Mainland Bank Acct or Drivers License Using China Travel Permit

[babylonzoo]

For the insurance coverage, the additional options are 1m, 2m 3m and 5m coverage.

Which one would be sufficient in your opinion? Is it necessary to go that high or is the 1m option sufficient ?

[bcskunk]

For the insurance coverage, the additional options are 1m, 2m 3m and 5m coverage.

Which one would be sufficient in your opinion? Is it necessary to go that high or is the 1m option sufficient ?

I went with the 3m option since the quote wasn't much more. I heard PICC and sunshine are pretty good but was told to avoid China pacific. I personally went with PICC.

[babylonzoo]

Thanks
Am looking at PICC and sunshine as well
Sunshine coverage seems pretty comprehensive

[babylonzoo]

So, i did some research, if you ask the agents more in depth questions, you will find out the northbound insurance policies (all are very similar)
The comprehensive 3rd party (depending on how much you buy (2m, 3m,5m) only covers damages to the other side's car and injuries or worse death in the event you are responsible. Damage to your car is not covered.

The other Grey are fee is a so called "condolence fee" which is often required to be paid in the event of death caused by you to be given to th3 family of the deceased. This amount ranges from 500k to 2.5m. This is not covered by the insurance.

Also not covered, damages to your car. Road side assistance is provided, but if there is a accident (no other side is involved ) but your car is incapacitated, not covered. Damages like blown tires, not covered (windshield yes)

After inquiring about how to cover damage to your own car, the insurance policy fee went from 2700rmb to 12500 rmb (i drive EV and a new one so this is higher )

I suggest you double check with your insurance to be sure. The liability and additional fees are like a blackbox

[babylonzoo]

One more thing, if your car breaks down, china towing only gets you to a local garage or border. Cross border towing exists but is way more expensive

[LGB]

Oh wow, this is extreme!

I have an old car so I am not interested in other insurance than 3rd party but ... up to 2.5M RMB in condolence fee? That surely buys a lot of condolence cards.

Is there any way to get a comprehensive car insurance for China, even if only 3rd party? I just don't know where I should get 2.5M from.

I am driving very defensively, despite the mix of aggressive and disconnected drivers in China. I just went on my first crossing, a 3 day trip where I have driven around 900 km in total. It is amazing there aren't any more crashes, but I guess it works as everyone knows everyone else drive like ... that. I will make a separate post about my first trip.

So, i did some research, if you ask the agents more in depth questions, you will find out the northbound insurance policies (all are very similar)
The comprehensive 3rd party (depending on how much you buy (2m, 3m,5m) only covers damages to the other side's car and injuries or worse death in the event you are responsible. Damage to your car is not covered.

The other Grey are fee is a so called "condolence fee" which is often required to be paid in the event of death caused by you to be given to th3 family of the deceased. This amount ranges from 500k to 2.5m. This is not covered by the insurance.

Also not covered, damages to your car. Road side assistance is provided, but if there is a accident (no other side is involved ) but your car is incapacitated, not covered. Damages like blown tires, not covered (windshield yes)

After inquiring about how to cover damage to your own car, the insurance policy fee went from 2700rmb to 12500 rmb (i drive EV and a new one so this is higher )

I suggest you double check with your insurance to be sure. The liability and additional fees are like a blackbox

[LGB]

First HZMB crossing for me.

I have driven in China (Shanghai) before, but my previous mainland license expired over 10 years ago. Despite all the advances in technology, it is interesting to see how many things are the same, nearly 20 years later.

I still got flashed all the time, especially on the expressways. I know they take pictures of everyone regardless of what you do, but being used to flash = offence, it still feels a bit intimidating.

I drove around 900 km in 3 days, including to and from Guangzhou, going to downtown but mainly various industrial areas.

Most of my driving experience, including from where I grew up in Europe, is the driving in the same side as China. My experience driving in the left side is mainly from Hong Kong, Australia, UK and Malaysia.

