When we arrived in Beijing four years ago with our two kids and pregnant with the third, my husband and I hadn’t given much consideration as to whether we would get a car here. Everyone in Shunyi seemed to drive around in little tuk-tuks and it seemed like that was all you needed because when you live in Shunyi, you tend to stay in Shunyi.

When we realized how far it was to the hospital where I would be giving birth, and imagining my future self giving birth on the side of the road in -20°C trying to hail a taxi (we weren’t such proficient Didi users back then), it was quickly decided that my husband would sit his license and we would rent a car for a couple of months.

After studying quite intensively for a couple of weeks, my husband passed the test with flying colours (thanks to his photographic memory) and we rented our first car in Beijing, but being in late stages of pregnancy with two toddlers in the middle of winter, the car was mostly used for the occasional weekend day trip to the supermarket. It wasn’t until a few months after the birth of my son that I began to develop an itch. We had a car sitting outside, and I wasn’t allowed to drive it. As I drowned in motherhood responsibilities, I decided it was time to get my license and maybe regain some independence. I downloaded the apps, began studying an hour a day, and a month or two later sat the theory test with my baby strapped to my chest.

We traded in our small car for a larger Jeep, and on that day we packed up the kids and started driving north with no fixed destination. The first sign we saw was for Yanqi Lake, so that was where we headed. I remember that day so well, the windows wide open, the music up, speeding down the highway on the most beautiful blue sky day. We reached the lake and immediately the aroma of spring flowers and freshly mown grass started filling the car. Pulling up beside the lake, the kids kicked off their shoes and ran around hollering, while mum and dad ambled along behind, filled with the joy that accompanied our newly found freedom.

And so began our adventures exploring regional Beijing. We have climbed many different parts of the Great Wall and discovered many amazing landmarks through sheer luck; we have hiked mountains and camped next to rivers, we’ve driven to the beach and we’ve driven to the snow. We have visited caves and boated through gorges and discovered small villages teeming with culture. We usually just drive, exploring new areas, and we stop at anything interesting that we discover along the way – fruit picking farms, steam train engine playgrounds, river floats, caves, replica ski resort villages, temples, and find things other people have never heard of. Even though we live in the city now, we have kept our car, using it solely in the weekends as our way to retreat out of the city, or to ferry the kids to Saturday football.

I often hear people say ‘Oh I could never drive in China, it’s too crazy!’ and this is where I feel my former life in Nigeria has prepared me to drive here: once you’ve driven in developing nations, you can drive anywhere. Renting or purchasing a car, organizing insurance and maintenance can be mafan, but driving in China isn’t too difficult – you can drive where you want, how you want and as you learn how the traffic flows and how the other drivers think (or don’t think), you realize that somehow, like everything in China, you can embrace it and you’ll be okay. In fact, you’ll be more than okay, as a whole new China experience opens up to you.

How to Get Your Drivers License in China

– You can arrange it yourself, or ask your company/employer to help you, alternatively, there are agencies in Beijing who can help you with the entire process for a fee.
– If you have your driver’s license (car or motorbike) in your home country, it is a simple process involving a medical exam and a theory examination.
– If you don’t have your driver’s license already, you need to enroll in Driving School, complete a certain number of hours of driving practice, and pass the practical and theory exams. Foreigners can enroll, however, all classes are conducted in Chinese.
– The theory test uses 100 questions taken from a question bank of 1569 questions. It can be taken in Chinese or English. Other languages are available, but the translations are reportedly very inaccurate.
– You can purchase a Study Book available from the BMVA, but the best way to study for the test is by using an app, such as ‘Driving in China.’ This is the most popular app and claims to have all the latest questions for 2018. The key to success is to memorize the answers to the questions. Confusing translations in the theory test can be very misleading, so stick with rote memorization.
– Once you can achieve at least 90 percent on the exam simulation regularly, then you are ready for the real thing.

