Obtaining a Hong Kong Driving License

Hong Kong - Getting Around

The first matter to take care of is obtaining a driving license.  People with valid licenses from a number of countries are permitted to apply for a driving license without being required to take a driving test.

These countries include Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Republic of South Africa together with S.W. Africa, United Kingdom together with Alderney (with Channel Islands), Bermuda, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey, and the United States of America.

All holders of an overseas driving license have three options for becoming a legal driver in Hong Kong:  obtain a full driving license, temporary license, or rely on the power of a valid overseas driving license, which is only allowed for the 12 months after arrival in Hong Kong.

A temporary driving license is generally for applicants with an overseas license that was not issued by one of the above countries.  In order to qualify for the permit, a person must have lived in the issuing country for at least six months, held the license for at least five years, or have a passport from the country where the overseas license was obtained.

If one of these requirements is met and a Hong Kong temporary license is acquired, the permit will be valid for 12 months from the date of arrival in Hong Kong or until the overseas driving license expires, whichever comes first.  Temporary license holders are required to apply for a driving test within three months after arriving in Hong Kong, and if the test is failed then the temporary license will be revoked.

Full driving licenses are valid for ten years from the date of issue.  Qualifying persons must hold a license from one of the aforementioned countries and it should either be currently useable or not expired for more than three years.  Also, the license must have been obtained through passing a driving test in the issuing country.  The applicant must have lived in the overseas country for a period of not less than six months, held the license for at least five years, or currently hold a passport from the country that issued the overseas license.

As of February 2009, Hong Kong instated a Probationary Driving License Scheme that requires those who pass all parts of the driving test to hold a probationary driving license for 12 months, after which the full driving license will be issued.  The only exception to this rule is if an applicant meets the requirements for direct issue, which allows for attainment of a full driving license without passing through the 12-month probationary driving period.

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