Driving in a right hand drive car from HK, into China, I was wondering how much it would mean having the steering wheel curbside, rather than towards the middle of the road. Because of my vast experience driving on the right, I didn't even ever have to think about it. The main issue with the steering wheel on the right is being alone in the vehicle and you have to pay tolls, enter parking lots and such. In my car, it is not an issue to move over, but I imagine that in certain smaller cars and sports cars, it can be hard to reach the left window.

I know of driving habits in many countries, as I travel a lot. Both as a driver and passenger. China did not disappoint, it was a great show of organised chaos. On the one hard, cars (often high end luxury cars) pushing to the front and squeezing in (and getting away with it), and then others, on a 4 lane expressway where the left lanes are 100-120 km/h, hogging the leftmost lane as slow as 70-80 km/h (despite the minimum speed being 100 km/h). A theatrical display of chaos, where the three most important things are me, me and me. Pushing, squeezing, starting from the curb without turn signal right in front of fast moving traffic ... I have to swear a bit now and then to let the steam out, while trying not to get too excited about it.

Originally, the HZMB had this fancy design where left and right hand drive would change on the island, in a beautiful architectural contraption of road lanes, bridges and such. The final design is such that as soon as you pass the HK inspection location, you already drive on the right. It was fun to see the typical HK signs on the HK side of the expressway, saying keep RIGHT unless overtaking. Then, when you hit China just before the tunnel at the border, everything changes to Chinese specs. This including the speed limit being lower in the rightmost lane. 100-100-80 is the limit on most of the bridge, so with a near empty bridge, it feels stupid to stay in the middle lane. But if not, you have to reduce the speed to 80. Chinese mainland "logic" ... on the way back 3 days later, I was doing 100 in the middle lane while some other HK car passed me on the INSIDE lane, going something like 130. I felt so wrong but ... had I pulled over to the right lane, as one should, I would have been speeding.

All the process at both borders is pretty straight forward. A few surprises here and there. My car does not have a motorised rear gate, so I have to get out of the car, while the queue is moving, to open it manually. The customs inspection is a glance inside each door, not lasting more than 1 second. I think the main concern is to check every passenger is out.

I wish my car had cruise control, but it doesn't. From Tung Chung to Guangzhou is around 2 1/2 hours driving, and I wish my foot could have a break now and then. Also, to make it easier not to get a fine and points. I have yet to see if, despite my efforts, they have found something to punish me for. I must have been flashed many hundreds of times over 3 days, every time approaching a camera trying to remember to look up, smile and wave to the camera.

The navigation app Gaode maps (AMAP in English) is essential. It now allows to change the language to English, for those of us who do not (yet) understand so much Chinese. It just cannot stop talking, you barely get a break of more than a minute. But, it shows what lane to get in, and warns of cameras and sensors checking for not just speed, but also correct lights on the car, seat belt usage, lane crossing and even honking. Yes, they have some kind of 3D sensors now where they can pinpoint which car honked. Entering a tunnel, why do I need to be told that? And again when exiting the tunnel? Yes, I can ... kind of SEE that, and why the warning? On a country road in HK, towards my home where I was also using Amap, it warns about a school ahead, three times, in an area where there is nothing but hiking trails. Speaking of Amap/Gaode, I have a dedicated Chinese phone now, in the China app store. Worth doing to save a lot of headache. In the Chinese app store Amap/Gaode, however, I still have the option of simplified, traditional and English. But when I select English there, I am told ... cannot select it, maybe some day.

It is definitely worth having roaming on your HK phone, or other foreign sim card. I don't care much about social media, but you quickly miss apps like whatsapp, searching on Google, some of your email accounts and such. I found the solution with two phones great. My Chinese phone has all the Chinese apps, obviously, Chinese email account I created, my China BOC account app, 12123 and with the Chinese mainland sim card. The REAL one, not the HK 1 card 2 numbers which only work for some things.

The Chinese ETC system for toll payments is something I want. Passing one toll place, I saw a man sitting in a booth with ATC written on it. I stopped to inquire, and because I have a HK car, and because my MTP is the non-Chinese version, I will have to do it in a proper ETC bureau. The price is something like 568 RMB for deposit, the price for the unit and then 200 credit. I would say it is worth it, for the convenience of expressway travel. I think it can also be used for other things, maybe some parking lots?

