Guys,


I wanted to ask anyone who has been able to drive in China using a license from another country like the USA or Canada. I have heard that international licenses do not work in China. So I'm wondering...how do you drive in China? Do you take the China driver's test in order to drive in China?

Anyone have ideas on how to go abouts getting the proper documents to drive within China? I'm tired of my driver, so I want to take over the wheel myself and be in control.


thanks in advance


AsnDragon

i drive all the time without an international licence in china?

no idea about the rules, just go do it.

I know 3 guys:

1) This guy has a business in China. He pays certain amount of $$ to get the license, without going through the exam. Not too sure what channel. Not 100% legit

2) Another travels to China all the time. His employer in HK got the license for him.

3) One of my expat in Shanghai, he took exam and gone through some simple physical check. But he is working with the company with proper evidence of residency.

All I know the rule in China is that "no direct conversion of international license" to China license.
They still need to go through certain exam.

Maybe you should go to transport Dept to check the legit way.

I try to ask them.

I have a license in the PRC.  They do not accept international licenses, so you need a PRC license to drive or rent a car.  Assuming you have a license from another country, you need to file some paperwork and take a written test, which can be done in English.  It takes a couple of weeks to a month to process the paperwork.

When I got my license, I believe that you needed to have a residence permit to apply.  A regular tourist visa or business visa didn't work.  However, I did some research online just now at it seems that has changed.

Once you get the license, then the hard part is actually driving around and trying to avoid the bikes, other cars, pedestrians, cats, potholes, etc.

Been more than a few times to Hainan. I have a driving license back home and
have never driven in China. The local regulaitions in China are that you need to have a local
driving license!

I have many friends in the local goverment and during one dinner having a discussion
of driving skills, which in Hainan atl east seem to be very limited I told that I'm much more
skillfull. These officials promised to make a paper that I could bypass the written eximanations.

Said I have so many local friends driving me around and the taxis are so cheap that I prefer to keep
it that way. Also the zero tolerance of alcohol and driving is a good reason not to drive.

So the tests can be bypassed with right friends. But in the long run still it might be cheaper
just to use taxis and service. Trafic is quite unpredictable and I asume the cars are not so weel
insured as in western world. You pay if it's fault! This I heared a few days ago.

All Hong Kong residents can convert their USA/Canada/Japan/UK/etc driver's license into a HK one if I remember correctly. And if you are Chinese you can just pay a fee to get a guangdong driver's license. But the actual test is a joke and the written exam is ridiculous. There's no actual booklet or guide for you to study just a whole bunch of pass paper answers for you to memorize. Even if you go through that spiel, it's a moot because the amount of cheating nowadays is super blatant. And people don't really follow the rules too.

One of the questions is: “If you are involved in a non life threatening minor accident what should you do?" THe answer is "pull over to avoid traffic and sort compensation privately". However, in Chinese traffic disputes, only the testimony of a traffic cop is valid. So cars just clog the traffic to get compensated CHINA

It's China. Just make some bank, and hires dudes to drive you around to fuck more chicks. Road trips sounds fun, but the toll fees will kill your wallet and motorcycles are off limits in the city centres

In terms of being involved with a traffic accident, everyone will try to strong arm you into giving money to avoid trouble and take no blame. Sometimes even the police will be against you because of a LAO WAI LAO WAI LAO WAI. Fuck the fuckers and just go full on China style aggressive and document everything and just call their bluff.

I have an e-bike which I use to get around Kunming. When I bought it 6 years ago it was open slather, no license, no registration, no insurance required.

After a spate of accidents and lots of complaints, the powers that be decided that they all had to be registered and the police went out and set up roadblocks fining riders without registration for a few months.

As is often the case here this slackened off and we are pretty much back to the way it was before and I can ride my unregistered e-bike whenever, without fear of being stopped.

Not sure of the legit way but my friend paid 800 to get his exam and licence sorted out.

Petay.


Really just 800 RMB? Can you ask your friend what channels he went through to get his license? I don't mind paying, it's just I don't know who to seek to get the license. I'm sure with money it's pretty easy, just I need to be in contact with the right people.


