Yunnan Self-Driving Travel Guide

Yunnan Self-Driving Travel Guide will be very helpful if you want to travel around Yunnan by self-driving. It is divided into 3 parts: Getting a China Driver’s License, Car Rental, Get to Know China Traffic Rules and Road Traffic Law. Road condition of your destination is also a necessary consideration. 

China Driver’s License

You cannot drive with an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) in mainland China. China has not signed the convention which created IDPs. You need a Chinese license to drive in China. (Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan issued licenses are not considered Chinese licenses). The first consideration of your self-driving plan should be how to get a China Driver’s License in Yunnan. If you have your national driver’s license it is not necessary to make a complete driver’s license test in China with driving (road test) but ‘only’ a 100 question test of which 90 have to be answered correctly. There are several languages the applicant can choose from (Chinese, English, French, German and others) and your visa has to be valid for at least 3 months. For further information on making your driver’s license in Kunming, please check the details below.

How to Get A China Driver’s License in Yunnan China

Step 1: Translation of current license

Getting your license translated seems fair, except that this has to be done by an official notary office and they’ll charge you 50RMB for a few seconds’ work. Alas, there’s no way around this, so you just have to grin and bear it. Contact us if you have problem with that.

Step 2: What to bring

Drivers license + translated driver’s license + 1 copy each
Passport and visa + 1 copy each
Household Registration form / registration form from the local Police Station Bureau (original or copy)
4 passport photos (own photographer on site); 3 for application, 1 for driver’s license upon pick-up after exam
60 RMB per exam
12 RMB for the physical test
10 RMB for the license
A Chinese name with which you have to sign several times

Step 3: Where to go next

With all your documents for application in hand, you should go to Kunming Vehicle Management Station for the application. 

Kunming Vehicle Management Station / Kunming Shi Che Guan Suo – 昆明市车管所
No. 12 Jing Kai Road – 经开路12号
Tel: 67267863

The applying process: Once you arrive at the Kunming Vehicle Management Station please hand over all the documents to the responsible person. Photos for the license can be done in the same building as well as the physical test (eyes, reaction etc.). If all is fine, you will be allowed to take the exam about 1 week after your registration. The test itself is a computerized, multiple-choice set of 100 randomly generated questions. If you pass, go back to the place where you initially registered, and receive your Chinese driver’s license right away. If you fail, you can just stay seated, the test is resetted and and you can do the exam one more time. If you fail again you’ll have to register and pay for the exam again, eariest a couple of days later. Please note that above details to procedures, documents and prices are subject to change (also even migh vary from nationality to nationality). 

Car Rental

With the China Driver’s License in hand, now you come to the second part, rent a car in Yunnan Kunming.  If you don’t want to spend too much money on renting a car, it is recommended that you choose a local car rental company, since international companies charge very high rates. Yunnan Exploration also provides car rental service, please call us or send us an email. We’re confident that our experienced and skilled driver and good-condition vehicle will leave you a deep impression. It is suggested to consider hiring a driver with it; this is relatively cheap and will enable you to enjoy your visit more.

Photo Number: +86-0871-63511469
Email Address: contact@YunnanExploration.com

China Traffic Rules

Traffic rules are vital when you are driving, the traffic rules in China may not be the same as that in your country, so it is necessary for you to learn about it. You should be able to read and understand at least some Chinese characters which are essential when floating through Chinese traffic. You should also have an overall understanding of China Road Traffic Law.

Keep Reading