Getting a Chinese driving licence in Shanghai

To drive in Shanghai, you need a Chinese driving licence or a temporary driving permit. An overseas licence or International Driving Permit alone is not enough. For most people converting a full overseas car licence, the process is straightforward: prepare the documents, have a medical examination and pass a computer-based test on Chinese road rules, called Subject 1 (科目一).

Around ten years ago, I exchanged my Canadian G licence — Ontario’s full car licence — for a Chinese licence in Shanghai. I had a medical examination and took the road-rules test on a computer. A full licence is essential: a learner’s licence such as Ontario’s G1 cannot be converted.

Which driving-licence route fits your stay?

This guide covers ordinary passenger cars. Motorcycles, buses and trucks have different licence and test requirements.

If you mainly travel around central Shanghai, you may not need a car at all. The metro, buses, shared bikes, taxis and ride-hailing services make everyday journeys convenient and affordable. Driving becomes more useful for regular trips beyond the city centre or exploring further afield.

Can I convert my overseas licence?

Your overseas licence must be valid and full, allowing you to drive independently. Learner, provisional and probationary licences do not qualify.

Article 20 of China’s driving-licence rules also requires at least 90 days spent in the country or region that issued your licence, counted within a one-year period when you obtained it. This is a check on your residence history in the issuing country, not a 90-day wait in China.

For foreign applicants using a passport, the identity documents include permission to stay or reside in China for more than three months and accommodation registration. A Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card can be used instead. These requirements are set out in the national driving-licence rules.

What documents do I need?

For an application using a foreign passport, prepare:

1. Your passport and a copy, plus your valid visa, stay permit or residence permit.
2. Accommodation registration at your current Shanghai address. See the address-registration guide if you have just moved.
3. Your original overseas driving licence and a copy.
4. A Chinese translation if the licence is not in Chinese. Accepted options include a translation company’s stamped translation, a notarized translation, or a translation from the issuing country’s embassy or consulate. Company translations also require a stamped copy of the company’s business licence.
5. A driver’s medical examination and licence photo, through providers connected to Shanghai’s electronic application system.

Shanghai’s conversion guide explains the translation options, and the municipal service page covers medical and photo records. Prepare these before your appointment, with your name spelled consistently across the documents.

Where and how do I apply in Shanghai?

Full licence conversions are handled at Shanghai Vehicle Management Office branches 1–4:

• Branch 1: 2999 West Huaxia Road, Pudong — 华夏西路2999号.
• Branch 2: Gate 3, 179 Qinchun Road, Minhang — 沁春路179号3号门.
• Branch 3: 2638 Hunan Highway, Pudong — 沪南公路2638号.
• Branch 4: 299 Anfen Road, Baoshan — 安汾路299号.

The application has three main steps:

1. Submit your documents at the vehicle management office (车管所).
2. Book and take the road-rules theory test, unless you qualify for a mutual-recognition exemption. After your application is accepted, appointments can be booked through the Traffic Management 12123 app (交管12123).
3. Collect your Chinese licence. For applicants who only need the theory test, Shanghai normally issues the licence on the spot after a pass.

The official application listing has the branch details and booking instructions.

Chinese driving licence specimen, 2013 layout. Public-domain source: Wikimedia Commons.

What is the road-rules theory test like?

The computer-based Subject 1 test covers Chinese traffic laws, road signs and driving rules. For a standard overseas car-licence conversion, you usually take this test without repeating a practical driving test.

The Shanghai theory-test format, based on the city’s June 2026 guidance.

Shanghai’s published test arrangements are:

• 45 minutes to complete the test.
• 90 points out of 100 to pass.
• 15 languages available; select your language when booking.
• Two attempts during one appointment.

Prepare for Chinese traffic rules, signs and penalties before booking.

Where can I practise in English for free?

• LuPass — free English chapter practice with answer explanations, without registration. Timed mock exams are a paid feature.
• ChineseDrivingTest — a free 100-question English mock test with scoring. Its question-bank update date is not stated, so cross-check changing rules and penalty points.

Both are independent study tools, not official exam websites. The free features above were checked in October 2026.

Which countries qualify for a test exemption?

China’s mutual-recognition agreements with Belgium, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France and Serbia allow eligible car licences to be exchanged without the theory test. The UAE agreement applies to UAE citizens holding a UAE licence. Shanghai lists the four agreements, and the traffic authority’s exchange rules specify their eligibility conditions.

What does it cost?

The official licence-card fee is ¥10. Translation, medical examination, photographs and examination charges are additional. Prepare your documents and study for the test in advance.

Can I get a temporary driving permit at the airport?

Shanghai temporary driving permit — blank specimen published by the Shanghai Government.

Yes — both Hongqiao and Pudong airports have temporary driving-permit counters:

• Hongqiao Airport: Terminal 1 arrivals hall.
• Pudong Airport: the connecting bridge between Terminals 1 and 2, on Middle Wuzhou Road.

These are for temporary permits. For a full licence conversion, use Vehicle Management Office branches 1–4 listed above. The city’s temporary-permit guide lists the airport counters, opening hours and other application locations.

A temporary permit suits visitors who want to rent a car. The rental route covers small cars, including manual cars (category C1), or automatic small cars (category C2), matching the categories on your overseas licence. There is also a route for temporarily imported vehicles.

Bring your passport, overseas licence, Chinese translation and photographs. The process includes document review and a traffic-law learning session. Temporary entrants applying for small cars do not need the usual medical examination; applicants aged 70 or over take an additional memory, judgement and reaction test.

For short stays, the permit is valid for three months. For permitted stays exceeding three months, it can follow the allowed stay, up to one year. You can start the application on Shanghai’s official online platform, then complete the counter requirements.

When driving, carry the temporary permit, original overseas licence, Chinese translation and rental contract.

Official sources — checked October 2026:

• National driving-licence rules — full-licence eligibility, residence and test requirements.
• Shanghai foreign-licence conversion guide — documents, test arrangements and mutual recognition; updated June 2026.
• Shanghai application service — branches, records and fees.
• Beijing Traffic Management exchange rules — agreement eligibility, including the UAE citizenship condition.
• Shanghai temporary-permit guide — airport counters, documents and validity; updated January 2026.
• Shanghai Police temporary-permit instructions — traffic-law learning and medical exemption.
• Ontario’s driving-licence guide — G1 learner and full G licence stages.

Cover photo: BreakdownDiode / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; displayed with a responsive crop.