AsnDragon

In  terms of getting a conversion? Did more internet check. Do this for HK license

http://www.td.gov.hk/en/public_s ... licence_/index.html

list of countries, basically non expired 3 years left from these countries! You can even apply for a manual transmission license (have fun breaking your tranny, har har)

http://www.td.gov.hk/en/public_s ... pendix_c/index.html

There, HK legal to drive a car. Now to get a China legal license? Like most dealings with China government = "don't be a  LAO WEI LAO WEI"

Take your license to those driving centres in shum shui po like Lee's or whatever, present China return permit. Pay money, get license. Think it was around 1k hkd or something

~~~~~~~~

As for just paying for a license outright in China as a LAO WEI LAO WEI?  Can't help you there, I'm just a Hong Kong guy, and my current knowledge already makes my peers in Ask around other internet forums, or the department of motor vehicles or something. The bigger cities probably offer you a test or whatever I just stated. Go there and cheat. if you really want. I donno, good luck.


Fuck you e-bikes. Silently buzzing my elbows all the time and scaring the shit out of me. drivers just HAVE TO scrape by you when there's so much room on the road. God damn it e-bikes  And your lousy maintaned screeching breaks? double fuck you Just dismount and push the piece of scrap metal already. The screeching sounds worse than bad iJapanese imitation kiddie porn   Not that real kiddie porn is much better

I get it. You don't like e-bikes.

If you want to quote me, then please don't take bits of my post out of context or add stupid emoticons to my wording.

[ Last edited by  atomic3d at 11-11-2012 09:08 ]

Yup, RMB800 is fucking cheap. PRobably somebody the guy knew.


I just got in touch with my friend who already abandon his business in china.
He told me that, he paid RMB5,000 to some runner/middle guy to process everything for him.
After 2 weeks he got the china license with his muthfucking face on it.
so, 5K for 1 china license.

My Admin lady in shanghai processed some of the expat license, explained to me the legit ways are:
1) Taking the exams in english and some other foreign language also available.
2) Go thorugh a simple physical examination.
3) Must prove you have residency in China.

Hunter,


I'm willing to pay 5,000 RMB for the license. Is it legit though? I don't want to be pulled over and then realize that the license was a fake. Who do I talk to? I'm ready to pay. Is he in guangdong province? Did he convert a HK license to PRC or US license to PRC or does he even need a license?


Curious, please do let me know, thanks


AsnDragon

800rmb is legit, that is the price I paid for converting my hk license into the china one at the border. They take photocopies of everything and you pick it up in 2weeks if I remember.


This is for hong kong/Shenzhen area, it may be different for shanghai.

[ Last edited by  megok at 12-11-2012 21:58 ]

I have a US license and stayed in shanghai for 1 year on work visa. Mentioned to a slightly shady coworker that I was thinking of getting a license in Shanghai he said for 2,500rmb he could get a valid license as he had a friend in government. Figured for that amount I'd give it go if it failed I'd know where to find him Paid the money got the license. Did drive on it never got stopped so can't say but looked real and held up when compared. But this was a couple years ago so guess prices really have increased...

wow...your coworker is shady but really helpful.

I'm looking to get a PRC drivers license and i don't mind paying either. how long did it take for you to get your license after you paid 2500 RMB?

In addition, I wanted to know if anyone had any contacts to get a PRC ID card, a real one! This is more of a stretch, but I'm willing to pay money to get a PRC ID card or PRC hu kou, residency.

thanks in advance

it seems like everyone know some in the govt that's shady...i need more of these contacts!


AsnDragon

depends what passport you are holding and what visa on your passport.

if you want to do it the legit way,
you need to go thru 65433545 department in China, starting from getting a lawyer or someone from 公正局 to translate your passport into chinese, medical checkup, etc etc...
very troublesome, but it's cheap, less than RMB 1,000 and no written test needed.

if you want to do it fast and easy way,
go to HK, find an agent, (e.g Lucky driving school)
give them a photo and pay HK$6,000 (price for foreigner 3 yrs ago), less than HK$3,000 for 回乡证 holder.
wait 2 weeks, collect your HeiLongJiang or Hainan driving licence.

ok check this out..

http://www.leekin.com.hk/D10-ChinaLicence.html

HK$7500

I got the license fairly quickly, I handed over a photo and the cash and got within a few weeks.
He was incredibly shady but had the contacts and always a good time

Sorry cant help prc card though

From my experience in China SZ:

First you have to go to the police department to get a residence paper
Then you go to the testing site "for sz it is Nam Shan"
and then you file out the form and get a physical at the building next to where you turn in your form
then you have to walk back and setup a date to come and take the writing exam.

(make sure you have a credit card or a debit card with you to pay for the physical exam)

If you have a HK lincense you do not need to take the driving test.  All you have to pass is the writing test.  The writing test is really hard.  out of 100 question you can only make have 10% mistake.  so 90% and above.  And yes their questions are really wack.  

Also if you need help and have a iphone there is an app call china drive.  Its really similar to the actual test. DL the app and study from their questions.  The trial app doesn't have that much questions. but if you pay for the app after DL-ing there is more sample questions for you.  
GOOD LUCK Bros