China

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Business Registration Required: the Universal Requirement

Yes. Registration with the local Administration for Market Regulation (AMR), with a business scope (经营范围) that explicitly includes moving services (搬家) or a closely related category. This is the one requirement that applies to every moving/relocation service company in China, regardless of whether it directly operates goods vehicles itself.

Road Transport Business License: Required Only for the Party Operating the Vehicle

Required where the mover operates its own goods vehicles, and this is a genuinely important distinction. A Road Transport Business License is required for whichever party physically operates the goods vehicle used in a move. For local, intra-city moves, this is typically the moving company itself, since local moves generally require the mover to use its own vehicles for loading and transport. For long-distance domestic moves, however, the moving company more typically packs, loads, and inventories the shipment into a vehicle operated by a separately-licensed trucking company, much as an international mover packs and loads into a shipping container owned and operated by a carrier, without itself holding the carrier’s own operating licence. In this scenario, the trucking company holds the Road Transport Business License, not the moving company. China’s domestic long-haul trucking market is dominated by a small number of major general-freight carriers that are not household-goods specialists, so a full-service mover offering long-distance domestic relocation would typically be expected to hold this licence only if it also operates its own long-haul fleet directly. Most do not.

A Further Exemption Applies for Vehicles at or Under 4,500kg

Yes, and genuinely relevant even for a mover using its own vehicles. Under State Council Decree No. 709 (March 2019), which amended the Regulations on Road Transportation, an ordinary (“普通”) general-cargo vehicle with a total mass of 4,500kg or below can operate commercially without the Road Transport Business License, the associated Vehicle Operation Certificate, or the driver’s professional qualification exam. A box truck in this weight class can carry roughly the equivalent of a 20-foot container’s worth of cargo, so this exemption is genuinely relevant even to an otherwise full-service mover using this vehicle class for local moves, not just to very small operators. This exemption is worth applying carefully rather than treating as a blanket rule: enforcement guidance has specifically warned that not every vehicle under 4,500kg qualifies, since the exemption is tied to “ordinary general cargo” vehicle use. A specialized vehicle (for example, a refrigerated van) performing transport business may still require the licence regardless of weight. Whether a specific vehicle qualifies should be confirmed directly with the local transport authority.

Explicit Coverage of Moving Services

Yes. “搬家运输” (moving transport) is explicitly named as one of the licensed categories under the Road Transport Business License framework, alongside general freight, specialized transport, and others, comparable to how France names “déménagement” as its own category. This matters for whichever party (the mover itself, for local moves, or the subcontracted trucking company, for long-distance moves) actually needs to hold the licence.

Where the License Is Obtained

Locally, but by national standard. For whichever party needs to hold it (see above), the licence is issued by the county or city-level transport authority where that company’s business is registered, applying a nationally uniform legal standard set by the Ministry of Transport, rather than varying substantively province to province.

Driver Qualification Required

Yes, for whichever party operates the vehicle. Drivers need a Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate (道路运输从业资格证), obtained by examination through the local transport authority, in addition to an appropriate driving licence. This applies to the mover’s own drivers for local moves, or to the subcontracted trucking company’s drivers for long-distance domestic moves.

Safety Management System Required for Licensed Operators

Yes, for operators holding the Road Transport Business License. Licensed operators must maintain a documented safety management system, covering safety responsibility, operating procedures, supervision and inspection, and driver/vehicle safety management.

GPS/Satellite Monitoring for Larger Fleets

Yes, above a fleet-size threshold. Operators with 50 or more heavy trucks (12 tonnes or above) or tractor units must build or subscribe to a satellite-positioning monitoring platform for their fleet, with dedicated monitoring staff.

License Validity & Renewal

4 years. The Road Transport Business License has a legal validity of 4 years; renewal must be initiated 30 to 90 days before expiry, and licensed operators and their vehicles undergo an annual review (年审) covering vehicle inspection, personnel qualification, and safety-system compliance.

