In its 2026 report on parliamentary suggestion handling, China’s Ministry of Public Security disclosed seven new policy steps designed to make vehicle registration and driving-licence management more convenient—including for the country’s 3.5 million annual foreign visitors who rely on rental cars for intra-city moves(news.cn).
Key among the reforms is nationwide rollout of the electronic vehicle licence via the ‘Traffic Management 12123’ app. Foreigners issued temporary driving permits will now receive an e-licence simultaneously, allowing them to pass digital toll-gates and car-share facial-recognition kiosks that previously rejected paper permits. More than 20 000 car owners have already registered imported vehicles online; the ministry expects the figure to triple once language toggles (English, French, Korean) go live in April.
For travelers preparing to take advantage of these streamlined driving rules, VisaHQ can also simplify the front-end of the journey: its portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) walks you through China’s latest visa requirements, arranges document translations, and even handles courier delivery of approved passports—so you arrive ready to sync your new e-licence without bureaucratic surprises.
![China’s Public Security Ministry Issues 7 Reforms Easing Short-Term Driving Permits for Foreign Residents]()
Another change lets foreigners apply for short-term (three-month) driving permissions entirely online after identity verification at entry ports. Previously, applicants had to revisit licencing offices with a local medical certificate—a process that could take two working days and an interpreter. Car-rental chains Hertz and Shouqi told Xinhua they plan to embed the API in their apps so travellers can pre-qualify before landing.
The reforms also introduce cross-provincial recognition of temporary permits, a boon for expatriate project managers who frequently fly between Guangdong and the Yangtze River Delta. Digital insurance certificates issued by Chinese underwriters will be auto-uploaded to police servers, cutting queuing times at checkpoints.
HR departments should update China onboarding packs: foreign assignees holding home-country licences translated by an authorised agency can now swap them for a one-year Chinese permit at any city licencing centre, not just the arrival port. Fines for unlicensed driving remain steep (up to CNY 2 000 plus possible detention), so compliance training is still essential.
Key among the reforms is nationwide rollout of the electronic vehicle licence via the ‘Traffic Management 12123’ app. Foreigners issued temporary driving permits will now receive an e-licence simultaneously, allowing them to pass digital toll-gates and car-share facial-recognition kiosks that previously rejected paper permits. More than 20 000 car owners have already registered imported vehicles online; the ministry expects the figure to triple once language toggles (English, French, Korean) go live in April.
For travelers preparing to take advantage of these streamlined driving rules, VisaHQ can also simplify the front-end of the journey: its portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) walks you through China’s latest visa requirements, arranges document translations, and even handles courier delivery of approved passports—so you arrive ready to sync your new e-licence without bureaucratic surprises.
Another change lets foreigners apply for short-term (three-month) driving permissions entirely online after identity verification at entry ports. Previously, applicants had to revisit licencing offices with a local medical certificate—a process that could take two working days and an interpreter. Car-rental chains Hertz and Shouqi told Xinhua they plan to embed the API in their apps so travellers can pre-qualify before landing.
The reforms also introduce cross-provincial recognition of temporary permits, a boon for expatriate project managers who frequently fly between Guangdong and the Yangtze River Delta. Digital insurance certificates issued by Chinese underwriters will be auto-uploaded to police servers, cutting queuing times at checkpoints.
HR departments should update China onboarding packs: foreign assignees holding home-country licences translated by an authorised agency can now swap them for a one-year Chinese permit at any city licencing centre, not just the arrival port. Fines for unlicensed driving remain steep (up to CNY 2 000 plus possible detention), so compliance training is still essential.