Be sure to print the "China License Plate" they send you at some stage. I do not have a color printer so I went to the local supermarket where they have a photo print machine, to make a nice one. Some say you don't need it, but I found they use it at toll stations and such. The paperwork says you have to display it in your windscreen, so I don't know why some other HZMB users say you don't need it.

There is so much more, it could be an entire guidebook. I hope the above information is useful for others. Feel free to ask specific questions and I will answer, if able, when time permits. I suggest Geoexpat admins consider a sticky post with post #1 being a guide for applying, as well as another guide of how to use it. This thread has more than 300 posts now, and I myself is guilty of many of those ... it needs to be compiled to become more useful, and updated as China gets the issues ironed out.

[AClass]

In the Chinese app store Amap/Gaode, however, I still have the option of simplified, traditional and English. But when I select English there, I am told ... cannot select it, maybe some day.

I'm guessing your Chinese phone is on Android, but I have 'Amap' installed on my iPhone. It wouldn't allow me to select "English" either. It returned an error message, saying it was a future feature. I have however managed to change it after coming across a solution in reddit. It worked for me but some posters said it didn't work for them. Try selecting 'English' again, when the error message appears, force close 'Amap' then reopen and try selecting 'English' again. It worked first try for me.

[magpielaw]

Hey LGB thank you for the comprehensive write up. It is massively appreciated.

Quick question for when using the MTP in Zhuhai, did you successfully go through when you tapped the MTP on the card reader? Or did you have an immigration staff letting you through?

It was previously reported it wasnt working so hopefully it has been fixed up.

First HZMB crossing for me.

I have driven in China (Shanghai) before, but my previous mainland license expired over 10 years ago. Despite all the advances in technology, it is interesting to see how many things are the same, nearly 20 years later.

I still got flashed all the time, especially on the expressways. I know they take pictures of everyone regardless of what you do, but being used to flash = offence, it still feels a bit intimidating.

I drove around 900 km in 3 days, including to and from Guangzhou, going to downtown but mainly various industrial areas.

Most of my driving experience, including from where I grew up in Europe, is the driving in the same side as China. My experience driving in the left side is mainly from Hong Kong, Australia, UK and Malaysia.

Driving in a right hand drive car from HK, into China, I was wondering how much it would mean having the steering wheel curbside, rather than towards the middle of the road. Because of my vast experience driving on the right, I didn't even ever have to think about it. The main issue with the steering wheel on the right is being alone in the vehicle and you have to pay tolls, enter parking lots and such. In my car, it is not an issue to move over, but I imagine that in certain smaller cars and sports cars, it can be hard to reach the left window.

I know of driving habits in many countries, as I travel a lot. Both as a driver and passenger. China did not disappoint, it was a great show of organised chaos. On the one hard, cars (often high end luxury cars) pushing to the front and squeezing in (and getting away with it), and then others, on a 4 lane expressway where the left lanes are 100-120 km/h, hogging the leftmost lane as slow as 70-80 km/h (despite the minimum speed being 100 km/h). A theatrical display of chaos, where the three most important things are me, me and me. Pushing, squeezing, starting from the curb without turn signal right in front of fast moving traffic ... I have to swear a bit now and then to let the steam out, while trying not to get too excited about it.

Originally, the HZMB had this fancy design where left and right hand drive would change on the island, in a beautiful architectural contraption of road lanes, bridges and such. The final design is such that as soon as you pass the HK inspection location, you already drive on the right. It was fun to see the typical HK signs on the HK side of the expressway, saying keep RIGHT unless overtaking. Then, when you hit China just before the tunnel at the border, everything changes to Chinese specs. This including the speed limit being lower in the rightmost lane. 100-100-80 is the limit on most of the bridge, so with a near empty bridge, it feels stupid to stay in the middle lane. But if not, you have to reduce the speed to 80. Chinese mainland "logic" ... on the way back 3 days later, I was doing 100 in the middle lane while some other HK car passed me on the INSIDE lane, going something like 130. I felt so wrong but ... had I pulled over to the right lane, as one should, I would have been speeding.

