France licence 
ChinaCan you drive in China with a France license?
Short answer: you cannot drive in China on a France license or an International Driving Permit alone — China requires a local or temporary licence.
An International Driving Permit is not sufficient to drive in China. China does not accept the IDP for foreign visitors — a local or temporary licence is required. Always confirm the current rule before you travel.
French drivers should carry an International Driving Permit with their licence when driving outside the EU and EEA. Your International Driving Permit is a certified multilingual translation of your existing licence, prepared in the Local rules format and carried alongside your national licence.
What driving in China is like
The G318 Sichuan-Tibet Highway from Chengdu to Lhasa is China's most famous epic drive, climbing over 2,000 km of high passes and Himalayan scenery (note Tibet requires special permits and usually a licensed guide). For most visitors the real draw is the freedom to reach places trains and tours don't, on your own schedule, with the open road generally capped around 120 km/h expressways. Getting behind the wheel is the easy part: your International Driving Permit is a certified translation of your France licence, carried alongside it, so rental staff and officials in China can read your credentials at a glance.
What applies to France licence holders in China
| France licence in China | |
|---|---|
| Do you need an IDP? | An IDP is not sufficient here |
| IDP format required | Local licensing rules apply |
| Your France licence script | Roman (Latin) alphabet |
| France is party to | 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna |
| Drives on the | Right-hand side |
| Minimum driving age | 18 |
| Emergency number | 110 (police), 120 (ambulance) |
| Top speed limit | 120 km/h expressways |
| Currency | CNY |
Driving rules in China you should know
- Drive on the right.
- IDPs are not accepted — get a temporary Chinese licence.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol enforcement.
- Extensive speed and ANPR camera network.
Local driving facts in China
Emergency number: 110 (police), 120 (ambulance) (112 also connects from most mobiles). Typical maximum for cars on the fastest road class: 120 km/h expressways. Posted limits always take precedence.
Tolls & road charges in China
Most intercity expressways are tolled, paid in cash or by the ETC electronic transponder at booths; rental cars usually come with an ETC card and tolls are billed back to the renter. Costs run roughly RMB 0.4-0.6 per km, so long expressway trips add up quickly.
Parking in China
Cities use metered street bays and paid garages, increasingly cashless via Alipay/WeChat scan-to-pay; many districts (notably central Beijing and Shanghai) restrict parking heavily and tow illegally parked cars. Beijing and several big cities also run last-digit licence-plate driving bans on weekdays that a rental's plate is subject to.
Penalties & enforcement in China
Foreign drivers face fines for speeding, mobile-phone use and seatbelt offences, plus a demerit-point system; serious unlicensed driving can mean vehicle impoundment and administrative detention. Camera-enforced fines on a rental are passed to the renter by the rental firm, often with an admin fee.
If you have an accident in China
Dial 122 for traffic accidents (110 for general police); do not move the vehicles in an injury or disputed crash until police arrive and document the scene. A police report is needed for any insurance claim and for the rental company.
City driving in China
In Beijing, out-of-town and rental plates face weekday tail-number driving restrictions and are barred from parts of the inner ring during peak hours, and within the 5th Ring Road there are strict rush-hour limits worth checking before driving in.
Winter driving in China
No nationwide winter-tyre law, but northern provinces (Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang) and high mountain routes have heavy snow and ice from roughly November to March where winter tyres or chains are strongly advised and sometimes required by local police.
Fuel in China
Petrol is sold as 92, 95 and 98 octane (gasoline) plus 0# diesel; stations are largely attended (full-service) and many are state-run Sinopec or PetroChina. Pay by Alipay/WeChat or cash, as foreign credit cards are frequently rejected; price is roughly RMB 7-8 per litre.
Sources: chinadrivingguide.com, english.beijing.gov.cn, chinalegalexperts.com, tibettravel.org