Rules for overlanding in China

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 15 September 2026.

Which licence you need

All vehicles — Neither foreign national licences nor International Driving Permits are accepted in China. You have to be issued a temporary Chinese licence, whose validity depends on the type and length of your visa.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Getting the temporary licence — The application goes to the vehicle licensing office at the airport you arrive at, with your passport and visa, a hotel booking if you apply on a later day, your national and international licence, a Chinese translation of it with your name in Chinese characters, the completed form and a medical certificate if requested. The fee is 10 RMB, plus 10 RMB for the medical check.
Temporary vehicle import — A vehicle can be brought in temporarily for a maximum of three months. The importer must obtain temporary plates and a temporary registration certificate from the regional vehicle management office at the point of entry.
Insurance — Third-party cover is compulsory and any vehicle imported into China must be insured with a company licensed there, with a minimum term of one month for a short-term policy. Comprehensive cover with a special extension for the other party's economic loss is strongly recommended.
The 10% rule — If a motor vehicle is involved in a crash with a pedestrian, a rider or a non-motorised vehicle and the other party is killed or seriously injured, the motorist owes 10% of their economic loss. That applies even when the motorist bears no responsibility for the accident.
Alcohol — Between 20 and 80 mg per 100 ml counts as driving after drinking: six-month licence suspension and a fine of 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. At 80 mg and above it is drunk driving: you are held until sober, the licence is revoked, a criminal case follows and no new licence is issued for five years.
Licence points — Points are counted over a rolling 12 months, and 12 points in one cycle means the police withdraw the licence. You get it back after a road-safety course and passing the theory exam again.
Helmets, belts and lights — Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists, though not for a sidecar passenger. Belts are compulsory in the front on motorways and in the rear in some parts of the country, with no child restraint required; dipped headlights are compulsory at night and by day when visibility drops. If a broken-down vehicle blocks traffic and cannot be moved, put a warning panel behind it and keep the hazard lights on at night.
City restrictions and roads — Some large cities restrict traffic at certain hours, signed on panels at the roadside. The road and motorway network is not always adequate inland and towards the western edge of the country.

What catches travellers out

Drones — Travelling to China with a drone is strongly discouraged: the rules are strict, complex and hard for visitors to satisfy, with local registration, specific permits and many no-fly zones. Since 1 May 2026 bringing a drone or its main components into or through Beijing is not allowed and it may be confiscated, and that applies whether you arrive by plane, train, long-distance bus or car, transit included.
No border visas — Visas are not issued at frontier posts: anyone who turns up without one is refused entry. Until 31 December 2026 holders of an ordinary Italian passport can enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism or transit, and overstaying even by a single day brings real penalties, up to administrative detention.
Banned imports — Weapons, ammunition and explosives, radio transmitters and receivers and their main parts, Chinese currency, drugs and anything deemed harmful to Chinese politics, economy, culture or ethics may not be brought in or out. Electronic equipment for your own use must be declared, and since 15 September 2026 border checks have been tightened, with extra questions about who you are and why you are travelling and closer inspection of electronic devices.
Drugs — The law is extremely strict and even personal use draws a prison sentence, while international trafficking can carry the death penalty. Police have run drug-test raids in clubs and private homes, and the tests can still detect substances taken days earlier, including before you entered the country.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 15 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for China before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 15 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.