Hainan visa-free entry: 30 days on the island
Hainan is China’s tropical island province — beaches, duty-free shopping and resort infrastructure — and it runs its own visa-free scheme, separate from the national one.
For travellers whose passport is not on the 30-day national list, Hainan is often the easiest way into China. For travellers who want to see Beijing and Xi’an too, it is the wrong tool.
Who qualifies
Nationals of 61 countries can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days with an ordinary passport. Once bilateral and unilateral agreements are counted, nationals of 88 countries can currently enter the island visa-free.
Eligible purposes are tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions and sports. Work and study are excluded.
The one rule people get wrong
The Hainan scheme is territorially limited to Hainan Province. You cannot land in Sanya, spend a week on the beach and then fly to Shanghai on the same entry.
If you want to continue to the mainland, you need a policy that permits it — either the 30-day national visa-free entry or a visa.
Flying Hainan → mainland China on a Hainan visa-free entry is an immigration violation, not a grey area. Plan the island as a standalone trip.
How to arrive
- Fly into Haikou Meilan or Sanya Phoenix — both are open ports for the scheme.
- The scheme also covers arrival by sea at Hainan’s open ports.
- Have your return or onward ticket out of Hainan, plus your first hotel booking.
Why Hainan is worth considering anyway
- Duty-free shopping allowances that are far more generous than the mainland.
- Resort infrastructure built for domestic tourism, with English support at major hotels.
- A visa route that does not depend on your itinerary being a transit.
- Warm weather in the European winter, when most of China is cold.
Hainan versus the national 30-day policy
| National 30-day | Hainan 30-day | |
|---|---|---|
| Countries covered | 50 | 61 (88 including other agreements) |
| Where you can travel | Anywhere in China | Hainan Province only |
| Route requirement | None | None |
| Best for | A multi-city China trip | A beach or resort trip |
Frequently asked
Can I go to mainland China after entering Hainan visa-free?+
No. The Hainan scheme is limited to Hainan Province. To continue to the mainland you would need a visa or a policy that covers the whole country.
Does the Hainan policy apply to US citizens?+
Yes. The United States is on the Hainan list, so US passport holders can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days even though there is no nationwide 30-day visa-free entry for US passports.
Can I fly into Hainan and out from a different Hainan airport?+
Yes — the restriction is provincial, not airport-specific. Arriving in Haikou and leaving from Sanya is normal.
Check your own passport
The guides explain the rules. The checker applies them to your nationality and shows the exact date your policy runs to.
Visa rules by nationality
The 30-day visa-free policy covers 18+ of these nationalities. Pick yours:
Read next
Do you need a visa for China?
Short answer: most travellers from Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea and Brazil do not need a visa for a trip of up to 30 days in 2026. Here is how to check in under a minute.
Which countries can enter China visa-free in 2026?
The full 2026 list: 50 countries with 30-day visa-free entry, 57 countries eligible for 240-hour transit, and 61 countries for Hainan. Check your passport against all three.
China’s 240-hour visa-free transit, explained
Ten days in China without a visa, if your itinerary is A → China → B. Here are the exact rules on tickets, ports, stay areas and what counts as transit.
This guide is compiled from publications by China’s National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese visa application centres. Entry decisions rest with the border inspection authority. Confirm your own case with your airline and the nearest Chinese embassy before booking.