中国驾照

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During the first year of studying in the UK, you can drive with a valid driver's license issued in your home country or an international driver's license. However, after one year, you will need to apply for a temporary UK driver's license and display an "L" plate on your vehicle. You will need to schedule an appointment to take the UK driving test. Until you pass the test, regardless of when you drive, you must have a friend with a valid driver's license sit in the passenger seat, and you are not allowed to drive on motorways. If your vehicle is over three years old, you must ensure it is insured, registered, taxed, and undergo an annual inspection (MOT certificate). The driver's license in Great Britain is issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). If you hold a driver's license issued in another country, you need to determine whether it is valid for use in Great Britain and check its expiration date.

 

If you hold a Chinese driver's license, you can drive or rent a car directly in the UK within 12 months after entering the country, starting from the day of entry.

 

Please refer to the image below for more information

So, can you simply use a Chinese driver's license to drive in the UK?

 

No, no, no, it's not that simple. Although Chinese driver's licenses have English information on them, they are not recognized abroad. They are considered invalid licenses outside of China. Although I had a friend who replied to me saying that he was able to drive smoothly in the UK with just a Chinese driver's license, he has never encountered any police officers checking his license or faced any issues so far. He must be really lucky, and I can only admire him and wish I had that luck too!

 

If you are in China, you can find a driver's license notarization and translation service on a platform like Taobao, or you can go to a local notary office. Notary offices provide translation and notarization services, although they may be slightly more expensive, they are fast and reliable. Usually, you can receive your translated and notarized documents within three days. If you need it urgently, you can even get it the next day.

 

Of course, you can also choose to translate it yourself and then have it notarized at a notary office. But one of my friends said that he got his translation done on Taobao, and some police officers in the UK may not recognize it and might give you trouble. They may thoroughly check your documents, insurance, and ask many questions. However, in the end, they will still allow you to proceed. So it's better to go to a notary office in China and get everything done at once to save time. It's worth noting that notary offices usually outsource the translation work to other translation companies. If you don't use their translation services, the notary office may ask you to go to their designated translation agency for verification, which can be quite expensive. But you know how things work in China's bureaucratic departments.

 

If you are in the UK, you can go to a law firm. Law firms can be found all over the UK, and you can simply search for them on Google Maps. Google Maps is incredibly powerful, and in the UK, not having it is like being blind to the roads. Generally, reputable law firms offer translation and notarization services. If you are in the Birmingham area, you can go to the law firm just across the supermarket in Birmingham's Chinatown.

 

If you want to rent a car in the UK, you need to bring your passport, BRP (Biometric Residence Permit), and driver's license. One of my friends said that when he rented a car in the UK, they didn't ask for a translated document. They only checked his passport and driver's license. However, another friend of mine said that when he rented a car from the company Sixt in the UK, they specifically required a translated and notarized document. Therefore, it's better to have the translation and notarization done to be on the safe side and prepared for any situation.

 

Please refer to the image below, which shows a translation of a Chinese driver's license provided by Sixt, a car rental company in the UK, to facilitate your rental process. You can download and use it directly.