Driving in China

Here is one of the common questions we recieve. We posted it here and hope the answer may help you if you share the same concern.

Question:

My friends and I will be in China this summer. We’ve heard that the transportation in China is very different from in the U.S... It would be great if we could have the flexibility driving a car by ourselves. So how's driving in China? What kind of procedures should be done if we want to drive a motor vehicle there?

Answer:

Driving in China is different in certain ways from what it's like in the U.S., such as the traffic rules, the frenquency of road tolls, the ways people conduct their drivings and how pedestrians behave towards traffic signals.

We wouldn't suggest self-driving in China if it's your first time there and if you are not fluent in reading Chinese road signs. It's a good practice to have some first hand traffic experience before you actually begin to drive. Many visitors have found that taking a taxi is a better way to get around.

However, if you're comfortable enough to drive, according to Chinese laws and administrative regulations on traffic, people from other countries should have a driver's license that is issued by Chinese traffic administrative departments before you can drive a motor vehicle in China.

If you already have a USA driver's license, (for other readers, if you've received the driver's license of your own country), or if you've had an international driver's license, you can take the license and your ID to the local vehicle administration branch of the local public security bureau to get a Chinese driver's license.

If you don't have a driver's license of any kind, you may go to a local driving school for training. Once you finish all required courses, exams and the health test that are conducted by the local vehicle administration branch of the local public security bureau, you'll get the Chinese driver's license.

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