How To Get Your Chinese Driver’s License From Scratch

Don’t know how to drive? Here’s your basic guide to obtaining a Chinese driver’s license. First, the bad news: you will need to be fluent in Chinese, the process takes around 50 days, and will cost you a few thousand RMB.

Now if you already have a driver's license from somewhere else, you can convert your driver's license to a Chinese one, read more about the process here. 

Step 1: Sign up for a driving school

We all have the notion of a friend, a crush, or a sibling teaching us how to drive in the summer countryside, all laughs and flying dirt. Fact of the matter is, this is unfortunately illegal in China. Everyone who wants a driver’s license must graduate from a driving school.

The #1 driving school in China is called 东方时尚 Dōngfāng Shíshàng. They charge around RMB 4,000 for a full training program and offer free commuting buses to and from campus. The main campus is in Daxing district, but there are practice centers in other districts, e.g., Shuangjing in Chaoyang.

Tests are only administrated on the main campus, but certain training components can be done in local centers. Training sessions are booked through the 东方时尚  APP, while tests are booked through the 交管 12123 APP, which is administrated by the Chinese Public Security Department.

Step 2: Pass Subject 1

To receive a driver’s license, you must pass three tests, the first of which is called “Subject 1”. This is a digital quiz about traffic regulations, navigating car functions, and any general knowledge. It contains 100 multiple-choice questions, each one worth 1 point. To pass, you need a 90 and above. To study for Subject 1, you can download the 东方时尚 app and watch video classes. There are also practice questions covering all possible tested content.

(By the way, this is the same test you take if you are converting your foreign driver's license.)

Step 3: Pass Subject 2

Subject 2 tests specific skills behind the wheel, including parallel parking, S-shaped roads, 90-degree turns, and backwards parking. To practice Subject 2, you first learn these skills through VR at a practice center close to your home. After four days of VR, you practice in an actual car at the main campus for three days before taking the test. You can only take the test after 11 days of passing Subject 1. To pass, you must get an 80/100. All practice and test cars are electric and controlled by an AI instruction system. If safety issues arise, a built-in motion-detecting brake stops the car when it’s close to an obstacle. Students can also call for coaches’ help through the AI instruction system. To ensure personalized learning, coaches teach closely at each skill station.

Step 4: Pass Subject 3

Subject 3 tests driving on the real road. The Daxing campus contains specific road sections that are open to the public but are also designed for Subject 3 testing by mimicking real traffic scenarios. Before taking the test, you must practice for five days. There also should be at least a 20 day interval between Subject 1 and 3 tests.

For each subject, you get two chances on test day. If you fail both chances, you can book another test on another day. Subject 1 allows an unlimited number of tries, but if you attempt five Subject 2 or 3 tests without passing, all subject scores are canceled and one must start from Subject 1 again.

If you pass all three tests, then you successfully receive a Chinese driver’s license – but it isn’t easy! Subject 2 and 3 are especially challenging for those who have no experience in driving. We recommend taking practice seriously.

READ: How to Get a Chinese Driver's License, as of Sep 2022

Images: Unsplash, Helen Wang