Buying a car in Zhuhai

Used car or new car. That is something one has to be careful with. Some of the used vehicles are not transferable, I mean the ownership. Black plates are for foreign companies or joint venture companies. The fees involved on purchasing a vehicle is pretty standard. On a new vehicle, you will have to pay all applicable fees on top of the price of the vehicle.
An approximation:
License Fee: 400rmb
Highway improvement tax: approximately 2000rmb (depending on vehicle types)
Insurance: 3000 to 4000rmb (depending on vehicle types)
Mandatory no fault insurance: approx. 500rmb(depending on vehicle types)
Local Road tax: aprox. 1200rmb (depending on vehicle types).
I may have described the types of fees incorrectly, but basically these are the required annual fees.

Different dealerships have different offers. Volkswagon say they wont do the registration or the plates which is problematic but Honda and Suzuki will. You can go to Jing Ding to get the driver's license, i was thinking of using the place advertising on this site.
I am thinking of getting a "hot hatch" the suzuki swift (lol). It is all i can afford but i think the swift looks pretty good. Oh the prices for the honda fit and suzuki swift are around 80,000 going up to 120,000. I am not sure about QQ's but i was told they were 50k, dont know if they do the paperwork as well for that price.

Thanks for the help. So an L visa holder on a foreign passport (US, UK, for example) can apply for a blue (local) license plate? I don't need a registered business or some other form of official China resident paper/card/stamp?

I lived in Macau for 3 years so I have a Macau ID and I also own my apartment here in Zhuhai, and I had to go through the Chinese name registration to buy the house. The dealership we are working with is telling me to bring my "China home-going" card, assuming I am a local Macau-born person wanting to drive in Zhuhai - which I'm not. I don't have a "home-going" card, so when I go tomorrow to get the plate I'm wondering what will happen. I plan to just bring every official document I have that says I'm a really nice and law-abiding guy.

By the way, I got my license through Lisa (the one who advertises on this site) and it went flawlessly.

That is something that I might have missed. You do need a residence permit (Zhuhai) if the car is to be register in Zhuhai. You have a home here and there shouldn't be problem for you to obtain a so called temporary resident permit here. That and your DL are all you need to register a car.

Indeed! I am through the first half of my "registration" day and have run into some snags. I think it is more a case of the dealership never selling a car to a foreigner before (it's a Dong Feng dealership). First stop was the police department - no problem receiving the temporary residence paperwork, but then going to the next police station they said because I was not a permanent Macau resident they were the wrong office, and I needed to go to the "foreigners" office (perhaps foreign affairs?) - only they didn't know where that was (at least that's what they said), so the helpers from the dealership have returned to their company to begin calling around to find someone who knows how to do this. More later so others won't have to repeat my errors.

If I am not wrong you need to have a 1 year residence permit(visa) from the immigration department (near the zhuhai sport center). I did that a few years ago.

Here's the update on the process. I finished the day unsuccessful, but at this point I am still guardedly hopeful. After breaktime, we went to the Traffic Police department, down from #1 Middle School and was told they didn't handle foreigner cases there, so we then went to the immigration department near the Zhuhai sports center. They also were no help and seem only to be handling HK, Taiwan, and Macau-born citizens who want residency in China. Finally the dealership manager says "maybe you can apply for a license plate under a friend's name." Then he says, "if you had a business here in Zhuhai you could apply that way." Both of these options don't seem possible to me - the first seems too risky for my friend, the second takes too long and too much money.

So in desperation the manager calls the Traffic Police department one last time (the same place we had been to at first). The lady there tells him "he only needs two things - a temporary resident form and a driver's license" to register a car in Zhuhai(see post above from CS22). So now we're back to square one with two different (totally opposite) answers from the same department.

So finally we decide to call it a day - the dealership make copies of all of my documents (I have to go back to work in Macau tomorrow), and they plan to try again without me tomorrow.

But here's the big question for everyone - has anyone out there successfully purchased a car as a private individual (not business-related) in Zhuhai with a foreign passport (mine's from US), and a one-year "L" multi-entry visa (a tourist, non-business visa)? It seems everyone I talk to has "heard of someone" doing this and says "it should be possible" - especially since one can apply for a mortgage, purchase a house without difficulty, etc, but has anyone actually succeeded in doing this?

I bought a car 3years ago and it is under my name.
All I had was a 1 year resident visa( visa Z) and a valid chinese driving licence. I am still driving the car currently and just finished my yearly inspection in June.( cars after 3 years old have to go for yearly inspections).

My visa is "L" - anyone tried it with an "L" visa yet? Here are the visa types:

C Visa: Issued to crewmembers to perform duties on board an international train, airliner or other vessel, and their accompanying family members.

D Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to reside permanently in China.

F Visa: Issued to an alien who is invited to China for a visit, an investigation, a lecture, to do business, scientific-technological and culture exchanges, short-term advanced studies or intern practice for a period of no more than six months.

G Visa: Issued to an alien who transits through China.

J-1 Visa: Issued to foreign resident correspondents in China.

J-2 Visa: Issued to foreign correspondents who make short trips to China on reporting tasks.

L Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to China for sightseeing, family visiting or other private purposes.

X Visa : Issued to an alien who comes to China for study, advanced studies or intern practice for a period of more than six months.

Z Visa: Issued to an alien who comes to China for a post or employment, and his or her accompanying family members.

