Macau China
Macau 
ChinaLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
The Border Gate (Portas do Cerco) links Zhuhai with Macau.
Driving rules in China
- Drive on the right.
- IDPs are not accepted — get a temporary Chinese licence.
- Zero-tolerance alcohol enforcement.
- Extensive speed and ANPR camera network.
What to see when you arrive in China
- the Great Wall of China
- the Forbidden City in Beijing
- the Terracotta Army in Xi'an
- the karst peaks of Guilin
- the Bund in Shanghai
Once you're driving in China
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Mainland China does not recognize foreign licences or the International Driving Permit at all, since it is not party to the relevant road-traffic conventions. To drive legally a visitor must hold a Chinese licence; short-term tourists can obtain a temporary driving permit (valid for the trip), often arranged at major airports or through agencies.
Tolls & road charges
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 the cities
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.
Fines & camera enforcement
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
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.
Driving in the capital
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.
Sources: chinadrivingguide.com · english.beijing.gov.cn · chinalegalexperts.com · tibettravel.org