Can foreigners drive in China as tourists?
Not on an IDP alone. The Beijing Municipal Government English site says that as China did not partake in the 1968 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, an IDP cannot be used to drive on the road in the Chinese Mainland, nor can it be used to apply for a Chinese driver's licence.
What the rules allow is a temporary driving permit (临时机动车驾驶许可): you hold a foreign licence, apply to the traffic police and get a short-term permit. The basis is Ministry of Public Security Order No. 162 (in force 2022-04-01), amended by Order No. 172 from 2025-01-01. The State Council Gazette republished the current text. Articles 20, 21, 25 and 37 were not changed.
Temporary driving permit in China: validity and where to apply
How long is it valid?
Order 162 Article 21 says a short stay after entry gets a permit valid for three months. Where the stay or residence exceeds three months, validity can be extended to one year. The Shanghai traffic police Q&A (2024-12-11) gives the same split.
An older rule differs. Order No. 90, Provisions on Temporary Entry Motor Vehicles and Drivers (in force 2007-01-01), Article 14, says the permit ends on the expiry date of the permitted-entry period on your entry and exit document, lasts at most three months and cannot be extended. Order 162 Article 111 says earlier Ministry of Public Security rules that are inconsistent with it yield to it. So go by Article 21.
Where do you apply?
Order 162 Article 21 names the vehicle management office (车辆管理所). The Ministry of Commerce guide for foreign business people (2024 edition) says the public security traffic management service hall. For a rented Chinese vehicle, Order 90 Article 11 says you apply in the city where the rental company is located.
Two cities show how it looks in practice. Neither is the national rule.
- Shanghai: several vehicle management office branches (Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00) and traffic-police units at Hongqiao and Pudong airports. You get the permit on the spot. Addresses are on the Shanghai page.
- Beijing: the Beijing Municipal Government Service Center, No. 1 West Third Ring South Road, Fengtai District (southwest corner of Liuliqiao). Statutory working days 08:30-17:30; Saturday morning 08:30-12:30 by appointment. Enquiries: (010) 12123, per the e-government guide.
Neither the Shanghai Q&A nor the Beijing guide covers other cities, and neither says whether airports or border ports elsewhere have a desk. Ask the local traffic police or your rental company.
What documents do you need for a temporary driving permit?
Order 90, the Ministry of Commerce guide and the Shanghai traffic police Q&A list different documents. Each list is shown on its own.
- Shanghai traffic police Q&A: entry and exit ID such as your passport, plus your foreign licence. If the licence is not in Chinese, add a Chinese translation (from a translation agency, which the traffic-police window can help you apply for, or issued by an embassy or consulate in China or by a notary). Your photo is taken at the window, and you take the traffic-law study before the permit is issued on the spot.
- Ministry of Commerce guide: passport, foreign licence with Chinese translation, and a recent 1-inch colour photo (half-length, bareheaded, front, white background), plus “etc.”. It speaks of a small-car (小型汽车) temporary permit.
- Order 90, Article 13 (older rule): complete the application form in Chinese and submit an entry and exit ID document; foreign licence (with Chinese translation if needed); documents showing your age and physical condition meet Chinese conditions; two recent 1-inch colour photos (half-length, bareheaded, front, white background). For organised tours, competitions or other exchange activities, also submit proof from the relevant Chinese authority. The traffic police review within three days, organise traffic-law study, then issue.
The Beijing e-government guide’s document list opens with papers for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents; the rest of the list sits behind a ‘show more’ link.
Medical exam and tests
The pages differ. Order 162 Article 21 lists no medical exam or test for getting the permit. Order 90 Article 13 asks for a document showing your physical condition meets Chinese conditions. The Shanghai Q&A and the Ministry of Commerce guide list no medical report. The one test-related step Order 90 Article 13 and the Shanghai Q&A share is traffic-law study. A medical report is listed for a full Chinese licence (Order 162 Article 25), not the temporary permit.
Who cannot get one?
The Shanghai Q&A lists age below the Chinese condition (at least 18 for C1 or C2), a hit-and-run record in China, unresolved violations or accidents, and skipped traffic-law study. Article 21 adds that a holder who reaches 12 points in one scoring period without taking the required study and exam cannot re-apply. Under Article 109, a foreign licence means a formal licence; learner, temporary and probationary licences are excluded.
Can I rent a car in China and drive it with a foreign licence?
Order 90 Article 9 says a temporarily entered foreign driver may drive their own temporarily imported vehicle or a rented Chinese motor vehicle. The permit class must match the class on your foreign licence (Article 12). For a rented Chinese vehicle that is small car and small automatic car. The Shanghai Q&A says C1 or C2 only, and says to carry the rental contract when you drive.
The Ministry of Commerce guide says foreign customers rent with a passport or Foreign Permanent Resident ID, a valid Chinese driving licence and an international or domestic credit card. That guide doesn't say whether a temporary driving permit counts as the “valid Chinese driving licence”, so ask the rental company before you book. It names no rental companies and lists no prices or deposits.
A friend's car is different. The Beijing traffic bureau FAQ, citing Order 90 Article 9, says a foreigner with a temporary permit cannot drive a Chinese citizen's private car apart from rented vehicles.
Does my country's driving licence work in China?
The Ministry of Commerce guide says China has licence agreements with France, Serbia, Belgium and the UAE, “permitting holders of those countries' licences to drive directly within China or exchange without a test” (直接驾车或者免试换领).
For short stays, the concrete detail is for France. The Ministry of Public Security page (2021-08-16) says the China-France agreement took effect on 2021-08-17. For temporary entry of no more than one year, a French licence plus translation is exchanged for a temporary driving permit, with the medical exam and test waived. So a French visitor still needs the temporary permit. We would not plan to drive in China on any of these four licences without one.
For Serbia, Belgium and the UAE, the same Ministry of Public Security page says only that recognition and exchange exists with the UAE and Belgium and that an agreement is signed with Serbia. That page gives no short-stay details for those three. It says recognition would be widened to more countries, but no page used here names any beyond these four.
I entered China visa-free. Can I still apply for a temporary driving permit?
Order 162 Article 21 doesn't mention visa type; it says only short stay after entry (入境短期停留). Order 90 Article 13 asks for an entry and exit ID document, and the Shanghai Q&A asks for a passport or other entry and exit ID. None of them says whether a visa-free entry counts, and this page does not guess. Ask the office you plan to use before you travel.
For the entry rules themselves, see China 30-day visa-free entry and 240-hour transit areas. They make no claims about driving.
How do I get a full Chinese driving licence if I stay long?
This route is for residents. The National Immigration Administration article (2025-07-15) says foreigners who have stayed or resided in China for more than 3 months can exchange a foreign licence for a formal Chinese licence, with a passport, residence permit and accommodation registration form, the foreign licence (plus a stamped or notarised Chinese translation if it is not in Chinese) and a medical exam report. Order 162 Article 20 lets a foreign licence holder who meets the conditions, and who stayed in the issuing country for 90 days or more in total within a year when obtaining that licence, apply for the corresponding class. Article 37 says foreign licence holders take Subject 1 (Subjects 1, 2 and 3 for large passenger, heavy tractor-trailer, city bus, medium bus and large truck classes). The National Immigration Administration article says the four agreement countries above are exempt from the test.
Not driving? Getting around China without a licence
We can arrange a chartered car with a driver; ask us on WhatsApp. For city-to-city travel, our 12306 train tickets guide explains how to buy train tickets as a foreigner. We can also help you plan the days around either.
Thinking of a self-drive trip in Yunnan? These city guides cover what to see: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La. We do not offer rental cars, permit applications or translation.
