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Day-to-day Living in Hong Hong

Obtaining a driving license

You may drive in Hong Kong on a foreign license, but only temporarily. If you stay longer than a year, you must purchase a Hong Kong driving license.

If you are currently own a valid overseas driving license and you wish to drive in Hong Kong, you can obtain a valid driving license by:

Applying for a full driving license by direct issue without test

Applying for a temporary driving license

To obtain a Full driving license by direct issue without a test:

You must hold an overseas driving license issued by one of the following countries (including Australia, Republic of Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom including Channel Islands and Isle of Man, United States of America, among many others). The overseas driving license must be valid or has not expired for more than 3 years, and must be obtained through the passing of a driving test held in the issuing country or place. The driving entitlement(s) applied for must be equivalent to the class (es) which are authorized to drive by the issuing country or place.

Applicants must have resided in the overseas country or place of issue for a period of not less than six months during which the license was issued; or have held the license for 5 years or more immediately prior to the application; or hold a passport of the country or place in which the license was issued. To apply, you must complete Form TD63A and submit it to the Hong Kong Licensing Office. Bring both the original and photocopy of overseas driving license, Hong Kong Identity Card and any other documentary proof which demonstrates your compliance of the above criteria. An officially certified translation of your overseas driving license is required if it is in a language other than English or Chinese. A medical certificate is required for applicants aged 70 or above.

To obtain a Temporary License you must hold a valid overseas driving license of which the issuing country or place is NOT on the approved list (refer to http://hongkong.angloinfo.com/countries/china/hongkong/exlicence.asp for the list). You must apply for a driving test within 3 months after your arrival in Hong Kong to take up residence

Applicants must have lived in the overseas country/place of issue for a period of not less than six months, have held the license for 5 years or more immediately prior to the application and hold a passport of the country or place in which the license was issued.

If you fail in any part of the driving test, your temporary driving license will be cancelled immediately.

In order to apply, you need to complete Form TD181, and submit it to the Hong Kong Licensing Office. You will need to supply your original passport, overseas driving license, Hong Kong Identity Card and any other documentary proof that satisfies the criteria. As before, an officially certified translation of your overseas driving license is required if it is in a language other than English or Chinese. A medical certificate is required for applicants aged 70 or above.

Hong Kong Driving Licenses are valid for 10 years then need to be renewed. Driving licenses can be renewed up to four months before the expiry date or within three years following expiry.

Licensing Information (24-Hour Interactive Voice Hotline): (852) 2804 2600

Driving Test Appointment Offices

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