Driving in China with a US license (you can't), and getting around Shanghai instead

Leave the car keys stateside. China doesn't accept a US license or an International Driving Permit, so driving means getting a Chinese license. Most Americans in Shanghai find they don't need one.

The short version

• You can't drive in mainland China on a US license or an international license [1]. China isn't a party to the conventions behind the International Driving Permit, so an IDP isn't valid here [2].
• With a residence permit, you can apply for a Chinese driver's license [1]. Holders of a valid foreign license usually take the written theory test rather than the full set of driving exams.
• Shanghai's Metro has 19 lines and more than 800 km (about 500 miles) of track, with fares starting at CNY 3 (about USD 0.45) [3].
• Ride-hail apps such as Didi fill the gaps, and Didi has had an English interface since 2017 [4].
• The Maglev gets you from Pudong Airport to the city in about eight minutes, and high-speed trains reach Beijing in under five hours [5][6].

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (USD 1 = CNY 6.6538) [8].

Your US license and the IDP

Back home, the AAA counter sells International Driving Permits for road trips abroad. Don't bother for China. The PRC isn't a party to any of the three conventions on International Driving Permits, so the permit isn't valid here [2]. The State Department puts it plainly: you may not drive in the PRC using a US or international driver's license [1].

Short-term visitors can get a temporary license for the length of their stay [2], usually arranged at the airport or through a car rental desk. For anyone living in Shanghai, the real answer is a Chinese license.

Getting a Chinese driver's license

If you have a residence permit, you can apply for a PRC driver's license [1][2]. Because you already hold a US license, you generally don't start from scratch the way a new driver would. Under the Ministry of Public Security's license rules, holders of a valid foreign license usually take only the written theory test, known as Subject 1 (科目一), rather than the road and parking exams. We couldn't open the current rule text from here, so confirm the details with the Shanghai traffic police vehicle administration office before you book.

Step by step

1. Get your residence permit. It has to be in your passport before you apply [1].
2. Check your US license. It needs to be valid, not expired. Bring the physical card.
3. Get it translated. Offices typically want a certified Chinese translation of your US license.
4. Get a physical exam at an approved clinic or hospital. It checks eyesight, hearing and basic fitness.
5. Gather your documents: passport with residence permit, US license and translation, photos, the exam form and your police registration form showing your Shanghai address.
6. Book and pass the theory test. It covers Chinese traffic law, road signs and fines, and it's multiple choice on a computer. Ask whether it's offered in English when you book. Study with a question bank app; the questions are specific to China and don't match the DMV test back home.
7. Collect your license. Its validity is tied to your residence permit, so renew it when you renew your stay.

Things that surprise American drivers

• Electric scooters everywhere. E-bikes ride in bike lanes, against traffic and sometimes on sidewalks.
• Plates are a big deal. Shanghai limits new license plates for gas-powered cars, so ask about plate rules before you even shop for a car.
• Accidents. Dial 122 for traffic accidents or 110 for police [7]. Don't move the car until you've photographed the scene.

Most Americans skip all of this, at least at first. Between the Metro, ride-hail and a company car or driver, a Chinese license is often optional in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Metro

The Metro is how most of Shanghai gets around, and it's cleaner, cheaper and more punctual than most subway systems back home. Key facts [3]:

Ridership averaged about 10 million trips a day in 2023 [3], so rush hour is a contact sport. Signs and announcements are in Chinese and English.

Didi, taxis and bikes

Ride-hail

Didi is China's Uber equivalent. It launched an English-language service in 2017, with real-time translation of messages between riders and drivers [4]. Have your destination in Chinese characters for backup.

Regular taxis are plentiful and metered. Most drivers don't speak English, so show the address in characters on your phone.

Bikes

Dockless shared bikes line nearly every Shanghai sidewalk. You start a ride by scanning a QR code with Alipay, WeChat or the operator's app, and leave them in a marked bike area at the end. They're perfect for the last half mile from the Metro. Bike lanes are shared with fast, silent e-scooters, so look twice.

Trains: the Maglev and high-speed rail

The Maglev to Pudong Airport

The Shanghai Maglev runs about 30 km (19 miles) between Longyang Road station, where it meets Metro lines 2, 7, 16 and 18, and Pudong Airport [5]. Since 2021, trains run at 300 km/h (186 miles per hour) and make the trip in about eight minutes [5].

Trains run about every 20 minutes from 6:45 a.m. to about 9:40 p.m. [5]. Landing later? Take Metro line 2 or a taxi.

High-speed rail

China's bullet trains make the Acela look sleepy. The Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway opened in 2011, runs about 1,318 km (819 miles) at up to 350 km/h (217 miles per hour), and the fastest trains cover it in about 4 hours 20 minutes [6]. Shanghai Hongqiao is the line's main Shanghai station, on Metro lines 2, 10 and 17 [6][9].

Book online in advance for holidays like Chinese New Year and Golden Week. Foreigners book with their passport, and the passport works as your ticket at the station gates [6]. Arrive early for the security check.

A starter plan for your first week

1. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay and turn on the transit QR code.
2. Install Didi and add a payment method.
3. Ride the Maglev in from Pudong once, for the experience.
4. Learn your home Metro station and the nearest exit.
5. Decide later, once you know your commute, whether a Chinese license is worth the paperwork.

For tips on drivers, car rentals and the license test, ask in our community group for Americans in China.

Sources

1. US State Department: China international travel information
2. Wikipedia: Driver's licenses in China
3. Wikipedia: Shanghai Metro
4. Wikipedia: DiDi
5. Wikipedia: Shanghai maglev train
6. Wikipedia: Beijing–Shanghai high-speed railway
7. Wikipedia: Telephone numbers in China (emergency numbers)
8. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
9. Wikipedia: Shanghai Hongqiao railway station

Keep reading

• Alipay and WeChat Pay for Americans in China
• Police registration and housing paperwork in Shanghai
• Renting in Shanghai
• Driving abroad on a US license