Chinese driving license

[doumi]

Hi, I would like to ask if anyone knows how to get the driving license in Beijing - i do got a from Germany. Do you know the place in Beijing? - after getting the chinese one , can i drive all around china? or just in Beijing??

Thanks a lot for any advise.

[Jackdk]

Look here. You can take the test in German. The driver's license is valid throughout China.

You can read more on the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau home page.

[doumi]

thx a lot:)

[cdn_in_bj]

As long as your German driver's license hasn't yet expired, then it's a fairly simple process (you just need to pass a simple eye check and score 90 on the written test). The page that Jackdk linked to is accurate. Just make sure you don't wait until your license is about to expire, as sometimes it can take a few weeks to book the written test.

There is a bit of running around involved to do the eye check and to schedule the test, so if you are pressed for time or don't know your way around to well, you can hire an agency to help you with the process. But you'll still have to take the written test. The agency will provide you with a "study guide" consisting of a set of questions and answers taken straight from the actual test, during the exam you'll be required to answer 100 of these choosen at random. The questions aren't hard but you will need to look over the material in order to score 90, as there are a few obscure rules and also incorrect answers (!) in the test, and some questions about points/fines which will need to be memorized.

[flameproof]

I am just curious, can anybody apply or just Z-visa holders?

The official translation of your driving license you usually get from your consulate. They have ready made forms for it.

[simonlaing]

I am not sure if the driving test varies from place to place but the one in Nanjing is pretty hard. Lots of random details like what is the proscribed speed limit in the city with a two lane road vs a one lane road. Plus you need 90 % or above on the 100 question test.

(my friend failed three times and his chinese is quite decent)

Also they don't have an english version of the test but you are allowed to bring an interpretor to help you take the test. The solution bring one who has passed the test before, and they take it for you. (Note this only works with those who are transfering a driver's license from a western license to a CHinese one.)

It sounds easy.

(But They make the paper work really hard and annoying to deter foreigners from all getting them.)

Anyway that is how you do it in Nanjing and Shanghai.

Good luck.

HAve fun,

SimoN:)

P.S. renting cars are easy though you have to leave a sizable deposit that they only give you back 3 months later..(though some places you can use a credit card.)

P.P.S. then you have to deal with chinese drivers..

[cdn_in_bj]

I am just curious, can anybody apply or just Z-visa holders?

I believe that F-visa holders can also apply, but I'm not 100% sure. Also, they were planning to offer temporary licenses to L-visa holders but I don't know if that ever went into effect.

The official translation of your driving license you usually get from your consulate. They have ready made forms for it.

You can also get it translated by a private translation company. The agency I went through to get my license provided the translation.

I am not sure if the driving test varies from place to place but the one in Nanjing is pretty hard. Lots of random details like what is the proscribed speed limit in the city with a two lane road vs a one lane road. Plus you need 90 % or above on the 100 question test.(my friend failed three times and his chinese is quite decent)

If you haven't "studied" the questions ahead of time, then it's pretty near impossible to score the required 90%. If you've looked over the questions and answers ahead of time, then it should be fairly easy to pass.

Also they don't have an english version of the test but you are allowed to bring an interpretor to help you take the test. The solution bring one who has passed the test before, and they take it for you. (Note this only works with those who are transfering a driver's license from a western license to a CHinese one.)

Did your friend take this test recently? Here in BJ, they use CBT for the written test. You can choose from several languages but most people end up taking it in English, even if that's not their mother language, as that's the language that the "study material" uses. Of course, if your city doesn't use CBT and lets you brign an "interpretor", then even better.

It sounds easy. (But They make the paper work really hard and annoying to deter foreigners from all getting them.)

Again, if you've studied the questions I think it's pretty easy. When I took the test, most had finished in half the alloted time and as far as I could tell there were very few failures. Based on the written test attendance levels (foreigners take the test separately from Chinese nationals), I estimate that there are 4000-5000 licenses/year being granted to foreigners here in BJ.

P.S. renting cars are easy though you have to leave a sizable deposit that they only give you back 3 months later..(though some places you can use a credit card.)

3 months is pretty long - the place I rented from returned my deposit back about a week later (to allow time for any traffic/parking violations to show up on the online system).

P.P.S. then you have to deal with chinese drivers..

Yes, Chinese drivers and clueless foreign pedestrians. What a great combination.

[simonlaing]

As usual,

The rules and ways of sorting things out in BJ and Shanghai are different from most of the rest of China like Nanjing. Be ready for this. Nanjing is 2 years behind in making it easy for foreigners.

The license for BJ and Nanjing are good for the whole of China I am pretty sure.

Have fun,

Simon:)

[Jackdk]

Info about driving in China. Check out the "Dangers" section: "...there are only two rules you must obey, both equally important. Don't hit anything, and don't get hit by anything."

[dnevets]

Reviving an old thread, I hope this is the most appropriate one...

I'll soon be off on another trip to China and I'd like to drive while I'm there, so I'll obviously need a driving license. Although it seems possible to get a provisional licence (good enough) in Beijing without needing a test (http://motorhome-china.com/report_dl.html) I'll be in Xi'an. This page http://auto.people.com.cn/GB/6231793.html tells me that I can take the test in Xi'an in English, which should increase my chances of passing (though if you want to test your Chinese, here's a practice test: http://www.jszks.com/).

I think at the moment my questions are:

a) Has anyone here taken the theory test in English?

b) How difficult is it to pass? (I've been driving for 15 years in the UK so I'm not short on experience, and though having lived in China I know that there are differences in rules and regulations, though I haven't studied them.)

c) After you do the test, how long do you have to wait until you find out if you passed, and how long until you can get the licence?

and one more, a long shot....

d) Does anyone know if the test-free provisional licences are available anywhere else other than Beijing Airport? ie. what are the odds that I can get one in Xi'an?

and last but not least, a horrendously stupid idea:

e) What are the chances of me getting stopped/caught if I drive without a license, and what would the punishment likely be? (Just asking out of interest, not actually planning on doing this!)

[roddy]

This seems to list punishments - 15 days in clink and up to a 2000Y fine, assuming you haven't actually hit anyone.

[banjo67xxx]

What are the chances of me getting stopped/caught if I drive without a license, and what would the punishment likely be?

10 years ago my wife told me that because she didn't know how to ride a motorbike, she frequently fell over when she had to stop at a junction, which attracted the attention of the police. Before the police took out their notebook, she offered them the keys and allowed them to impound the vehicle, and in those days the police took no further action if the vehicle was impounded.

Of course, she would then go out for karoke and a meal with her friend, the impound clerk, and get her motorbike back the next day.

The rules might be stricter these days.

[WestTexas]

why would anyone want to drive here?

The written test is rather difficult from what I've heard. What I heard is that basically there is a bank of 1000 questions, they take 100 of these and test you on them. You need 90% to pass. The questions are about things like the nuances of different traffic laws and what the punishments are for different violations. Not common sense stuff, like the question I had on my driving test in Texas about whether or not marijuana makes you a better driver.