Consumer Contract Rules

Yes, general rather than moving-specific. A moving contract is treated as a category of freight/cargo transport contract (货运合同) under the Civil Code (民法典). The Consumer Rights Protection Law provides general consumer protections, and Civil Code Article 497 addresses unfair standard-form contract terms specifically, which is relevant given how often moving-contract disputes involve exactly this kind of clause.

Industry Association

None dedicated. There is no national Chinese moving-industry trade association comparable to AMÖ, BAR, or the Chambre Syndicale du Déménagement. Consumer complaints and mediation run through the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会), the 12315 hotline, and local market regulation bureaus, rather than an industry self-regulatory body.

OverviewOverview & Scope

China’s core, universal requirement for any moving/relocation service company is business registration with the local AMR, with a business scope that explicitly covers moving services (搬家). Whether the company additionally needs a Road Transport Business License depends on whether it itself operates the goods vehicle used in a given move, a distinction worth understanding clearly, since it differs by service type. For local, intra-city moves, the mover typically uses its own vehicles and would need this licence directly, unless the vehicle qualifies for the separate 4,500kg exemption. For long-distance domestic moves, the mover more typically packs and loads the shipment into a vehicle operated by a separately-licensed general trucking company (China’s domestic long-haul freight market is dominated by a handful of major carriers that don’t specialize in household goods), much as an international mover packs and loads into a shipping container it doesn’t own or operate. In that scenario, the trucking company (not the moving company) holds the Road Transport Business License, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires. A moving company that also operates its own long-haul fleet directly is the exception rather than the rule. On the consumer side, moving contracts are treated as a form of freight transport contract under the Civil Code rather than having a dedicated statute, with general consumer protection law and unfair-contract-terms provisions doing the work that a moving-specific statute does in Germany.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing

1. Register the business with the local AMR, ensuring the registered business scope explicitly includes moving services (搬家) or a closely related category. This is required regardless of the service type offered.

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

2. Apply for the Road Transport Business License through the local (county/city-level) transport authority if the company itself operates goods vehicles for the moves it performs, unless every such vehicle qualifies for the 4,500kg ordinary general-cargo exemption under State Council Decree No. 709 (confirm each vehicle’s status with the local transport authority). Meet the national vehicle, personnel, and safety-management-system requirements.
3. Renew the Road Transport Business License before its 4-year term expires, initiating renewal 30 to 90 days ahead, and complete the required annual review.
4. Ensure drivers hold a Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate, obtained by examination, in addition to an appropriate driving licence, for vehicles not covered by the exemption.
5. Maintain a documented safety management system, covering safety responsibility, operating procedures, and supervision, if holding the Road Transport Business License.
6. Build or subscribe to a satellite-positioning monitoring platform, with dedicated monitoring staff, if operating 50 or more heavy trucks (12 tonnes or above) directly.

Subcontracted transport

7. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

8. Provide moving contracts that comply with Civil Code and Consumer Rights Protection Law requirements, including the Civil Code Article 497 rules on unfair standard-form terms.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• AMR business registration completed, with a business scope that includes moving services (搬家) or a closely related categoryVerified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Road Transport Business License held, renewed before its 4-year expiryWhere applicable (mover operates its own goods vehicles not covered by the 4,500kg ordinary general-cargo exemption)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Annual review (年审) completedWhere applicable (mover holds the Road Transport Business License)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Drivers hold a Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate and an appropriate driving licenceWhere applicable (mover operates its own goods vehicles not covered by the exemption)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Documented safety management system in placeWhere applicable (mover holds the Road Transport Business License)Verified by AffirmationRequired
• Satellite-positioning monitoring platform in place, with dedicated monitoring staffWhere applicable (mover operates 50 or more heavy trucks of 12 tonnes or above, or tractor units)Verified by AffirmationRequired

Customer practices

• Moving contract terms comply with the Civil Code (including Article 497 on standard-form terms) and the Consumer Rights Protection LawVerified by AffirmationRequired