Driving in Hong Kong

[Flying Clog]

Can anyone tell me if you can buy and/or drive a car in Hong Kong on a British Licence? If so, how long before you've got to get a HK licence, and can you hang onto your British one or do you have to swap it?

Cheers

[BelArgUSA]

I have rented cars in HKG with a US driver's licence.
I am sure you can get a HKG licence, with your UK licence.
If not, they will give you say "90 days" to apply for one.
Get one of these "int'l driver's permit" from your autoclub.
Contains a page with Chinese language. Permit valid 1 year.
Good luck to find parking spaces.
xxx
:ok:
Happy contrails

[404 Titan]

Flying Clog

To drive your own car, i.e. not a rental, in HK you must have a HK D/L. If your country has an agreement with HK and Britain does all you need to do is go down to the Department of Motor Transport, pay HKD$900.00, fill out a form, produce you foreign D/L and your HK ID card and they will give you one. They will give you your foreign D/L back as it is still valid in your home country. Hope this helps.:ok:

[Flying Clog]

Excellent, thanks fellas. So I need an HK licence to drive my own vehicle there. Where can I find the Department of Motor Vehicles?

Also, how much is the toll one way from TST to HKIA in a car? And on a motorbike?

Cheers

[SMOC]

The Transport department can be found here,

Transport Department - Contact Us (http://www.td.gov.hk/contact_us/index.htm)

Here's a list of charges, doesn't include bikes, however the Western Harbour tunnel is $22 each way and the Tsing Ma Bridge is effectively $10 each way, you pay $20 leaving Lantau Island and it's free on the way to work.

List of tunnels and bridges in Hong Kong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_and_bridges_in_Hong_Kong)

[Flying Clog]

Brilliant, thanks for all the info.

[PNM]

Sorry to contradict BelArgUSA, but there is plenty of parking in HK if you know where to look. Free parking is certainly in short supply, and you don't get free parking at the shops anywhere near the urban areas (different in the suburbs), but compared to parking inner city elswhere in the world, parking is reasonably priced.

Many places are HKD15-20 per hour, some cheaper and some a little more (HKD25 per hour) if near the busier CBD areas.

You don't need a car in HK unless living outside of Kowloon/ HK Island/ Discovery Bay, but even living in those areas, it's nice to have the freedom of jumping in the car and driving yourself somewhere out of town, or even going to the grocery store and putting your shopping in the boot is something that you may appreciate after a few years of piling into the back of a taxi, while burdened with a dozen shopping bags.

Granted, you can get most things delivered (including groceries), but there's a certain novelty element to putting the groceries in the boot!

As 404 said, it's very easy to convert your UK licence. Good luck.

[Flying Clog]

Just two last quick questions for those of you who've been through the procedure:

Looked at the HK transport website, and they seem to require proof of 6 months residency around the time I got my UK licence. But that was 8 years ago. The site seems to suggest that if you've had you're licence for more than 5 years you don't need to prove residency. Any experience with this anyone?

And where is the most convenient transport office when staying at HKIA?

Thanks

[Max Reheat]

Hi Flying Cog.

I bought my first car in HKG last year. Been here for 7 but in DB!

I was able to buy and insure the car on my UK licence, I did, however, go out and get a HKG permit PDQ.

The insurance company even gave me 60% NO Claims Discount based on my renewal notice from my UK insurer.

A word of caution though.... A cab nudged into the back of me in a traffic queue a couple of months ago. The cab driver wanted to settle, for cash, there and then. The cop who came even tried to get me to agree. In the end I took the car to a body repair shop and paid for the repairs myself and then threatened to take the cabbie to court if he didn't cough up. Nobody here likes claiming on their insurance. If I had claimed on my insurance, as we do in the rest of the world, I ran the risk of losing my NCD! :mad:

I guess the moral of the story is to get into car (only) insurance in HKG.

Good luck with your purchase.

Cheers... Max :)

[littlemuppet]

You can also drive with an International Drivers Licence obtained from Britain, but if you intend to stay for longer, pay the $900 and get the local licence for ten years. It's the best $900 I've spent so far.

[WICKED]

Hi. I would like to know if you need to present a valid visa for a certain period of time to get a Hong Kong licence. In the UK, you have to have a valid visa for more than 6 months in order to apply for a licence. I would like to know if you encountered any similar problems in Hong Kong, or if you encountered any kind of problem while applying for your HK licence.

[boxjockey]

When I applied, I gave them the app, my US license, and my HKID card. That plus the fee of $900 I think, and that was all.

[hongkongfooey]

Oh, and take photocopies of your foreign licence, HKID card and Passport.
Saves getting to the counter after a 30min-2hr wait ( depending on time of day ) to be told to go downstairs to get them.

[jacobus]

To avoid losing half a day of your life doing it, use the KWUN TONG licensing Office....go outside of Holy Hour (ie 12 'till 1400) and there's no queueing...look up the location and nearest MTR on their website..failing that the guys at the front desk at the Headland can help you out....after that enjoy...you'll discover some of the worst displays of driving ability on the planet, especially at roundabouts and on the freeways..partly as a result of passing their driving tests in a car park in Sha Tin:hmm:

[katana]

And if you do live here - ie pay HK taxes, and subsequently drive on a foreign licence, you can be charged with "Driving without a Valid Driving Licence" There is no 6 month allowance.

[Basil]

Make sure you don't buy an ex HK taxi.
They don't have an accellerator, just a foot operated toggle switch marked 'MAX' & 'BRAKE' :p

[hongkongfooey]

That's a bit harsh Basil..............there is an off position also, which must be selected when transitioning between MAX and BRAKE