All the process at both borders is pretty straight forward. A few surprises here and there. My car does not have a motorised rear gate, so I have to get out of the car, while the queue is moving, to open it manually. The customs inspection is a glance inside each door, not lasting more than 1 second. I think the main concern is to check every passenger is out.

I wish my car had cruise control, but it doesn't. From Tung Chung to Guangzhou is around 2 1/2 hours driving, and I wish my foot could have a break now and then. Also, to make it easier not to get a fine and points. I have yet to see if, despite my efforts, they have found something to punish me for. I must have been flashed many hundreds of times over 3 days, every time approaching a camera trying to remember to look up, smile and wave to the camera.

The navigation app Gaode maps (AMAP in English) is essential. It now allows to change the language to English, for those of us who do not (yet) understand so much Chinese. It just cannot stop talking, you barely get a break of more than a minute. But, it shows what lane to get in, and warns of cameras and sensors checking for not just speed, but also correct lights on the car, seat belt usage, lane crossing and even honking. Yes, they have some kind of 3D sensors now where they can pinpoint which car honked. Entering a tunnel, why do I need to be told that? And again when exiting the tunnel? Yes, I can ... kind of SEE that, and why the warning? On a country road in HK, towards my home where I was also using Amap, it warns about a school ahead, three times, in an area where there is nothing but hiking trails. Speaking of Amap/Gaode, I have a dedicated Chinese phone now, in the China app store. Worth doing to save a lot of headache. In the Chinese app store Amap/Gaode, however, I still have the option of simplified, traditional and English. But when I select English there, I am told ... cannot select it, maybe some day.

It is definitely worth having roaming on your HK phone, or other foreign sim card. I don't care much about social media, but you quickly miss apps like whatsapp, searching on Google, some of your email accounts and such. I found the solution with two phones great. My Chinese phone has all the Chinese apps, obviously, Chinese email account I created, my China BOC account app, 12123 and with the Chinese mainland sim card. The REAL one, not the HK 1 card 2 numbers which only work for some things.

The Chinese ETC system for toll payments is something I want. Passing one toll place, I saw a man sitting in a booth with ATC written on it. I stopped to inquire, and because I have a HK car, and because my MTP is the non-Chinese version, I will have to do it in a proper ETC bureau. The price is something like 568 RMB for deposit, the price for the unit and then 200 credit. I would say it is worth it, for the convenience of expressway travel. I think it can also be used for other things, maybe some parking lots?

Be sure to print the "China License Plate" they send you at some stage. I do not have a color printer so I went to the local supermarket where they have a photo print machine, to make a nice one. Some say you don't need it, but I found they use it at toll stations and such. The paperwork says you have to display it in your windscreen, so I don't know why some other HZMB users say you don't need it.

There is so much more, it could be an entire guidebook. I hope the above information is useful for others. Feel free to ask specific questions and I will answer, if able, when time permits. I suggest Geoexpat admins consider a sticky post with post #1 being a guide for applying, as well as another guide of how to use it. This thread has more than 300 posts now, and I myself is guilty of many of those ... it needs to be compiled to become more useful, and updated as China gets the issues ironed out.

[LGB]

No, it is an iPhone 8 plus. Just got a second hand one for this purpose only.

I just tried again and I think the "force close" function on iPhone does not exist. I closed the app, opened it again but still Chinese.

Somehow I think I might as well leave it in Chinese because ... I want to learn Chinese anyway. And my normal phone, also an iPhone, works with Amap/Gaode in English so I can pick and choose if the navigation has something critical in it. I was just wondering why. I read somewhere that they were "rolling it out" with the English, and not everyone got it at the same time. But I had several app store updates of Amap and yet it was still locked.

I'm guessing your Chinese phone is on Android, but I have 'Amap' installed on my iPhone. It wouldn't allow me to select "English" either. It returned an error message, saying it was a future feature. I have however managed to change it after coming across a solution in reddit. It worked for me but some posters said it didn't work for them. Try selecting 'English' again, when the error message appears, force close 'Amap' then reopen and try selecting 'English' again. It worked first try for me.