I am sure this has been covered here before but I cannot find the answers to these questions:

1. How do you get a driver's license in China? I have an International Driver's License (Got it from AAA in Salem Oregon before I left). I know the International Driver's license does not work in China but does it help if you show it?

2. Also, I don't speak Chinese. Should I take someone with me when I visit the place?

3. Speaking of the place, where do you go in Shanghai to apply for a driver's license?

4. Finally, how hard is it for an expat to buy a car here in China?

Thanks.

Stevens68 wrote:1. How do you get a driver's license in China?

fill out forms, pay money, take test. obtain license.

Stevens68 wrote:I have an International Driver's License (Got it from AAA in Salem Oregon before I left). I know the International Driver's license does not work in China but does it help if you show it??

dont think they even know what one looks like, so no.

Stevens68 wrote:2. Also, I don't speak Chinese. Should I take someone with me when I visit the place

yes.

Stevens68 wrote:3. Speaking of the place, where do you go in Shanghai to apply for a driver's license?

it's near the end of line 1, if i recall.

Stevens68 wrote:4. Finally, how hard is it for an expat to buy a car here in China?

pay money, get license, get insurance. not hard.

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/index.php? ... highlight=

DILLIGAF

i forgot to include: unless they've changed the policy, u need to book an appt to take the test. so u'll need to go twice. first time to fill out paperwork, get health exam, pay fees, and book your exam date. 2nd time is for the exam (it's electronic). u'll get the license the same day of the exam provided u passed.

If you are a lazy ass, you can buy it. Cheap.

D.ORiGiNAL wrote:If you are a lazy ass, you can buy it. Cheap.

read below, DILLIGAF
*********************

Scam catches foreign drivers

Shanghai Daily Newspaper 2007-6-31

SOME foreign motorists in the city may be driving illegally and be
unaware of it thanks to a bogus application ruse.

Overseas drivers living in Shanghai should only apply for a Chinese
driving license with local police.

Shanghai traffic police made the clarification yesterday following
reports that some agencies are charging expatriates thousands of
yuan to have licenses issued out of town. These licenses are not
legitimate.

Shanghai Morning Post broke the story on Thursday after an
undercover investigation of the agencies.

With photocopies of the driver's passport, driving license from his
or her own country and head-shot photos, clients are told to expect
a Chinese driving license, issued by out of town authorities, after
a week to 40 days, the newspaper said.

The foreign clients don't need to show up in person but only pass on
the material to agents and wait for the licenses to arrive.

Agents charge between about 2,000 yuan (US$263) and 5,000 yuan for
the service.

Shanghai Daily interviewed officers from the vehicle administration
office under the General Team of Traffic Police who said licenses
required by the agents are illegal.

Foreign drivers should swap them for a driving license issued by
traffic authorities in their exact area of residence.

Shanghai traffic police are investigating the matter.

"Expatriates with a Shanghai-issued residents' permit, should only
apply for a driving license issued by Shanghai traffic police," said
a police officer with vehicle administration.

It costs 40 yuan to sit for a test on computer in Chinese road
traffic rules. You can obtain a Chinese driving license the same day
you pass the exam after paying 15 yuan for certification.

To apply for the test, the expatriate need to come to the police
office on 1179 Qingchun Road, with head-shot photos and a hospital-
issued physical exam report. Applicants also need to take the
driving license issued in their own country.

Police said that international driving license holders are not
allowed to drive in China before gaining a Chinese license.
Questions about applying for a Chinese driving license should be
directed to a hotline, 24023456.


Foreigners warned on out-of-town driving license

Shanghai Daily Newspaper 2007-6-30

SHANGHAI police have warned local foreigners not to buy driver's
licenses from out-of-town driving schools.

For those who want a driver's license, the application procedure for
a local-registered one takes only one day and a small sum of money,
police said. Passing a written test is a must.

For those who hold no license, police suggest them to learn to drive
and sit for tests in the city.

Foreigners in Shanghai have been targets of out-of-town driving
schools since last August when the schools' business with city
residents was ruined by local police.

They were offering a driver's license service that required no
written or road test to lure foreigners, said an insider surnamed
Zhang.

"The schools offer 'apartment service,' which suited many foreign
people," Zhang said.

They usually find it too troublesome to go to a city to do
registration.

A salesperson would knock at the door, collect some basic
information, get the fingerprints and photos and take copies of the
passport.

Then, all in need to do is to wait patiently for at least 40 days
when the applicant will receive a driver's license that has been
registered outside Shanghai.

"Though foreigners have to pay 1,000 yuan (US$131) more and wait
longer, they find it convenient and efficient," Zhang said.

Local students usually pay between 2,600 yuan to 4,200 yuan to get
such a license from out-of-town driving schools. It takes at least
5,000 yuan from local schools.

Training outside of the city allows students to get a license
quickly. Local regulations require drivers to do 86 hours of in-car
training, and they can't spend more than six hours a day on
training.

Drivers must also wait at least 40 days between taking a written
test and sitting the actual driving test. The whole procedure may
take three months.

Other provinces don't have similar regulations, so students can get
a license much quicker.

The test is so much fun. Every question gives you a smile. Experiencing China behind a steering wheel surrounded by fun loving anarchists is special.

Rule number one: Never let anybody or anything pass into your lane in front of you. Bad Karma will follow you, if you do!
Rule number two: Traffic jams are good. They are joyful gatherings. Try to make it perfect!

8lrr8 covered pretty much everything, I'll just add a few minor things: you'll have to get a notarized translation of your existing license before you go there (can be reasonably quick and cheap); the hospital where you take the med examination and the police station where you register are in different locations, but both are in Hongqiao (in my case, at least); the test is 100 questions and you have to get 90% right - they will give a list of all 100 questions with answers when you register..

Good luck on the road!

DILLIGAF I bought one and I HAD to sit the test.

My license is legal. No problem. I can drive cars and motorbikes, all types.

Anyway, the problems of many foreigners is that they dont have the resident permit and so they must find ways to get the DL. Chinese government is aware of that but doesnt give a **** about it.

D.ORiGiNAL wrote:Anyway, the problems of many foreigners is that they dont have the resident permit and so they must find ways to get the DL.

speaking of residence permits, there's another critical piece of info one needs to know i forgot to mention:
if u got your residence permit (aka "z-visa") outside of SH, u cant get your license in SH. u need to get it where u got your visa approved at. yes, that is not a misprint. so if u got your visa approved in shenzhen but now work in SH, u need to get it done in shenzhen. this is what the "DMV officers" in SH told us anyway.

i ended up paying some bloke to take the test for me. reason being the city where my residence permit was granted doesnt have an english version of the test. not surprising, since there are probably only a handful of expats in the city to begin with. funny thing was the first guy we found ended up flunking (we didnt pay him, obviously). he said they recently changed the questions. the 2nd guy we got was a driving instructor. he purposely got a few questions wrong so as for me to not look suspicious. and in this city, i got the license the same day i took the test. none of this "u gotta book it for another day" crap that u have to face here in SH.

the easiest way out of the retarded ass rule is to wait until your visa expires. then get it renewed in SH. your freshly renewed visa will be approved in SH, which means u can get a license done in SH.

D.ORiGiNAL wrote:DILLIGAF I bought one and I HAD to sit the test.

My license is legal. No problem. I can drive cars and motorbikes, all types.

Anyway, the problems of many foreigners is that they dont have the resident permit and so they must find ways to get the DL. Chinese government is aware of that but doesnt give a **** about it.

wait and see whats going to happen with a "bought" driving license during an accident in Shanghai.... wish you best of luck!

DILLIGAF