Foreign Temporary Driving License

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Personal documents you need

First, make sure all your personal documents are valid for at least 6 months after your planned exit date from China:

• Passport: must be valid for 6+ months beyond your exit date, with blank visa pages. Some nationalities are eligible for visa-free entry to China (including Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai, and French passports for up to 30 days).
• Your home country driving license: must be valid, in your name. You do not need an International Driving Permit — we process the temporary Chinese driving permit for you at the border.
• Passport photos: 4 white-background 1-inch photos of the main driver, for the temporary license and import paperwork.

Vehicle documents you need

Your car paperwork must be original (not copies) and match the driver's name:

• Original vehicle registration certificate (logbookbrown cardvehicle ownership paper) proving the car is legally registered in your home country.
• Proof of valid vehicle insurance covering the route through neighboring countries to China. We arrange the mandatory China temporary insurance for you at the border.
• Two clear photos of the car: front and rear, showing the license plate clearly, for the customs filing.

What about the customs deposit?

You will need to pay the 10,000 RMB customs guarantee deposit when you arrive at the border. This is not a document, but it is a mandatory requirement — without this deposit, customs will not release your temporary import permit. The deposit is fully refunded when you exit China with the car.

Common missing document mistakes

The most common reason drivers get turned back at the border is missing the original vehicle registration. Many drivers bring a photo or photocopy — customs will not accept this. We recommend scanning all your documents and sending them to us 3–5 days before you arrive, so we can pre-check everything and flag any missing items before you reach the port.

We will send you a custom document checklist once you contact us, tailored to your nationality and entry port. If you are unsure whether your documents are valid, send us copies for a free pre-check before you start your drive to the border.