What are the traffic restrictions for out-of-town vehicles entering Beijing?
2 Answers
The traffic restrictions for out-of-town vehicles entering Beijing are as follows: 1. During weekday morning and evening peak hours, from 7:00 to 9:00 and from 17:00 to 20:00, driving on the main roads, auxiliary roads, and roads within the Fifth Ring Road is prohibited; 2. From 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays, vehicles must comply with the city's tail number restriction policy, with the same restricted tail numbers as Beijing-licensed vehicles, and the restricted area includes the main roads, auxiliary roads, and roads within the Fifth Ring Road; 3. The following roads are prohibited for passenger vehicles with license plates (including temporary plates) issued by other provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities: the main road of the Second Ring Road (entire route), Chang'an Avenue and its extension from Xinxing Bridge (excluding) to Guomao Bridge (excluding), the east side road of Tiananmen Square, the west side road of Tiananmen Square, Beichizi Street, Nanchizi Street, Beiheyan Street, Nanheyan Street, Fuyou Street, Beichang Street, Nanchang Street, the west road of the Great Hall of the People, Zhengyi Road, Taijichang Street, Xi'anmen Street (the section between Xisi South Street and Fuyou Street), Wenjin Street, Jingshan Front Street, Wusi Street (from Beichizi Street to Donghuangchenggen North Street), Di'anmen Inner Street, Jingshan Back Street, Jingshan West Street, Jingshan East Street, and the west branch of Xishiku Street (from Xishiku Street to Xi'anmen Street); 4. The eastern section of Lingjing Hutong (from Fuyou Street to Xihuangchenggen South Street) is prohibited for motor vehicles with license plates (including temporary plates) issued by other provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities.
I often drive to Beijing and know that non-local vehicles need to apply for a Beijing Entry Permit before entering the city. Nowadays, you can directly apply for the electronic version via a mobile app. Remember to do it in advance, otherwise, you'll have to queue at the inspection station. Each permit is valid for 7 days, but you can only apply up to 12 times a year. Avoid driving within the 5th Ring Road during weekday rush hours—7-9 AM and 5-8 PM—or you'll face fines and penalty points. Also, from Monday to Friday, there are tail number restrictions based on the last digit of your license plate, same as local vehicles. For example, Monday restricts 1 and 6. If you can't remember, check the Beijing Traffic Police website. Non-local vehicles are banned from the main roads of the 2nd Ring Road at all times. Chang'an Avenue allows passage from 10 PM to 6 AM but is restricted at other times. Planning your route with navigation to avoid restricted areas is the easiest way to go.