Driver’s License Process

1. Go to the Foreign Affairs Department of the Beijing Motor Vehicle Administration (BMVA) to book your examination date. You need to take:
– Originals and copies of passport (with a visa valid for at least 3 months), Visa, Residence Permit (valid beyond 6 months), “Registration Form of Temporary Residence” and your overseas driver’s license
– Translation of overseas driver’s license (form available at the BMVA and you can do it yourself)
– Four 1 x 1″ photos with white background
– Driver’s Physical Exam Certificate (Jī dòngchē jiàshǐ rén shēntǐ tiáojiàn zhèngmíng) from authorized large hospitals in Beijing (forms are available at the hospital, you need to take one passport photo)
– Driver’s License Application Form (available from the BMVA)

2. Return to the BMVA at your appointed time, with your paperwork and sit the computerized exam. You need to pass with 90% or more. If you fail the first time, you can do a re-sit immediately following, but if you fail twice in a row you need to rebook another date to come back.

3. Your license will take a few days to process, and then you can hit the road!

Owning or Renting a Car

– Renting – Vehicles can be rented monthly, or simply rent a vehicle for the weekend as you need it. Use an agency or find a private rental by asking around.
– Owning – In order to own a vehicle, you must be allocated your own license registration plate. This plate is yours forever as long as you meet the conditions of ownership. It is non-transferable. The catch is that the Government only issues a certain quota each year, and you need to enter and win the ‘Beijing License Plate Lottery.’ Given the number of people who are entered in this draw, don’t count on winning. For further information, ask around for car owners who are leaving Beijing and are looking to pass on their cars. A word to the wise: do your research and don’t take risks.

Photos: Courtesy of Rebecca Archer, gawkerassets.com
This article appeared on p52-53 of the beijingkids July 2018 Home & Relocation Guide issue

A RMB 1,500 license plate and a foul mouth may have cost a foreigner his privilege of living and working in China.

Don’t fall into the same trap: get a license and register your scooter properly. Here’s how.

Electric scooters: the good news is that under Beijing traffic law, electric scooters are classified as bicycles, in part to encourage the use of these no/low-emission vehicles. Therefore, no license is required to ride one, and they can be registered for RMB 10 at just about any local police station, the same place where you register your visa and residency. Bring your passport and the fa piao (official receipt, received at purchase), which should have the vehicle’s serial number on it. If you are buying a second-hand scooter, make sure you get the original purchase fa piao at the time of transfer. You can visit online ScooterAdviser for scooters of high quality on great discounts if you don’t have the time to go look in a physical store.

Gasoline/Petrol Scooters: What you are buying is considered a motorcycle under Beijing vehicular law. That requires a motorcycle license to ride it legally for the driver, and proper registration to take it on the road.

Getting a Motorcycle Driver’s License. There are three categories of license, according to our regular Forum contributor Richard Thwaites, aka Biker, who currently owns three legal scooters: “F” – rare for someone to get this, but it does exist. It is for the <50cc bikes, with a maximum speed of 50 km/h;  “E” – the most common motorcycle license. This allows you to drive any two-wheeled gas-powered motorcycle, of any displacement; and “D” – common. This allows you to also drive a three-wheeled motorcycle (i.e., the sidecar type). The “D” type includes the “E” and “F” categories. A “D” license, therefore, allows you to drive any two-wheeled or three-wheeled, gas powered motorcycle.

Both a written and practical driving test are required to obtain these licenses if you do not have a current overseas motorcycle license. With a current license, depending on the country of issue, you will most likely only take the written test, which can be done in Chinese or English. To be eligible for a motorcycle license, you must be able to provide the following:

• Passport (with visa valid for at least three months)
• Residence Permit (valid beyond six months)
• Copy of overseas driver’s license (if you have one)
• Translation of overseas driver’s license (with translator’s signature and stamp, again, if you have one)
• 4, 1 x 1″ photos with white background
• Driver’s Physical Exam Certificate from an authorized hospital in Beijing (you will need a photo for this too)
• Driver’s License Application Form

The Foreign Affairs Department of Beijing Motor Vehicle Administration is located near the southeast corner of the Fourth Ring Road. You’ll have to get 90 percent of the written test correct in order to pass.

