How to get a class D or E license in Shanghai

[ManuBeze]

Hey guys,
I'm completly new in this forum but I hope you guys could help me with my problem.
The problem is that I want to do my motorbike license in shanghai to finally ride my bikes legally. I already tried to find some new informations about it but I only could find infos from 2009 which are already out of date.
It would be great if someone could help me with that and also could tell me what I need to do to get the license and if possible roughly the costs.
I heard that there is a license office somewhere in Minhang where they have english test but that information was from 2009 so im not sure anymore. I also cant really speak chinese just some "Taxi chinese" so I need the theoretical test in english if that is possible.
I hope ill get a answer soon :)

Best regards and thanks already
Manu

[ZMC888]

Do you have a license from home you are trying to transfer, or are you trying to do the complete test?
Seems as currently almost the only way a foreigner can get a Chinese motorcycle license is to have a motorcycle entitlement from home and transfer that when you transfer your car license.

This is because currently there is only a question bank in English for cars since the license rules were updated, and the car questions are only asked if you transfer all 'lower' entitlements as well at the same time.

Whether this is because the government simply haven't got around to translating it to English, don't want to allow foreigners to ride in China or only care about wealthy company executives, who knows.

I'm sure there are other semi-legal backdoor methods or legal methods that may be possible in isolated foreigner friendly localities to obtain a motorcycle license. One thing is for sure...the erosion of rights for foreigners in China over time.

[ManuBeze]

Dear ZMC888,
Thanks for the fast reply.
Ok that does not sound good but I might have found a way now.
A chinese friend has a friend in Anhui who would do it for me (little corrupt way) but still if it works it would be great.

[prince666]

Dear ZMC888,
Thanks for the fast reply.
Ok that does not sound good but I might have found a way now.
A chinese friend has a friend in Anhui who would do it for me (little corrupt way) but still if it works it would be great.

Hi
Not sure that will work because when you take the 100 question on the PC there is a camera that capture you face about 4 times over the
test period ! So unless your Chinese friend mate is your twin I think your in shit mate !! But good lucky if there a will then there's a way!

[Joshmakesnoise]

Hi
Not sure that will work because when you take the 100 question on the PC there is a camera that capture you face about 4 times over the
test period ! So unless your Chinese friend mate is your twin I think your in shit mate !! But good lucky if there a will then there's a way!

Seems like everyone living in Shanghai keeps coming to the forum with this problem.

Its a right pain in the a**s this city

I think it would be better if the bureau would just tell foreigners the truth that if they don't have the license from their home country then there is no test in English and it can't be done. In the real would this would save a load of people's time. Seems like I'm forgetting TIC.

Anyway, the english test was scrapped last year.

After checking online a few times after I was refused at the driving school because I didn't have a perminent resident permit. It now turns out that anyone can do the test aslong as they have the 3 month or more visa. However, try telling that to someone at the school

[bikerdoc]

Josh, ZMC888 asked you to clarify but you didn't seem too in your reply. Do you have a MC 'drivers' licence or endorsement on a car licence from overseas, or are you looking to undertake the full motorcycle course leading to a D/E licence here in PRC?

The fact is, we are in PRC, if you are looking to accomplish the latter (undertake motorcycle rider training leading to D/E licence) then you have to realise that you could find more than one school to attend, but you'd likely have to undertake the whole course in Ch!nese/Mandarin... Not much different than if a Ch!nese citizen was in an English speaking country wanting to achieve the same there. They'd be required to undertake the course/lessons and test in English (or whatever the dominant and official language is).

The other consideration is supply and demand... there is next to no demand for the motorcycle licence course to be offered in anything other than Mandarin, given that the number of individuals wanting to undertake the motorcycle course in itself would be small in comparison to the car driving school side of the business. It's not that the policy is hell bent on depriving you from gaining that licence, sure you can... in the local language. If you can read and write Putonghua then there shouldn't be too many major barriers...

...Black hat...

[Joshmakesnoise]

Josh, ZMC888 asked you to clarify but you didn't seem too in your reply. Do you have a MC 'drivers' licence or endorsement on a car licence from overseas, or are you looking to undertake the full motorcycle course leading to a D/E licence here in PRC?

The fact is, we are in PRC, if you are looking to accomplish the latter (undertake motorcycle rider training leading to D/E licence) then you have to realise that you could find more than one school to attend, but you'd likely have to undertake the whole course in Ch!nese/Mandarin... Not much different than if a Ch!nese citizen was in an English speaking country wanting to achieve the same there. They'd be required to undertake the course/lessons and test in English (or whatever the dominant and official language is).

The other consideration is supply and demand... there is next to no demand for the motorcycle licence course to be offered in anything other than Mandarin, given that the number of individuals wanting to undertake the motorcycle course in itself would be small in comparison to the car driving school side of the business. It's not that the policy is hell bent on depriving you from gaining that licence, sure you can... in the local language. If you can read and write Putonghua then there shouldn't be too many major barriers...

...Black hat...

Sorry, I should have been a little bit more clear in my last post.

I don't have a drivers license from my home country. I did a CBT when I was in the UK, so I was allowed to ride a bike under 125cc on a provisional. I wasn't interested in passing my test in the UK as to drive a car was never really needed (something I regret now).

I'm intermediate in Chinese and was going to take the Chinese test in Shanghai, I honestly didn't mind. Might take a bit more effort but nothing a months practising couldn't sort.

On arrival to the school in hong kou district (one of two schools that accept foreigners). I arrived with a positive mind and began chatting to the ladies getting all my paper work in order. Anyway, all was there and good. However, I didn't have a health check done so I popped up the road got it done and returned to the school.

When I returned, they checked my documents again and said "sorry, why isn't your visa issued in Shanghai?" At that point I asked what's that got to do with anything? The woman replied " we only accept foreigners with the visa issued in shanghai." I asked a few more questions and then she said "your visa is different to everyone else's.."

After a few more questions it turned out they won't accept anything other than visas issued in Shanghai. If you work or study here then you will have that kind of visa that is issued in the city that you work or study in.

Anyway, long story cut short I tried a number of other ways all being declined all because of the visa not being issued in Shanghai.

(Sorry for any spelling mistakes I'm using my phone)

One thing that was a little helpful is that one of the women did take pity on me and gave me the details of a company that help ch!nese people go to South Korea to do the driving test there. I've heard it's much easier however, when coming back one does have to still take the chinese theory test but at least thats in English when you're just translating your license over to a Ch!nese one.

Josh