Documents for a Licence Conversion: What Must Be Done at Home and What Only Works Here

Four boxes, sorted by where a document is produced

Sort what conversion needs by place and issuer:

• Box one: obtainable only in China, carried over. Proof relating to the original licence sits here.
• Box two: obtainable in either place, but with different acceptance. Translations mostly land here, and choosing the wrong route means redoing it.
• Box three: obtainable only in the Philippines. The medical, the online account, the booking — anything bound to the local system.
• Box four: things you already hold but must verify. Passport, visa or residence document, and the pages showing lawful presence.

A plain checklist tends to lose box one, because it needs doing before departure — when you have not yet started reading about licences.

Box one: finish these before you leave

The central item is a credible English presentation of the original licence. Counters here read English, so your Chinese licence needs an accepted English version or proof. The route differs completely depending on which country you start in, and getting the direction wrong guarantees a wasted trip — see which end to authenticate Chinese documents.

3 small things worth doing at the same time: photograph both sides of the licence and your passport bio page for emergencies; confirm the name spelling matches your passport, with mismatches handled in name mismatch between licence and passport; and confirm the licence has enough validity left — renewing at home beats being stuck between two systems later.

Box three: only here, and doing it early wastes it

The medical must be completed at a locally accredited provider with the result reaching the system; a report from home does not substitute. It also carries a shelf life, so doing it far ahead wastes it — see the licensing medical.

The online account and booking likewise exist only in the local system. The account can be created early; the booking should wait until documents are substantially complete — see registering on LTMS.

Proof of your immigration status also only takes shape after arrival: you can evidence a current state, not a pre-departure plan.

The worst case is landing and finding one item can only be done back home. Ten minutes before departure is the cheapest check you will make. → Have Yixing run your pre-departure list

Pre-departure self-check: whatever you cannot answer is your gap

Do not memorise a list. Answer these 6 questions:

• How much validity is left on my licence, and does it outlast my planned stay?
• Does the name spelling match my passport bio page exactly?
• Which route am I using for the English presentation, and who issues it?
• Which vehicle classes does my licence cover, and is that what I intend to drive?
• What status will I hold after arrival, and does the remaining validity clear the conversion threshold?
• Have I photographed and stored the licence and passport?

Questions 3 and 5 are the ones most people cannot answer — and they are exactly the two that decide whether a trip is wasted. Sequencing is in the order of the conversion steps.

Scope: this page covers where documents are produced. Fees, processing days and office addresses are whatever LTO currently publishes.