I listen from a Chinese friend teacher in Zhuhai, that, and only this coming October the 1st, China National Day, all the new car price will be a little down. Take your chance to get one a little cheaper.

Sorry Macdoc did'nt think about visa issues i have a Z. I am buying new as i was told by a Chinese friend it is less hassle to than buying used and having to change lots of paperwork plus many used cars have been abused esp here.

Look the Chinese law is very clear to get a Drivers License or buy a house in China you must have a Z visa ie Resident permit. To obtain a haouse as of Seprember last year you must hold the resident permit for at least a year. Thats the law. BUT, BUT that law was made in Beijing and not all areas such as counties and cities know it and those that do sometimes do not follow it. Many are getting licenses from Guangzhou on L and F visa either directly or via money making assistance. I am actually surprised you have a 12 months tourist visa because normally one can only get 3 months.
I can only say if a drivers license is necessary to register a car then officially you have an illegal license although you no doubt may never be questioned about it because the license has come through the correct channels but as you do not have a resident permit it is not really legal. The same applies for the house as a resident permit is also officially required. If anyone can dispute what I am saying please do and refer me to their source of information.

Listen, best thing is do what i did...get a chinese girlfriend or wife...heaps easier. look in classifieds
I have a almost new vehicle for sale...all fees paid.

So...kellygang - it sounds like the individual who is helping foreigners obtain driver's licenses on this site is doing so illegally and should advise her clients of the law stating that only Z visas can get a license?

Also, it is very common now (I'd say in the past 6-12 months) for US passports to receive 1 year multiple entry L visas - even US visitors who have come out short-term recently have shown me their visas from the China consulate in the US with 1-year, multi-entry (as long as they have at least one previous approved visa in the passport) - last one I saw was even better - they had a stay of 60 days max instead of the usual 30.

But in essence what you are saying is that not only may I not own/register a car in Zhuhai on an "L" visa, but I also own my apartment illegally, since it was purchased on an "L" visa, and I also obtained an illegal driver's license, since it was also obtained on an "L" visa. Does that not also make the Chinese apartment developer/owner liable as well as the Bank here in China that gave us the mortgage, as well as the person (who widely advertises on this site) who helped arrange the driver's license for us (and many others)? And why does the local police department happily renew my temporary resident paperwork every 6 months or so without telling us any of this?

I'm just trying to understand everything you are saying and why we have been allowed to get to this point by individuals who supposedly know, various government workers and departments. Can you please refer me to you source of information about all of this? I really want to understand.

Finally, blue moon, that won't really work since I'm married with children :) But would you really sell your car to a lowly "L" visa holder?

OK! It is all new to most of us with these house purchasing and car registration stuff. I personally have staffs to handle these things for me. We are willing to help anyone with problems such as these, but no guarantee (since we are not charging a fee and are not interested in doing so). Just sick and tired of getting ripped off and getting the run around. Also, listening to useless advices.

I bought a car in November.

I was on a F 6 months visa but I think they do not really care.

All the paperwork took 2 days and since I do not speak Chinese I was helped by a friend (this is mandatory).

Basically it was smooth but you have to go through many steps (taxes, car check, registration, insurance...) in 3 or 4 different offices across the city. Got blue plates.

I passed my Chinese driving license last year in Shanghai, half day process in English if you have already a driving license from another country.

Driving here is easy for me since I come from Paris. The harder was to loose habit to stop when pedestrians want to cross the road!

Been checked closely once by road Police this summer when in the countryside for a one month long tour. At first they were suspicious but yet friendly since we were in a remote area close to Myanmar border.

Newest update: dealership seems to think this is still possible although quite a hassle. Tomorrow I bring another picture and head to an office near the border for a health check. After that they say they will walk the documents through for me. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Still nobody mentioning a Z visa requirement.

bmi - so you had no trouble leaving Zhuhai city or Guangdong province - no checks at toll booths or anything?

Attn: macdoc I have emailed you with my contact details to openly talk about what I have written. Let me just add publicly defining what is legal and what is illegal I find can be difficult in China. I have already pointed out that Beijing laws ie China Laws are sometimes interpreted by different towns and regions in differenet ways and also not enacted on for some time after the the Law has been introduced if at all.
I find my information purely by searching the net and if anyone wants to confirm anything re: visas, real estate or drivers licences just type into google what you want to know and persevere with the searching process. You will find all the answers there. I know of instances in China and everyone probably agrees that if you know the right people you can obtain what you want, ie guanxi.Refer back to what I said re the D/License Iam sure it has been obtained through the correct channels and who probably cares if an oversight has been made regarding what type of visa one has. It's interesting I bought a house myself and was told to notarize my Chinese name so that I could buy the house and open a bank account in that name but on the contract it has both my names and everytime I draw money from my Chinese Bank account they want to see my passport and copy of notarisation so was it really necessary to notarize my name at all.Talk mor e directly to you as I do not want to be accused of saying someone is doing anything illegally when I know they totally believe in what they are doing is correct and there is always some doubt and room for discussion.

To Macdoc: No problem at checkpoint or toll booth.

I advice to buy a GPS if you go in the countryside. Not to much direction road signs. We got one during our 8000km trip this summer and without it we will still be somewhere in North Sichuan.

check at http://blog.bmfbm.com this is my wife's blog. in French!!!