It took 7 years!The Sino-French Driving License Mutual Recognition Act will come into effect tomorrow, allowing direct driving in the territory-IT and traffic

After 7 years, China and France finally realized mutual recognition of driving licenses. Today, the Transportation Administration of the Ministry of Public Security issued a message stating: In order to facilitate the driving of Chinese and French personnel in each other’s country and further promote economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges between the two countries, the Chinese and French governments have signed the “The Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the French Republic” “Agreement on Mutual Recognition and Renewal of Motor Vehicle Driver’s License”, which realizes that the driving licenses issued by the two countries can be exchanged for mutual recognition and renewal without test.The agreement will come into effect on August 17, 2021.

According to the agreement, the People’s Republic of China and the French Republic recognize the valid driver’s license issued by each other.One party permits persons holding a driver’s license of the other country to drive directly within its territory or to obtain a driver’s license without a test.

For those who have temporarily entered the territory of the other party for less than one year, the driving licenses of both parties shall be mutually recognized. Those who enter France temporarily can drive directly with the Chinese driver’s license and translation without changing the license;

Those who enter China temporarily can exchange for a temporary driving permit with a French driver’s license and translation, and they will be exempted from medical examinations and examinations. Mutually recognized driving license models include medium-sized passenger cars, large trucks, small cars and motorcycles.

For those who have resided in the other country for more than one year, the driving licenses of both parties will be exchanged without test.Citizens or permanent personnel of one party who hold their own country’s driver’s license and translation, as well as their passport, visa or residence permit, can directly exempt from the test and renew their country’s driver’s license.

The types of driving licenses that are exempt from test renewal include small cars and motorcycles. For international students, both parties give equal preferential policies.

While working and studying in France, Chinese students can directly drive the corresponding permitted-driving vehicle with their Chinese driver’s license and translation; while French students are working and studying in China, they can exchange for the corresponding permitted-driving vehicle with a French driver’s license without a test. driver license.

It is understood that my country has already achieved mutual recognition and renewal of driving licenses with the UAE and Belgium, and signed mutual recognition and renewal agreements with Serbia.

In the next step, the Ministry of Public Security will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments to further expand the scope of mutual recognition and replacement of driver’s licenses between my country and other countries and regions, and continuously improve the international recognition of my country’s driver’s licenses, and make it easier for Chinese citizens to drive abroad.