In recent years, many Hong Kong residents relocating to the Mainland or looking to bypass the lengthy local driving test waiting times have considered getting a driving licence up north, with Shenzhen being a top choice for many. But how should Hong Kong residents choose a driving school in Shenzhen? Here, Kwiksure provides practical tips on selecting schools and avoiding common driving training pitfalls.
Learning to drive up north in the Mainland has become a growing trend among Hong Kong residents, primarily driven by lower costs and significantly shorter waiting times. In Hong Kong, the entire process—from initial registration to successfully obtaining a driving licence—can easily take over a year, with tuition fees starting at well over HK$10,000. If one unfortunately fails and requires a retest, the expenses escalate accordingly.
In contrast, learning to drive in the Mainland generally costs only a few thousand RMB, drastically reducing expenses. Furthermore, most Mainland driving schools operate their own dedicated training grounds, enabling condensed training schedules. Combined with frequent test dates, learners can successfully obtain their driving licence in just a few months.
The Traffic Police Bureau of the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau publishes a monthly driving school quality ranking online. This list not only discloses the number of training vehicles and certified instructors for each driving school, but most importantly, their pass rates. This significantly enhances transparency across schools and provides high reference value for making an informed choice.
Location convenience is crucial for Hong Kong learners. If the training grounds are far from boundary control points, it not only adds substantial commuting time but can also cause fatigue, negatively affecting learning efficiency. Furthermore, driving schools situated in busy city centres—characterised by heavy traffic and frequent traffic lights—may struggle to deliver uninterrupted long-distance road training, which could adversely impact performance in Subject 3 (on-road driving test).
To cater to Hong Kong learners, some Shenzhen driving schools and training agencies offer dedicated shuttle services, primarily picking up students directly from major border ports to the training facilities. However, it is essential to verify whether these transfer services incur extra charges or are fully included in the driving tuition package.
Check authentic reviews, feedback, and ratings from previous learners using platforms such as Jiakaobaodian.
Mainland passenger vehicle driving licences are categorised into C1 (Manual) and C2 (Automatic). However, each driving school creates its own bespoke package names—such as "Special Discount Class," "Skills Class," or "Worry-Free Class." In many cases, core course contents are largely similar, differing mainly in allocated training hours, student-to-vehicle ratios, and shuttle inclusions. When enrolling, candidates should pay closer attention to instructor quality and transparent breakdown of fees to select the most suitable package.
Pay close attention to what services are included in the course fees. For instance, package courses may only cover minimum training hours, while examination fees, transportation, learning materials, and other incidentals may require additional payment.
Many Hong Kong residents choose to learn driving in Shenzhen during weekends. It is essential to check whether the driving school has an adequate fleet of training vehicles to prevent difficulties in booking practice sessions.
Inquire about refund arrangements prior to enrollment to avoid having no recourse if a refund is needed later. It is highly recommended to explicitly specify the refund terms, conditions, and timeframe in the written agreement.
Some driving schools claiming to be "all-inclusive" may ask students to pay out-of-pocket for expenses outside the package—such as medical examination fees and test booking fees—only to delay reimbursement with various excuses.
Many Mainland driving schools charge a so-called "simulation fee" prior to the formal examination, allowing students to conduct on-site practice inside official test centres. While on-site simulation is originally optional based on personal preference, some driving schools turn it into a mandatory charge, even stating that students who do not pay for simulation will not be allowed to practice.
Understand the scale and operational background of the driving school before signing up. Avoid lesser-known driving schools or unregistered sales agencies to prevent your training from being outsourced to third-party providers, which can severely compromise teaching quality and test outcomes.
If you wish to complain about an individual instructor, you can report it directly to the driving school and request a replacement instructor. If you wish to file a complaint against a driving school, you can call 12328 to report to the road transport administration authority, or dial 12315 to contact China's consumer complaint platform.
|
School Name |
pass rate* |
Fee (RMB) |
Number of coaches |
Number of training vehicles |
Pick-up and drop-off service |
|
84.19 |
3,980 - 6,388 |
50 |
51 |
✓ |
|
|
82.03 |
4,180 - 6,780 |
169 |
205 |
✓ |
|
|
81.23 |
3,680 - 4,980 |
67 |
75 |
✓ |
|
|
80.58 |
2,999 - 5,099 |
827 |
993 |
✓ |
|
|
80.29 |
4,880 - 5,380 |
18 |
17 |
✓ |
*According to the Shenzhen Traffic Police's announcement in July 2026, "Driving school quality ranking "
Visiting the training ground in person allows you to understand the condition of the ground, observe the actual driving lessons, and even learn about other students' experiences and evaluations, thus gaining a more comprehensive understanding.
When signing a contract, you must read it carefully before signing, especially any verbal promises, such as free pick-up and drop-off, one-on-one tutoring, or even any freebies. These must be clearly stated in the contract. Furthermore, do not sign any contracts containing phrases like "no refunds" or "you are solely responsible," as these may hinder your ability to recover funds in case of future disputes.
When you see phrases like "get your driver's license for a thousand dollars" or "super low all-inclusive price," you should be very careful, as it likely means there will be more hidden fees, such as the simulation fee and exam fee mentioned above.
You can make an appointment through the "Online Appointment for Vehicle and Driver Management Services" website set up by the "Online Shenzhen Traffic Police Station" of the "Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau Traffic Management Bureau".
Common pitfalls in Shenzhen driving schools include hidden fees, such as simulation fees and exam fees, difficulty in booking training vehicles, and failure to fulfill verbal promises.
In addition to referring to the monthly driving school quality rankings published by the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau Traffic Management Bureau, Yi Shi also uses platforms such as Driving Test Encyclopedia to check other students' real reviews and scores in order to avoid patronizing "illegal driving schools".
Kwiksure has over 20 years of experience in the car insurance industry, comparing quotes from over 60 insurers in Hong Kong. Use our online quotation tool now to get a free car insurance quote!
The above information is for reference only. Kwiksure takes no responsibility for the accuracy and timeliness of the information. For the coverage, mode of compensation, benefit limit and premium levels of any specific insurance plan, please refer to the relevant policy terms.
Eric is a content creator for Kwiksure, responsible for writing articles on various topics such as cars, travel, domestic helpers, etc., striving to provide readers with detailed and practical information.
With over 20 years of experience in the media industry and driving, Eric has worked for several newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets. Apart from his passion for writing, he also enjoys the pleasure that driving brings. On average, he drives over 40,000 kilometers per year.
Subscribe Now
