Self-Drive Car Rental for Travelers to China

Pick up a sedan or EV, drive across provinces, drop at another city—legal for tourists if you sort the licence first.

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✓ Real Traveler Data
✓ Up-to-date Sources
✓ AI-Collected & Human-Vetted
✓ No OTA-Oriented

🚀 Quick Start Guide

1️⃣
Secure the licence first
Arrivals hall → Traffic Police desk → show home licence + passport photo → get 90-day paper permit (¥50).
2️⃣
Book online
Use eHi International or Hertz China English portal; enter flight number for late-arrival hold.
3️⃣
Pick-up & pay
Show passport + temp permit; swipe foreign card for deposit (¥3,000 sedan / ¥8,000 luxury). Inspect car on video. Some banks block > ¥3,000 holds—split across two cards or ask for cash/UnionPay preload.
4️⃣
Set up navigation
Download AMap English offline pack; highway names match exit boards.
5️⃣
Return & close bill
Fuel to same level (EV ≥70%), scan blue QR for any toll balance; deposit unfreezes 7 bank days.

🚗 What is Self-Drive Car Rental in China? — A 60-second primer

Industry & big names
National chains eHi 一嗨 (orange), Hertz China (yellow), AVIS China (red), and state-backed Shouqi 首汽.
Legal licence path
China does not accept an IDP. Tourists need either:
① 90-day Temporary PRC Driving Permit (issued at airport traffic police desks in <20 min) or
② full PRC licence converted from a home licence + translation (2–3 days). Non-Roman licences require photo copy + Chinese translation.
Fleet & reach (2025)
~140,000 rental cars across 420+ cities; 38% are EVs (BYD Qin/Song, Tesla Model 3).
Typical pricing
Compact petrol: ¥180–280/day; mid-EV: ¥260–350/day incl. free fast-charging; one-way drop ¥1/km cap ¥800.
Payments for visitors
Online pre-pay accepts Visa/Master/AmEx on eHi-EN site; depot swipe of foreign card holds ¥3,000–8,000 deposit. In-app blue merchant QR works for toll top-ups.
Language support
eHi & Hertz apps ship English UI; Shouqi kiosk staff use handheld translator; rental contract printed bilingual.
Why locals self-drive
Avoid train tickets in peak weeks, reach rural homestays, EV toll-waiver & free charging on 11,000 km of highways.
Good to know
• Real-name face scan at pick-up
• Speed cameras everywhere; fines auto-deduct from deposit
• ETC toll tag pre-installed—tolls billed post-return
• Non-local plates banned 07–20 h inside Beijing 5th Ring; plan routes / ask eHi for BJ-registered vehicle
TL;DR
Grab a 90-day temporary driving permit at the airport (IDP not valid), pre-book an EV on eHi, swipe a foreign Visa for the deposit, and cruise China's toll-free expressways—with Google offline maps or AMap in English.

🏆 Most-Cited Success Recipe

1

Book EVs on eHi "Green Pass"

Free DC fast-charge at 60,000 chargers; highway tolls 5% off until 2026.

2

Choose ETC lane

No cash toll booths; ETC tag auto-logs—skip lines.

3

Add full-damage waiver (¥30/day)

Police liability points don't transfer to foreigners; waiver avoids paperwork.

4

Night-before pick-up (20:00-24:00)

eHi charges half-day; beats morning queue and lets you load luggage early.

Why it helps: EV green pass saves money on tolls and charging; ETC lanes avoid queues; damage waiver prevents legal complications; night pickup beats crowds

🔄 2025 Updates

📱

Digital Temporary Driving Permit now in 交管12123 app

Still need in-person ID scan but digital permit available in official traffic management app.

Sources: TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, X, TripAdvisor
💳

eHi adds foreign-card WeChat mini-program checkout

Blue QR merchant payment now available directly through WeChat mini-program for foreign cards.

Sources: DianPing, Xiaohongshu, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit
🚗

National freeway EV toll-discount extended to Dec 2026

5% discount on highway tolls for electric vehicles extended through 2026, significant savings for long-distance travel.

Sources: X, TripAdvisor, DianPing, Xiaohongshu, TikTok

⚠️ Common Issues & Fixes

No temp-permit desk at small airport

Taxi to city DMV window "车管所" (opens 09-17 h); same-day issuance available at municipal offices.

Pro tip: Call ahead to confirm operating hours and required documents

Deposit decline

Many foreign cards block high CNY holds—split deposit across two cards or pay cash hold instead.

Backup: Call your bank to pre-authorize large CNY transactions

Camera fine arrives by SMS

Pay in eHi app within 72 h or fee doubles; foreign card blue QR works for fine payments.

Prevention: Stick to speed limits and check signs carefully

Charging adapter mismatch

Ask depot for GB/T-to-Type-2 pigtail when you collect the EV—China uses different charging standards.

Alternative: Most rental EVs come with built-in charging cables

IDP is not valid

International Driving Permit (IDP) is not recognized in China—you need the temporary permit from traffic police.

Solution: Get 90-day temporary PRC driving permit at airport or city DMV

🔄 Backup Options

👨‍💼

Shouqi Chauffeur

首汽约车

  • • English app available
  • • Licensed professional driver
  • • Day rate ¥900 + tolls
  • • No driving permit needed
  • • Door-to-door service
🚗

Gaode Ride-share

Self-drive sharing

  • • One-way car-share
  • • BYD Yuan EVs
  • • ¥0.99/minute pricing
  • • China licence required
  • • Urban areas only
🚄

High-speed rail + taxi

Public transport combo

  • • Often cheaper for 300km+
  • • Faster than driving
  • • No licence needed
  • • Frequent departures
  • • Weather independent

🛠 Technical Notes

  • • Speed limits: Urban 50 km/h; Expwy 120 km/h; fines ¥200 + 3 points per 20 km/h over.
  • • Fuel: 92 RON standard; PetroChina / Sinopec everywhere; pay by blue QR.
  • • EV charging: GB/T combo plug; 60 kW typical highway; scan charger-QR with WeChat → blue merchant code.
  • • Toll cost: ¥0.45–0.60/km petrol; EV 5% off; ETC tag reconciled 24 h post-return.
  • • Deposit release: UnionPay same-day; Visa/Master 5–7 business days.
  • • FX caps on blue QR: ¥5,000/txn · ¥10,000/day · ¥50,000/month; ≈1% spread.

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