China Travel Forum

[Earhart]

Does any one have actual experience of driving into China from Pakistan or Kyrkyzstan using your own private car/SUV? Is it allowed?

What are the formalities? What are the hassles? Risks, etc.? Can one drive out of China, in the same car, without problems?

Thanks in advance.

[Aliya]

hi............

People avoid doing this because of the Chinese regulations that you pay for a government supplied guide. Time spent arranging this and the costs involved are astronomic. This is from the website of a company that provides guides:

<<After we receive such information, we will keep in close contact with you to work out a detailed itinerary that will satisfy your need and be accepted by you. After this, we come to the stage of fulfilling itinerary which requests you to provide following material:

1. Color pictures of each vehicle(2 copies), their models, copy of vehicle identification including number of the vehicle body, serial number of the engine, type of fuel, original number of license plate, country of region it belongs to, color of the body and so on. And rember to tell us the present value of each vehicle.

2. Information about the tourist to drive in China: Copy of his or her passport, 5 photoes identical to that on the passport, his or her occuption, copy of the driving license.

3. List of logistic supply equipment and their value, such as spare parts of automobiles, camping facilities, tele-communication appliances like speakers, GPS system and satellite-transmitted telephones.
4. Confirmed route, itinerary, entry and departure ports, service items requiring us to enter into the contract.
Based on these, we start to apply for and obtain following permits and formality necessary for your proposed tour in China. This process may request 2-3 months.

1. To apply for a written reply released by related department of Chinese Government to allow automobiles to enter into China and travel permits to ensure the tour legal and operable.

2. To obtain temporary travel licenses, license plates and pay various fees such as road toll and purchase insurance for automobiles.

3. To obtain temporary driving licenses and buy insurance for tourists to drive in China.

4. To finish all customs formalities for automobiles to pass through the entry ports.

As you can see it is not an easy process nor is it cheap, but it can be done.