Before you start

A valid residence permit with at least three months' remaining validity in most cases
Your foreign driving licence, still valid, with a certified Chinese translation
A Chinese medical examination for drivers, done at an approved hospital
Passport and temporary residence registration slip

Step-by-step

1
Accept that your foreign licence and IDP do not work here
Mainland China does not recognise the International Driving Permit. Driving on a foreign licence alone is driving without a licence. The only short-term exception is a temporary driving permit issued to visitors at some entry points, which is not a substitute for conversion.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get the licence translated by an accepted translator
Shanghai's vehicle administration accepts translations from designated agencies; a translation you did yourself will be refused. Do this before booking anything else.
In personWho: You
3
Complete the driver medical examination
A short physical at an approved hospital covering eyesight, colour vision and limb function. The certificate has a limited life, so do it close to the application rather than months ahead.
In personWho: You1 day
4
Sit Subject 1, the written theory test
One hundred questions, drawn from a published national bank, on a computer terminal, available in English. For ordinary car categories this is generally the only test required when converting a foreign licence — the practical Subjects 2 and 3 are usually waived. Pass mark is high and the question bank rewards rote practice with one of the widely used study apps.
In personWho: YouHalf a day
5
Understand which categories are not waived
The single-test conversion covers ordinary cars. Large buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles and tractors require the full practical sequence. Applicants who cannot show meaningful residence in the country that issued the licence during the year it was obtained can also be pushed onto the full three-subject route.
In personWho: You
6
Solve the number plate before you buy a car
A Shanghai petrol-car plate is auctioned monthly under a quota, with a bidding process and prices that have repeatedly landed near RMB 90,000. A qualifying new-energy vehicle can get a free local plate, but eligibility has been tightened over time and now generally requires a dedicated charging point and no existing Shanghai plate. Check the current month's auction result and the current NEV conditions before committing.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and residence permit
Temporary residence registration slip
Foreign driving licence plus accepted Chinese translation
Driver medical examination certificate
Passport photographs to Chinese specification

Things most newcomers don’t know

The International Driving Permit is worthless in mainland China, and this surprises almost everyone.

China did not accede to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so the IDP that works across most of the world confers nothing here. People arrive having deliberately obtained one and discover it is not a document Chinese traffic police recognise. Hong Kong and Macau are separate jurisdictions with their own rules, which adds to the confusion. Conversion by written test is the only route for a resident.

Source: Ministry of Public Security traffic management rules

For an ordinary car, the practical driving tests are usually waived — the theory test is the whole thing.

Converting a valid foreign licence for a standard car category generally requires only Subject 1, the hundred-question written examination, with the field and road tests waived. This makes conversion far easier in China than in Japan or Korea. The exception matters though: heavy categories require the full sequence, and applicants who cannot show enough residence in the issuing country during the year the licence was issued can be sent to the full three-subject route.

Source: Municipal vehicle administration guidance

A Shanghai number plate is auctioned and has repeatedly cost around RMB 90,000.

Shanghai controls car growth through a monthly plate auction with a fixed quota, and winning bids have sat in the region of RMB 90,000 for years — frequently more than a modest car. There is no way to register a petrol car in Shanghai without one. The new-energy vehicle route to a free local plate is the standard workaround, but conditions have been tightened and now generally require a dedicated charging point. Confirm the current month's clearing price and the current NEV rules before you buy anything.

Source: Shanghai municipal traffic authority

A non-Shanghai plate is barred from the elevated expressways at peak times.

Buying a cheaper plate from a neighbouring province is the obvious dodge, and Shanghai closes it: vehicles with non-local plates are excluded from the elevated ring and radial expressways during weekday peak periods, and restrictions have been progressively widened. The practical effect is that a provincial plate turns a twenty-minute cross-city trip into an hour on surface streets. Check the current restriction hours before assuming the workaround works.

Source: Shanghai municipal traffic authority

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving with an International Driving Permit and assuming you can drive.
Booking the theory test before the translation and medical are in hand.
Buying a car before understanding the plate auction.
Assuming a cheap out-of-province plate solves the problem, then discovering the elevated-road ban.
Letting the residence permit lapse and finding the driving licence affected with it.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.