Foreign driving licences and International Driving Permits (IDPs) are not recognised under Chinese law. If you want to drive legally in Hainan, you need a Provisional Driving Permit, issued by the Hainan Provincial Public Security Department specifically for foreign nationals.
The entire application can be completed online at hnslsjs.cn before you travel. The permit costs 10 yuan and is valid for up to 12 months. You collect the physical document in person at a vehicle management office on arrival in Hainan.
Before You Start: What You Need
Prepare the following before beginning your application:
- Passport (photo page and visa page)
- Overseas driving licence, front and back
- Chinese translation of your overseas driving licence, issued by a translation agency or notarised by a notary agency
- Note on the translation: The platform has a built-in reference translation tool, but it explicitly states this cannot be used as application material. You will need an official translation arranged separately before you apply.
- One recent 1-inch photo, half-length, bareheaded, colour, white background
- Email address, you will receive your account activation link and your approval notification here
Step 1: Register Your Account
Go to hnslsjs.cn and click Register in the top right corner. Select your preferred language (English, Russian, Japanese, or German) before registering.
The registration form asks for:
- Username and password
- Country of citizenship
- Passport number
- Mobile phone number: The system requires exactly 11 digits and does not accept international formats. All approval notifications go to your email address, not your phone, so the mobile number field has no practical role in the process. If you do not have a Chinese number and your overseas number cannot be made to fit 11 digits, any 11-digit sequence will pass the field validation.
- Email address (Mailbox)
After submitting, you will see a confirmation screen. Check your email immediately, a verification link is sent to activate your account. You must click this link within 2 hours before you can log in.
Step 2: Agree to Terms
Once logged in, click “Handling of temporary driving license” and work through the application. The first screen sets out the key conditions of the permit:
- The permit covers small cars and small automatic transmission cars rented in Hainan
- Validity cannot exceed your entry document validity or your overseas licence validity, whichever is shorter, and cannot be extended once expired
- The permit is valid within Hainan Province only. It does not allow driving on the Chinese mainland
- The permit must be carried at all times together with your overseas driving licence and its Chinese translation
Step 3: Fill in Personal Information
This is the most detailed step. Two fields will catch you out:
Your name: The form defaults to “Whether to use the bank of names: “Yes”, this forces you to pick your name from a pre-set dropdown list of transliterated names. Switch this to No to get a free-text field where you can type your name as it appears on your passport.
Your phone number: See the note in Step 1, enter exactly 11 digits.
The rest of the form asks for:
- Sex and date of birth
- Country of citizenship
- Passport number and validity dates
- Visa and/or residence permit validity dates: If you are entering Hainan under the 30-day visa-free policy and do not have a visa, enter your intended arrival and departure dates in the visa date fields to complete the form.
- Driving licence issuing country, number, and validity dates
- Vehicle type approved by your licence
- Whether your licence restricts you to automatic transmission vehicles
- Whether you are bringing your own vehicle into China
- Reason for application: Study, Work, Tourism, Competition, or Other
- Flight or ship arrival point (Haikou Meilan Airport or Sanya Phoenix Airport — optional)
- Vehicle management office where you will collect your permit on arrival
Note: The system’s driving licence issuing country list does not include all countries. If your licence-issuing country does not appear in the dropdown, you may not be able to complete the online application, contact the platform’s consulting service for guidance.
Step 4: Complete the Online Learning Module
This step is mandatory and cannot be skipped. The “Submission of application” button remains locked until your learning progress reaches 100%.
There are 20 video lessons, all in English:
- Lessons 1–2: Driving qualification, provisional permit vs full Chinese licence
- Lesson 3: Vehicle types
- Lesson 4: Traffic signs
- Lesson 5: Road surface markings
- Lesson 6: Traffic lights and traffic police hand signals
- Lessons 7–8: Traffic rules
- Lesson 9: Prohibited areas for vehicles
- Lesson 10: Right of way at intersections
- Lesson 11: Right of way when overtaking
- Lesson 12: Vehicles with right of way and protecting other drivers
- Lesson 13: Safe speed
- Lesson 14: Safe following distance
- Lesson 15: Punishments for traffic violations
- Lesson 16: Allowed and restricted parking
- Lesson 17: Driving on highways
- Lesson 18: Driving in unfavourable conditions
- Lesson 19: Dealing with traffic accidents
- Lesson 20: Tips for travelling in China
Set aside sufficient time before you travel to work through all 20 lessons, each video is around 2-3 minutes long. The good news: if your application is rejected and you need to reapply, you do not have to redo the video courses.
Step 5: Upload Your Documents
Upload the following (PNG, JPG, or JPEG format, maximum 5MB each):
- Passport information page
- Visa page
- Overseas driving licence, front
- Overseas driving licence, back
- Chinese translation of your overseas driving licence (official translation only, the platform’s built-in tool generates a reference translation that cannot be submitted)
- Photo, 1-inch, recently taken, half-length, bareheaded, colour, white background
- Other supporting materials, only required if your application reason is an organised tour, competition, or social activity (certificate from the relevant Chinese authority required)
Step 6: Submit and Wait for Review
Once all 20 lessons are complete and documents uploaded, submit your application. Review takes up to two working days. You will receive an email notifying you whether your application has been approved or rejected.
If rejected, you can reapply using the same account without completing the video lessons again.
Step 7: Collect Your Permit on Arrival
On arrival in Hainan, go to the vehicle management office you selected during your application to collect the physical permit. Offices cover all major areas of the province: Haikou, Sanya, Danzhou, Yangpu, Qionghai, Wenchang, Wanning, Ding’an, Tunchang, Chengmai, Lingao, Wuzhishan, Dongfang, Baisha, Changjiang, Ledong, Lingshui, Baoting, and Qiongzhong.
Once issued, carry the permit at all times when driving, together with your overseas licence and its Chinese translation. The permit is valid within Hainan Province only.
Quick Reference
- Platform: hnslsjs.cn
- Cost: 10 yuan
- Validity: Up to 3 months (extendable to 12 months for longer stays)
- Valid in: Hainan Province only
- Languages: English, Russian, Japanese, German, Chinese
- Review time: Up to 2 working days
- Mutual recognition countries: France, Serbia, Belgium, UAE, nationals of these countries do not need a provisional permit
Related article: Hainan’s Work Permit Categories Explained: A, B, and C
