By applying a protective coating on the surface of fiber reinforced compositescould give them excellent comprehensive performance，improve their usage efficiency andprolong their life. This review firstly introduced the classification，application，and direction of fiber reinforced composites，and lightweight，environmental and intelligence were the future development trends. Then，the classification of surface protective coating for fiber reinforced composites was discussed，focusing on the adhesion enhancement strategies and methods. Moreover，the preparation strategy and application research status of surface protective coatingon fiber reinforced composite in transportation，energy equipment and other fields were discussed. Finally，summarized the existing problems and outlook，it was clear that the waterborne surface protective coating was the general trend，and the development of coatingwill be closely integrated with the performance，cost and environmental protection.