Visa-Free Travel to Hainan is Back! Here’s What You Need To Know

By Alistair Baker-Brian

As announced yesterday, Tuesday, March 14, China visas for foreigners are essentially back to normal following restrictions due to COVID-19.

READ MORE: China Visas Back to Normal! 5 Things to Know

In addition, visa-free travel with certain conditions has also been restored, including travel to China’s Hainan province.

According to The People’s Government of Hainan Province, those from the following countries are eligible for visa-free travel to Hainan: 

• Albania
• Argentina
• Australia
• Austria
• Belarus
• Belgium 
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Bulgari
• Canada 
• Chile
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic 
• Denmark
• Estonia 
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Holland
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Indonesia
• Ireland 
• Italy
• Japan
• Kazakhstan 
• Latvia
• Lithuania 
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mexico
• Monaco
• Montenegro 
• Norway
• Philippines
• Poland 
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania 
• Russia
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovakia 
• Slovenia 
• Spain
• South Korea
• Sweden 
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• United Arab Emirates
• United States
• New Zealand 
• United Kingdom 
• Ukraine 

Those who intend to travel visa-free to Hainan must: 

• Arrive in Hainan via a flight from anywhere outside of the Chinese mainland
• Stay no longer than 30 days
• Register with a Hainan travel agency before arriving (recommended to register at least 48 hours prior to departure) 

Those who wish to travel to other parts of China, or stay longer than 30 days in Hainan, must apply for a visa.

Visiting Hainan

Image via Pixabay

The visa-free policy was launched in 2018, but has been suspended for almost three years due to COVID-19.

Despite being closed to international travelers, Hainan has remained a popular destination for domestic tourists.

As well as soaking in the tropical paradise, especially in the city of Sanya on the southern coast of Hainan island, many travelers also enjoy the province’s many duty-free shopping malls; the world’s largest stand-alone duty-free shopping facility opened in October, 2022 in provincial capital Haikou, reports China Daily.

With domestic tourism in China getting back to normal following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, Hainan saw a total of 6.39 million trips to the island during the Spring Festival holiday, 2023 – a year-on-year increase of 18.2%, according to the province’s Department for Tourism and Culture. 

With visa- and visa-free travel now back to normal, the island can likely expect a big boost from international travelers. 

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[Cover image via Pexels]

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