Registering a Gasoline/Petrol Scooter: One important thing to note is that the Beijing Motor Vehicle Administration no longer issues plates for motorcycles, which means they are in relatively short supply, which means that getting one is a bit of a deal in itself. There are two kinds of plates: “‘A’ plated bikes can go anywhere (a few exceptions). ‘B’ plated bikes are restricted to staying outside the Fourth Ring Road,” writes Thwaites in his superb FAQ on the subject.

Although A plates would seem preferable, they have a current market value of RMB 50,000-60,000. B plates cost about RMB 1,500. However, the maximum fine is RMB 200 for a B plate used inside the Fourth Ring Road, so maybe B is where it’s at right now.

For new scooters, the shop should help to register your new vehicle. For used bikes, consider using an agent. “Trust me – you want an agent. The agent deals with all of the paperwork to get your bike properly registered, plated and insured. I have bought many new bikes in Beijing, and I once tagged along with the agent to see exactly what he did. Money well spent, as if I tried to navigate myself through the endless bureaucracy I would probably still be trying to get my bike registered,” Thwaites writes. The plate plus the agent’s service fee will be about RMB 2,500.

With or without an agent, you will need the following documents, according to Thwaites: “Your motorcycle driving license; the “blue book,” a wallet-sized folder that has the bikes picture in it, as well as the registration information (e.g., VIN, Engine number, address, etc). You will probably need to show this blue book to purchase gas at a gas station; the wallet-sized insurance card; a larger “green book” which is a listing of the vehicle’s ownership history; the original fapiao (needed for transfer of registration); and a document that certifies the bike meet the new C-3 emission standards.

When Riding: Carry with you your passport or at least a copy (foreigners in China are required by law to carry their passport with them at all times); the motorcycle license; the blue book; and the insurance card.

Suddenly, riding a bicycle or taking the subway doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Get legal.

Special thanks to Richard Thwaites and Badr Benjelloun for their contributions to this article.This article has been modified and first appeared on thebeijinger on December 12.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia commons

Living in China as expats, we’ve all heard stories about visa renewal issues, tax questions and other official document situations that come up. Now we’ve come across a new one – and would be interested in hearing if others have as well. Topic: renewing your driver’s license back home.

My husband’s birthday was earlier this month, and his driver’s license in the states was expiring on that date. In the U.S. – depending on state laws – your license generally expires on your birth date, and you may not be able to renew by mail more than one time before having to show up in person. This was the year Gary needed to be there for renewal. 

But here’s a new hiccup for us. We no longer have any ties to the state where our driver’s licenses are processed. We have no property, no job, and no mailing address. For whatever reason, we still do pay income taxes there (it’s beyond my understanding, but his employer’s tax people say this must be so; the employer being in yet a different state). I’m thinking that if we pay taxes, surely we must be able to get a license. I doubt, however, that the current homeowners living at the address where my license is “legal” would much appreciate knowing I still claim it as my residence. To really add to the confusion, we have a legal mailing address in yet a third state – thank goodness my mother doesn’t mind receiving our mail, and as far as I know we don’t owe that state anything.

None of this is really a big deal while we are living here. But when we go back home, like my husband did this past weekend for work, we have to drive. So, how to rent a car? The states don’t recognize Chinese driver’s licenses since it’s apparently not reciprocal. And rental car companies won’t legally rent you a vehicle without a valid driver’s license. 

Last summer we decided to preempt any problems and we talked to Hertz. They were a bit perplexed, but did have a book full of officially translated driver’s licenses from various countries that qualified a person to rent a car.  Naturally, that book did not contain China, but the clerk said she was “sure” that it’d be ok if we presented this translation. We do know that Chinese colleagues here don’t ever have an issue renting a car when they travel to the U.S. on business, so there might be something to that. Still, it’s not very reassuring, making you feel like it depends on the mood of the Hertz clerk when you arrive to get a car.

Not taking any chances, Gary had his license officially translated. After a visit to the Driver License Notary at Beijing Fangyuan Notary Public Office, approximately RMB 250 and five business days (among other forms and details), my husband received a large bound document, complete with pages of translation, and proper chops for validation. And as of the phone call from Saturday morning, we breathed a sigh of relief to learn that this did indeed work (and yes, the Hertz employee did ask for his license).

Now, we just hope he doesn’t get pulled over for any reason…