I've been trying to wrap my head around how to do a decent RTW trip than includes Southern Asia without the expense of air-freighting or buying multiple bikes over the course of the trip. The China / Burma situation makes this almost impossible. I have all the time in the world but not all the money in the world (plenty but I want it to last).

So I began to think that the big problem with China is their ridiculous policy regarding foreign registered vehicles but not foreigners themselves. It seems Chinese registered vehicles are free to move about the country regardless of who is riding them.

Buying and legally owning a Chinese vehicle appears to be possible with a temporary residency visa.

So I teach English in China for 6-12 months, get my temporary residency and driver's license, then buy and register a Chinese motorcycle under my own name.

With that motorcycle I would be able to enter and leave the country and ride around without a guide? Could I do SE Asia, then come back through China to Nepal, continuing on towards Africa, all without a government guide?

Hi Jordan,
I live in China, and have my full Chinese car and bike licence.
It is easy to get providing you meet the requirements.
1/ You need a visa, with more than 90 days stayance each time
2/ You need your address in China, to be registered with the local police (PSB)
3/ You need a licence from your home country.

The exam is not too difficult, and is computer based, and can be taken in many languages.
With your Chinese licence, you can buy a car or bike, and drive or ride wherever your heart wants.
But you still can't easily "Cheaply" bring in or drive your foreign wheels, without the bureaucratic tour guide crap.
These guys are great helpers
MyChinaMoto.com - Chinese Community, Forum and News
You can take your Chinese registered bike almost all over Asia.
Look around this forum called GT Rider.
S.E. Asia Touring Forums: Thailand, Laos & Vietnam - Home

vette

Thank you for the response vette. Sounds promising.

To be clear, would I be able to re-enter China with my Chinese registered vehicle without guide?

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Yes. as your "Z" visa has multiple entry, and your bike is registered in your name, at your address on the document that you took to the PSB, when you registered.
Yearly insurance is mandatory, but cheap.
Insurance is attached to the vehicle/bike, where as in UK Europe, the insurance is attached to the person.
So you can actually buy you bike here, with say 6 months insurance, still in force on it.


Did you have a gander on the two forums I posted?

We have started to translate the new (January 2013) driving questions from Chinese into English on the Moto forum.
There is a few changes to the questions leading up to the change in January 2013.
All the early questions have been translated long time ago, all 1350 questions.
The new set of questions, after January 2013, there are about 800 questions from memory.

I have the old English questions, which make up I would say, 95% of the 2013 questions.

Just get the "Z" visa for working, the school or uni, do this for you as part of your contract to them.
Get to the local PSB, register the address, again, the school or uni, give you accommodation as part of the contract.
Then take yourself to the traffic dept. for your area that does foreigner licenses.

Any more q's ?

vette

Thank you! The MyChinaMoto forum looks like a goldmine. I need to do some reading! Alright, so one more question...

How do they determine the time length for the "Z" visa?

As in, if my employment position is only 6 months, would it be possible to get a "Z" visa that is good for a year?

.
Hi Jordan,

My China Moto is very good, hope you enjoy.
If you have trouble registering, get back to me.

All "Z" visas are issued for 1 year.
Almost all schools or uni's want you for the year.
So for example, if you quit after 4 months, the school will send your details off to the PSB, and they will ask you to come visit them and explain.
If it is true that you quit, then the PSB will cancel your "Z" visa.
PSB = Public Security Bureau,like a very big police station)
Do every thing possible not to allow the school or uni' to hold onto your passport.

Most uni's pay OK, and provide free accommodation, and two return airfares back to your home country as part of the package.
The teachers get good time off for holidays etc.

Generally the uni's are very easy going as far as teaching go's.
So if you stay the full year or mot, you still end up getting your licence.
But that's OK, because, by that time you should have your licence.
Then you could always return at any later date on a "L" tourist visa.
First licence is issued for 6 years, all following licences are issued for 10 years.

vette

Thanks for the great info Vette, just a couple of questions;

If you have a Chinese licence and bike, you say you can ride freely - does this include Tibet TAR?

Is there any possible way to obtain a Z visa by being hired for a small company, but not actually working for them, just let them help you get the visa?

And if all that fails, is it possible to buy a Chinese bike, and just use a IDL and take your chances to not get caught/plead ignorance/bribe?

I am riding through Asia and don't have a problem buying a motorcycle in China, but getting a Z visa would be a pain so taking my chances with an IDL would be a better prospect. As for the TAR, I've heard coming from in the North has almost no stops aside from a checkpoint 30km outside of Golmud

I'd want to buy a motorcycle in eastern China, ride south to Vietnam, through Cambodia, Thailand and go back into China at the Laos crossing. Through Yunnan and Sichuan across to Golmud and down into the TAR. I read of a guy who recently entered back into China at the Laos border and never had to show any kind of licence, just prove his bike was Chinese registered and he was let through riding on just an IDL. Once in TAR head for the KKH and enter into Pakistan, even if at last resort join a tour to transit safely through the TAR without problems

Any info you have for that Vette would be amazing

Hey Jordan, I was wondering if you're still planning on doing this. This post inspired me back in june and I have since moved to china and started an english teaching job here. I have spent a lot of time researching and planning my trip and plan to leave for my own silk road trip on the first of july when my contract ends. Maybe we can exchange information?

Hi all. I've just (actually, this morning) been offered a job teaching spring semester in Ningbo (south of Shanghai). This thread has been great... I figured I would be able to travel freely with a Chinese registered bike but it's nice to get confirmation.
Please keep me in the loop on your plans. It would be great to join up at some point.

__________________
Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama

I ended up dismissing this trip plan and am no longer planning on starting in China. My research indicated that even if you could get all the papers lined up, you probably have to legally export your motorcycle when you left the country. So you are unable (or at least it would be very difficult) to ride back into China after leaving.

The whole purpose of the trip was to go from China, SE Asia back to China and continue on RTW through Eastern Europe. So not being able to come back into China was a deal breaker, it was the whole reason for starting in China.

Informative thread here

I think I may still attempt China, but I'll be travelling in the other direction. Europe/Africa/Russia/Mongolia first, then use this plan to get a bike in China and continue, one-way towards SE Asia.

Thanks for the advice.