Before you drive yourself abroad, first confirm whether the local side accepts a Chinese driver's license; most "international driver's licenses" sold online are worthless paper

An "international driver's license" arranged online is not valid in mainland China. That document is a translation mutually recognized among parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention, and mainland China is not among the 103 parties. So whoever arranges it for you inside China, it has no legal effect. Whether you can drive on a Chinese license depends on the destination's own rules. If you have not confirmed that clearly, do not drive.

Cost

No money. Check the destination's rules once before you leave.

Benefit

A so-called "international driver's license" (IDP) is a translation mutually recognized among the parties to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic. That convention was concluded in Geneva on September (9) 19, 1949, and entered into force on March (3) 26, 1952. There are now 103 parties (countries and regions that signed). Mainland China is not on that list. So China does not issue this kind of international driver's license. Any agency that "arranges an international driver's license" inside China produces no legal effect. Whether you can drive on a Chinese license depends on the rules of the destination country or region. Some accept a Chinese license plus a notarized translation, some require you to exchange it for a local license, and some do not accept it at all.

Notes

If the local side does not accept the license you are driving on, the insurance may refuse to pay when something happens, and that is the real cost. This sentence is the author's experience. The policy terms and local law are what decide it. There are 2 ways to check: look up "Information for Chinese citizens" for the destination country on the China Consular Service website, or ask the rental company directly for a written confirmation. Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and some countries have separate arrangements.

Sources · 1

1. United Nations Treaty Collection. Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva, 19 September 1949 — status of treaties. treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetailsV.aspx?src=T…