Can persons holding a Chinese driving license drive a car anywhere else in the world?

Can persons holding a Chinese driving license drive a car anywhere else in the world? - Unrecognizable person holding can of power drink while standing on parking lot near sport car

I was recently at a car rental desk and next to me was a group of Chinese tourists renting a car. This was a bit perplexing since China is not a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention nor it is to the 1949 Geneva Convention. This means that China is technically unable to issue IDPs and therefore no Chinese license holders should be able to drive anywhere outside of China.

So my question is - do any countries in the world actually recognize Chinese licenses as valid? Or were those tourists breaking the law by getting a rental car?



Best Answer

In the US it is dependent on the state:

According to USA.gov:

People who drive in the U.S. must have a valid driver's license. Some states require an International Driving Permit (IDP) from foreign nationals, in addition to a valid license from your own country.

Then I went to the State of New Jersey, Motor Vehicle Commission, and it states:

Foreign motorists with valid driver licenses from qualifying countries* are free to drive personal or rental cars while visiting the United States as a tourist and are advised to carry an International Driving Permit.

The asterisk led me to the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic, the Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Motor Vehicle Traffic, and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. China is not listed on any of them.

However, that is just New Jersey, in New York,

You can drive in New York State with a valid driver license from another state or country. You don’t need to apply for a New York State driver license unless you become a New York State resident.

If you have a driver license from another country you do not need to have an International Driving Permit, but it is helpful. The permit verifies in several languages that you have a valid driver license. Police officers who can’t read the language on your foreign driver license will be able to read the permit. Contact the authorities in your home country to get an International Driving Permit.

So yes, there are countries that recognize Chinese licenses as valid - the US, but it's dependent on the state. So they can't drive in NJ, but they can a few miles over in NY.




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More answers regarding can persons holding a Chinese driving license drive a car anywhere else in the world?

Answer 2

Germany would recognize Chinese driving licence as valid:

If you hold a valid domestic driving licence or International Driving Permit, you may drive all categories of vehicle indicated on your licence in the Federal Republic of Germany. If there are any conditions or restrictions on your driving licence, you must also comply with them when driving here. However, your driving licence is not valid if you have not yet reached the minimum age required for the appropriate category in the Federal Republic of Germany and your driving licence was not issued by another Member State of the European Union or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. You must carry your driving licence with you when driving or riding a motor vehicle.

If you hold an International Driving Permit, you do not have to have it translated.

Source: Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure

Answer 3

For the rest of China (excluding Hong Kong), you can drive in the UK for 12 months only. If you wish to continue to drive, you will need to apply for a UK provisional driving licence, pass the theory test and pass the practical driving test.

Source: Chinese Driver License in UK

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Erik Mclean, Oleksandr Pidvalnyi, Alexey Turenkov, VIACHESLAV KAN