Your home licence and the International Driving Permit are not valid in mainland China — but that doesn't mean you can't drive here. Here's how the temporary driving permit works, and how we help.
The short answer: mainland China does not recognise foreign driving licences or the International Driving Permit (IDP). Visitors have two legal roads: get a Chinese temporary driving permit and drive yourself, or take a private car with a local driver. We help with both.
Not on foreign paperwork alone. China is not part of the international licence-recognition system that makes an IDP work in most countries, so neither your home licence nor an IDP lets you legally drive here — and rental companies will not hand you keys on them. What short-term visitors can do is convert their existing licence into a temporary driving permit (临时驾驶许可), issued by the traffic-police vehicle administration offices.
With the permit in hand, mainstream rental companies (airport branches are the easiest) will rent to foreign visitors — expect a credit-card deposit and the usual insurance options. Pick-up at the same airport where you obtained the permit makes for the smoothest start. Roads and motorways in China are modern and well-signed, but navigation apps work best in Chinese — which is where we come in.
An honest word from people who arrange both: in big cities, a driver wins — traffic is intense, parking is scarce, and licence-plate restrictions complicate city driving; you'll see more and stress less from the passenger seat. Self-driving shines on the open road — countryside loops in Yunnan or Hainan, where the freedom to stop anywhere is the whole point. Plenty of our guests mix the two: a driver for the cities, a rental for one scenic leg.
For mainland China, yes — it isn't recognised, and no legitimate rental company will accept it. (Hong Kong and Macau follow different rules from the mainland.)
The permit is issued in China, so you can't collect it beforehand — but you can prepare everything (translation, photos, documents) in advance so the airport stop takes a single pass. Message us your arrival airport and we'll tell you exactly how to line it up.
On regular roads, yes. A few border and restricted areas require additional permits regardless of your licence — if your route touches western frontier regions, check it with us first.
Planning to drive in China? Tell us your arrival airport, dates and route idea on WhatsApp — we'll reply with a step-by-step plan for your permit, rental and route.