Rules of concern to citizens


  • According to Chinese laws, bearer of a foreign driving license within specified health and age limits in China and with a full knowledge of Chinese traffic regulations can go to the traffic administration in the city or province where he stays to apply for a Chinese driving license. And he should afterwards attend and succeed in the examination on traffic regulations before being awarded a Chinese driving license. There could be slight difference in this regard between cities and provinces and herein Beijing is taken example:
  • Required documents include bareheaded color photos with white background, health certificate issued by an province hospital or higher (diplomats excluded), the foreign driving license translated into Chinese, identity document of the applicant registered the moment he entered China and his residence license in China. Then he can go to the department of driving license in the administration of traffic in Beijing Municipality to fill a form and apply for a Chinese driving license. He’d better choose between AT or MT cars because the latter requires additional tests on driving skills.
  • After paying the specified fees the applicant should confirm date of his attending the examination on traffic regulations in a language he knows well. The applicant in case of passing the exam will be awarded a Chinese driving license within 5 office days. The license remains valid for 6 years and its renewal excludes any examinations. Since there could be differences between China and other countries in traffic regulations including traffic facilities, traffic signals and quantities of cars, the applicant is supposed to buy a guidebook in advance to acquire a full knowledge of these relevant issues.  
  • Foreigners above 16 years old residing or staying in China should always bring along their residence licenses or passports for any necessary inquiries from the foreign affair police.
  • Long term foreign residents in China should go to local public security administration to examine their residence licenses once a year on specified dates and if necessary the public security administration could demand that they go to the entry-exit administration to confirm those licenses and the foreigners informed should cooperate accordingly.
  • As for a baby born in China his parents or guardian should report to the local public security administration with the birth certificate within a month of birth to accomplish the procedures of registration.
  • Foreigners staying overnight in all kinds of hotels or guesthouses or any other formal institutions in China should show their passports and efficient residence licenses and exhibit their travel permissions if they stay over in non-open areas in China.
  • Marriage between Chinese citizens and foreigners or two foreigners in China is regarded as “foreign-related marriage”. The 147 article of the general principles of the civil law of the People’s Republic of China provides that marriage between a Chinese citizen and a foreigner should conform to local laws. As for a “foreign-related marriage”, partners should comply with specified procedures in China. Any marriage in China, regardless of partners’ nationalities, should be registered according to Chinese laws. It’s worth noticing that no diplomats or consuls from the marriage-related foreign country and no religious figures from any country are authorized to conclude marriages in China.
  • In light of current marriage law in the People’s Republic of China, marriage registration pertains to local civil affairs administration. The marriage registration office is designated by the province or autonomous region or directly-administered municipality to which the marriage-related Chinese citizen’s residence card belongs. If two foreigners intend to marry in China they should register where either or both of them reside and generally at least one of them should reside in China. Foreigners travel in China with tourism visas are not allowed to register marriage in China.

According to current Chinese laws, foreigners are not allowed to marry Chinese attributed to following groups:

  1. Soldiers in active service, diplomats, members of public security, special figures, any other persons involved in secret information.
  2. Persons undergoing re-education through labor or other legal punishments.

Partners in marriage should be present in the registration office along with all required documents that may certificate ID photos, residence status and possibility of marriage. Any document written in foreign languages should be translated into Chinese at private expense and the Chinese notary public verifies the translation. 

DOs and  DON’Ts

  • Qatar citizens intending to visit the People’s Republic of China should go to the Chinese Embassy in Doha to get entry visas in advance.
  • Qatar citizens traveling in China should demand taxi receipt after arrival, which bears numbers of the driver and the taxi and contact information about the taxi company in case of missing any personal belongings.
  • After getting an entry visa into the People’s Republic of China, tourist should check the visa to make sure whether it’s multi-trip or one-trip. Tourist with one-trip visa after leaving for Hong Kong must get another entry visa from Chinese consul in Hong Kong before returning to China mainland once again.
  • It is noticed that forged bank notes with face values of 100 and 50 yuan spread recently in China. So we suggest checking especially bank notes taken over from taxis drivers or in bazaars by feeling protruding vertical lines beside Chairman Mao’s portrait one the right or feeling the protrusion on the shirt of Chairman Mao’s portrait.
  • Qatar Riyals don’t circulate in the People’s Republic of China so they should be changed into Dollars in advance and then to Chinese Yuan on arriving in China.
  • Beijing Capital International Airport consists of three adjacent terminals. Terminals 1 and 2 are specialized for domestic flights and terminal 3 for international flights.
  • For international calls to Chinese mobiles, 0086 should be added to the demanded number and for calls to fixed phones in Beijing, 008610 should be added to the demanded number.