I'm a UAE citizen, and I have a UAE driver's license. Can I drive in China right away?
Please note that you must first convert your UAE driver's license into a Chinese driver's license to legally drive in China. To complete the process, bring the following documents to the Vehicle Management Office:
Your original UAE passport.
Your original UAE driver's license, along with a certified translation.
The Temporary Residence Registration Form for Foreign Nationals.
The translation of your driver's license must be completed by one of the following authorized institutions:
The UAE Consulate in Shanghai
Shanghai Foreign Language Translation Company
Shanghai Association of Foreign Affairs Translators
Make sure all the required documents are ready before your visit.
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(Source: The Vehicle Management Office of the Traffic Police Corps, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security)
I currently hold a Shanghai driver's license that is due to expire soon. How can I renew the license, and can I do it online or do I need to visit an office?
In response to your inquiry, here are the key points for renewing your driver's license:
The earliest renewal date is 90 days before your license expires. Even if your license has lapsed for up to a year, renewal is still possible.
The required documents for renewal are as follows:
Your identity card (or passport for foreigners)
A valid visa or residence permit exceeding three months
The "registration form of temporary residence" from the city's public security department or authorized guest houses
Foreigners with a permanent residence ID card must present this card when applying for a driver's license.
Additionally, you will need:
• A certificate of your physical condition
• A photo of yourself
The physical condition certificate can be processed — and the photo taken — on-site at the municipal public security traffic administrative bureau.
Please submit all necessary documents to the municipal public security traffic administrative bureau or the driver management window at each district's traffic police detachment for license renewal.
Alternatively, you can choose online renewal through the 12123 app after undergoing a physical examination at the city's designated hospitals.
(Source: The Vehicle Management Office of the Traffic Police Corps, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security)
My family and I are traveling from Brisbane, Australia, to Cairo, Egypt (our home country), with a 6-hour transit in Shanghai.
My newborn does not have a passport, but I will obtain an emergency travel document for him before traveling. We do not plan to exit Shanghai airport.
In this case, will my newborn be able to travel with the emergency travel document?
Whether your newborn can travel with an emergency travel document depends on your flight arrangements:
If your connecting flight is on the same booking: No border inspection is required (as you mentioned, you won't need to "enter" Shanghai), so the emergency travel document should suffice.
If your flights are booked separately or not connected: Border inspection authorities will review the documents of passengers temporarily entering Shanghai. In this case, the emergency travel document must be valid for at least three months.
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(Source: Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security)
I am flying from Bangkok to Moscow with an overnight transit stopover in Shanghai. I want to bring tropical fruits from Bangkok for my relatives in Russia.
If I leave the airport using a transit visa, will I encounter any issues at the airport? Are there any restrictions regarding fruits?
According to Notice No 470 from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the General Administration of Customs, titled the List of Animals and Plants, Their Products and Other Quarantine Items Prohibited from Being Carried or Sent into the People's Republic of China, fresh fruits and vegetables are prohibited from being carried or sent into the country.
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(Sources: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, General Administration of Customs, Shanghai Customs 12360 hotline)
I'm an international student in Shanghai and I've lost my passport. I haven't applied for a residence permit yet, but I want to return to my home country, Pakistan. What should I do?
If your passport was lost, you should apply for a new passport (or a temporary passport, travel document, or other identity verification document) at your consulate.
The consulate will issue a statement confirming the loss of the original passport. With this statement, you may apply to the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau for a stay permit or a foreigner's exit-entry document to leave the country.
If the consulate requires a loss report from the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau before issuing a new passport or travel document, copies of the original passport and visa can be submitted in order to file the loss report.
(Source: Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security)
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