hi Josh, does a philippine passport holder with international driving license can apply driving license in nanjing china? if yes do i still need to take both exams, the written and driving exam? thank you so much
It doesn’t matter what country you come from or what kind of license you already have…if you don’t have a Chinese driver’s license then you’ll need to take China’s written test (although you won’t have to do the driving test).
Hi
My wife is Chinese and we often go to china for short visits (around 1~2weeks usually) once a year
will I be able to apply for the provisional driver’s license? and will I be able to renew it the next year?
Yes, you should. Although it might be worth it to try and get a full driver’s license if possible.
Hi Josh,
Great blog. We are planning a overland trip from Scotland to Nepal next August (2020). Our intention is to enter China via Kyrguzstan. Do you know if you would be allowed to drive from the border to the nearest police station to get a provisional licence or if you could apply for the licence from home before going?
You can apply for a provisional license from abroad using a travel agency. It usually takes a bit of time, especially in the Xinjiang province, so I wouldn’t rely on a nearby police station to be able to do it for you.
Hi
I got my full driver license in Oct 31 2014 at Hai nan province. I need to extend before it Get expires. Can i renew it at other provinces , like in guangzHou or shenzhen. Please advice how to do it. Thx
I believe that it has to be renewed in the city where it was issued.
hi guys!
Great blog!
I’m travelling to beijing next friday to visit my girlfriend and we are going to yunnan province too.
as you probably know, yunnan has many interesting points to be visited around the city and because of that we plan to rent a car in kunming and go for a trip with some stops.
i’m wondering how many problems i will face to get my provisional driving permit, once i have the international licence, the official translation and the photos.
mi question is: do you know if i can get my provisional driving permit in the Daxing International Airport (new beijing airport), and drive in other provinces?
Thank you so much,
Thx for the ressource, i was able to get a temp. Driving licence.
Few caveeats :
– Any “traffic police” offices won’t do, you have to go to the central main one, that could be quite far away from town.
– be careful when asking a notarize translation of your driving licence : ask for a chinese name. Otherwise at the police place they can’t do the paperwork for you.
– i went in an autumn afternoon and the waiting time between giving all the papers and getting the card was 5 min.
Much love
Hi! I’m living in china with my wife, but I’m on a tourist visa (for now) with max stays of 60 days. in other words i get out for visa runs every 2 months and come back in after a few days. from your detailed information, i would assume the provisional license is the way to go, but would like to have your opinion. how long is that license good for? thanks for your advice!
Provisional license is only good for a short period, so it would need to be re-applied for regularly in your situation. In that case, I would think that a full license would be the way to go, but that’s just my two cents 🙂
Hi Josh, thanks for this article. One tiny question: I do not have a license from Germany, yet; and I also don’t have time to get one before moving to Beijing. So am I even able to get a Chinese license? I’ve already had lots of driving lessons.
But can I get a Chinese driver’s license without a foreign one?
Hi Alex, you can get a Chinese license, but it will be much harder. If you don’t have a foreign license, you’ll have to go through the Chinese driving school and driving test to get one. If possible, I recommend you doing that in your home country instead.
Hello there
Do you know if a person can get a temporary motorcycle license for China?
I’m sure it’s possible, but I haven’t seen it done.
Hello, I was wondering what information you used to study for the exam. I know there are several apps and the apps have some conflicting information in them. The two apps I use both say they use actual questions from the exam including the broken english. But in the blog your quiz seems to have perfect english. I cannot seem to find any manuals for the actual laws and regulations in English.
So I was wondering if you experienced a lot of broken english on the exam? also what did you use for studying? Thank you.
Hey Jay, great questions. You are right that much of the English exam has broken and often un-descipherable English. That’s just what you have to work with when you’re taking the exam.
My advice is to consume as much of the available content as possible. Some of it will be conflicting, and there’s nothing you can do about that. It was the same for me when I took the exam. I had to take it a couple times because of that. But eventually, you’ll get it 🙂
Hi Josh,
I have bee. Loving in China since 2008 and have had a valid.license in Shanghai since then . Last year I got 12 points cut off and the cop took my license away .
Could you let me know the process I have to follow to get back my license ?
Yikes…I’m so sorry! You can go speak with the local police, but more than likely they’ll tell you that you need to wait until the end of the year to get your license back.
Hi Josh ! Thanks for the very informative Blog. I live in china since about 20 years, and I last time renewed my full driver’s license (C1) in 2004, valid for 16 years ! So I Now must renew it again. Do you know if there is any age limit ?… 😂
Thanks !
hi there,
i have visa of “foreigner’s residence permit of people’s republic of china” valid until next year may 2021.
can i apply for provisional driving license at shanghai?
thank you so much for your reply
You should, but why not just apply for a full driver’s license instead?
Hi, i want to get c2 driving license in china from BEGINNING as i dont hold any . i do have valid work permit and living in shanghai. i need english instructor so need some guidance in this , does anyone know about the process and contact ?
hi josh
What happens id you break the law with a provisional license ?
I’m not 100% sure. My guess would be that you get your license revoked, since there’s not much more they can do.
-Not sure if this driver license used as and ID card for identification when it’s necessary to show up ?!
-Any opportunities when having a full license ? Like facilities in job working and so on ,I mean related to chinese rules ?
No, unfortunately having a driver’s license in China doesn’t open up more job opportunities (at least from my experience).