Hainan 30-day visa-free entry: how it works
Citizens of 61 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany and France, can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business or family visits. Since February 9, 2024 you don't need a travel agency or any pre-registration. Two catches: your first entry into China must be at a Hainan airport or seaport, and you can't leave Hainan for other provinces.
On this page
Hainan has its own visa-free policy for 61 countries. It's separate from China's nationwide visa-free rules, and it matters most for travelers whose country isn't on the nationwide list, such as the United States.
The rules
| Hainan visa-free entry | |
|---|---|
| Who | Ordinary passport holders from these 61 countries:Europe (40)Russia, UK, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus Americas (6)United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile Oceania (2)Australia, New Zealand Asia (13)South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Vietnam, KyrgyzstanVietnam and Kyrgyzstan were added on August 20, 2026. |
| Purpose | Tourism, business, visiting family, medical treatment, conferences, sports events. Not work or study |
| How long | Up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 the day after you arrive |
| Where | Anywhere in Hainan Province. Not the rest of China |
| Where to enter | A Hainan port: Haikou Meilan, Sanya Phoenix or Qionghai Boao airport, or the seaports of Haikou, Sanya, Yangpu, Qinglan and Basuo |
| Paperwork | None in advance. Border officers check you on arrival |
Is your country on China's nationwide visa-free list?
Many countries, including most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea (and the UK and Canada since February 17, 2026), can also enter anywhere in China visa-free for up to 30 days per visit (currently confirmed until December 31, 2026). If that applies to you, you can use it instead: it lets you fly in through Shanghai or Guangzhou and visit other provinces.
The US is not on the nationwide list. For Americans, Hainan's policy is the main way to visit China without a visa.
Not on the 61-country list?
There's one more option: go to Hong Kong or Macau first and join a tour group (2 or more people) run by a travel agency registered there. The group can enter Hainan visa-free for 144 hours (6 days). The group must enter and leave together and stay in Hainan. This started on July 30, 2024 and covers ordinary passports of countries that have diplomatic relations with China.
Do I need a travel agency?
No. Many websites still say a Hainan travel agency must register you 48 hours before arrival. That rule is from 2018. Since February 9, 2024, eligible travelers can enter at any Hainan port without pre-registration, after the normal border check.
The mistake that gets people refused
If you rely on Hainan's policy, your first entry into China must be in Hainan. Fly into Shanghai and connect to Sanya, and you go through immigration in Shanghai, where Hainan's policy doesn't apply. Without a visa (or nationwide visa-free entry), you could be refused there.
So make Hainan your first stop in China: fly there nonstop, or connect outside mainland China (for example in Hong Kong) on a last flight that goes straight to Hainan. See flights to Hainan.
What to bring to the border
- Your passport (ideally valid for 6+ months).
- A ticket out of Hainan (your flight home or onward).
- Your hotel booking with the hotel's Chinese address.
- If asked why you're visiting, "tourism" is the answer for most visitors.
You can also fill in the arrival card online before you fly.
Want to see other parts of China too?
Hainan's policy keeps you on the island. To also visit Beijing, Shanghai or Xi'an, you need nationwide visa-free entry (if your country has it), a Chinese tourist visa, or 240-hour visa-free transit if you're flying on to a third country.
Need more than 30 days, or need to leave Hainan? Apply to the Hainan public security exit-entry office before your 30 days run out.
Rules change. Check the latest with the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country, or the National Immigration Administration hotline (+86 12367), before you book.
Sources: China Daily on the 144-hour visa-free entry to Hainan for tour groups from Hong Kong and Macau (NIA notice, July 30, 2024); National Immigration Administration notice No. 4 of 2026 adding Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan; Chinese embassy notices on Hainan's visa-free policy (2024 expansion, no pre-registration; ports and stay area).