China and France have signed an agreement allowing mutual recognition and exchanges of the two countries' driving licenses. The agreement has been effective from Aug 17.
△ LE SERRE, a French citizen, got a Chinese driving license right after the agreement came into effect.
China and France have signed an agreement allowing mutual recognition and exchanges of the two countries' driving licenses, according to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
Under the deal, which has come into effect on Aug 17, China and France will allow holders of valid driving licenses issued by either authority to drive directly or obtain driving permits without an additional test.
To be specific, people staying in the other country for less than a year will have their driving licenses recognized in the destination country, while those staying for more than a year can exchange their original licenses for local ones without separate tests.
Reciprocal treatment will be applied to students who study in each other's countries.
According to, only French driving licenses issued after Sept 16, 2013 (in new European format) can be recognized and exchanged in China.
The agreement was signed to facilitate people's travel by driving in the two countries, and further encourage bilateral trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, said the MPS.
It is reported that the authorities will further expand the scope of mutual recognition. China has mutually recognized driver's licenses with the United Arab Emirates UAE and Belgium and inked such an agreement with Serbia.
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SOURCE | Xinhua News / France Diplomacy / 沈阳日报
