Can i drive in shanghai

If you have outstanding traffic tickets or are involved in unsolved traffic accidences from your past stay in China, you have to solve all of them first before applying for the Provisional Driving Permits. If you enter China from the airway, you can apply at the Motor Vehicle Service Station at the landing international airport. Here is a list of exact places where the vehicle administrative office is located at the most popular international airports in China.

Monday to Sunday, Monday to Friday, Monday to Sunday, 24 hours. There are no limitations to the Provisional Driving Permits as compared to the official Chinese driving license.

You should abide by all the traffic laws and regulations. What is the age requirement to apply? You should be between 18 to 70 years old. Can I delegate somebody to apply the Provisional Driving Permits for me? You have to apply for yourself in person. Where can I get the application form? You can download it here or get it from the office where you want to apply for the Provisional Driving Permits. Can I fill in the form in English?

You must fill in the form in Chinese. Can I translate my local driving license by myself? You must get your local driving license translated by professionals. How do I know if a translation service is acceptable? This seal is issued by the authorities and each has a special serial number. Can I apply for a temporary driving license if my visa is valid longer than 3 months? A discussion on Shanghai's public transport network would be incomplete without mentioning the efficient rail network.

This coastal city is cut by the Huangpu River, and travelling by ferry can be a great way to get around and see the city. The Shanghai Ferry operates 18 lines. A basic trip costs about the same as other forms of public transport, and passengers can pay using a Shanghai Public Transport Card. Passengers who wish to take a bicycle, light motorcycle or normal motorcycle are charged higher rates.

Taxis in Shanghai are affordable over short distances, but as most drivers only speak Chinese, foreign passengers will need to make sure that they either carry a business card of somewhere near where they want to go or get a local person to write out the address in Chinese. It is best to ask to go to the nearest big landmark or intersection to the final destination, as Shanghai is a huge city and drivers may get lost if a passenger is travelling outside of their home turf.

While tuk-tuks rickshaws are not a common sight in Shanghai, there are many taxi alternatives, such as the ride-hailing application DiDi. As in other large cities in China, owning a car and driving in Shanghai is probably best avoided.

The road system and traffic laws in this sprawling city are complex, while the public transport system is efficient and comprehensive enough that expats often won't need a car to get to where they want to go. Chinese traffic laws are often very different from Western ones and, as a result, it occasionally seems that there are simply no rules at all.

Safety should be a concern of expats who plan to drive, as China has a high rate of traffic-related fatalities. Parking spaces are often impossible to find, and commuting in the never-ending rush-hour traffic is a nightmare best avoided, if possible.

Those that do want to own and drive a car in Shanghai will need to get a driving licence for China. This can be done at a Chinese traffic department office and some airports. Scooters, including electric motorbikes or 'E-bikes', are a cheap and popular method of getting around Shanghai and are even available in supermarkets. But these can prove dangerous in the city's chaotic traffic.

They also cannot be ridden in the underground tunnels beneath the river, or on bridges, so cyclists must plan their routes accordingly.

That said, many people get around by bike and certain areas are more bicycle friendly than others, such as Pudong which offers well-maintained bike paths.

The best way to travel short distances is on foot. Pedestrians can easily make their way through the city by walking and this is a great way for new arrivals to become more familiar with their surroundings. Strolling along the Bund waterfront promenade and around Pudong is pleasant, especially in the evenings with Shanghai's nightlife.

The downside side is that you are limited to rental cars and your permit will expire when your visa does. We covered the whole process already right here. You need to get your current home country driver's license translated by an official authority. Your visa needs to be valid for at least another 90 days.

The price of verification depends on your country and starts at 50rmb. It should take two to three days. Don't open the envelope that you get back from the Interpreters' Association. Don't sleep on the written test. This is the most difficult part. The infamous Chinese driver's license test.

You need to study for this thing. Administered by the transportation bureau, you will need to answer random questions out of a pool of 1, that you are required to study before hand. You need to get 90 of them right. In addition to the China-specific content, another challenge is the awkward wording.

Some of the questions, you are only really able to answer correctly if you have learned them and memorized before just because of how they are worded. There are plenty of apps on the app store that let you study the questions in preparation for the exam. Some are okay. Some are crap. We tested "Drive in China" and "Laowai Drive". Both apps claim to be free, but once you download and get into them, they charge around 10 USD to continue. Of the two, Laowai Drive had up-to-date questions.

Drive in China was completely out-of-date and the main reason why this writer failed the exam the first time.