Chinese Visa for Hainan - You Probably Don't Need One

Hainan, China's largest tropical island, is blessed with a comfortable climate, sunny weather, gold-sand beaches, blue seas, and delicious seafood and fruit. The government is offering very convenient visa-free entry and visa-on-arrival policies that make it easy for tourists from around the world to travel to Hainan and other cities of Mainland China.

Hainan Visa-Free Entry for 59 countries

The visa-free policy has been extended to citizens of 59 countries since May 1, 2018. Citizens from these countries can enter Hainan without a Chinese visa and stay for up to 30 days.

Q: Who is eligible for Hainan 30-day visa-free entry?

A: Passport holders from the 59 countries are eligible for visa-free entry, including the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Q: How to apply for Hainan 30-day visa-free entry?

A: You must register with an authorized Hainan-based travel agency at least 48 hours before your arrival in Hainan. Registration requires passport information, round-trip tickets, hotel bookings, and Hainan travel itinerary. Also, your information must be submitted by Hainan travel agencies to the local Exit & Entry Administration Bureau of Hainan at least 24 hours in advance of your arrival. Therefore, it's best to find a reliable tour operator like Odynovo to help you.

Q: Which ports of entry are designated?

A: Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport.

Q: Can I come alone or must I join a group?

A: You are not required to join groups; you are allowed to come alone but still need to register with a local travel agency in advance.

Q: Can I travel to other parts of China?

A: No, visa-free travelers can only stay in Hainan.

Q: How can I travel to other parts of China when entering Hainan with a Chinese visa waiver?

A: If you want to travel to other parts of China or ask for an extension of stay in Hainan, you must contact an authorized Hainan travel agency to help you apply for a Chinese visa. The visa will be issued within 7 days and you can stay in other cities of mainland China for up to 15 days.

• Documents required to apply for a Chinese visa: the certificate issued by a local travel agency and a valid passport. 

• Visa application locations: Citizens of the 59 visa-free countries staying in Haikou, Sanya, Yangpu, Wenchang, Qionghai, or Chengmai, may apply for a visa at the local Exit & Entry Administration Office. Travelers in other Hainan locations must apply for it at the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Hainan Provincial Public Security Department. 

Tips:

Travelers from the 59 visa-free entry eligible countries may travel from or through Hong Kong or any other place outside mainland China with a direct flight to Hainan. Hainan is continuously opening more and more international air routes. Now travelers from the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, Italy, Russia, Singapore, and some other Asia countries can fly direct or transit to Hainan.

Contact information of Hainan visa offices

Office	Phone Number	Email Address
Exit-Entry Administration Bureau of Hainan Provincial Public Security Department	+86-898-68580612	hainancrj1@163.com
Haikou City Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-31652059	HK68590746@163.com
Sanya City Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-88869902	sanyacrj@163.com
Yangpu Economic Development Zone Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-31559677	yangpucrj@163.com
Qionghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-62896322	qionghaicrj@163.com
Wenchang Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-63235606	hnwccrj@163.com
Chengmai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau	+86-898-67070029	307656239@qq.com

Hainan Visa on Arrival

If you plan to travel to Hainan and then visit other cities in China like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an, why not apply for a visa on arrival? Besides the visa-free policy, Hainan also offers a visa on arrival (or landing visa) in Sanya and Haikou, which releases you from the hassle of preparing complicated visa application documents.

Q: Who is eligible for the Hainan landing visa?

A: Citizens of most countries like the UK, the United States, Australia, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and so on.

Q: How to apply for a visa on arrival in Hainan?

A: When you arrive at Haikou Meilan International Airport or Sanya Phoenix International Airport, just provide the VOA office with your valid passport, one 2-inch color photo (on-site photography service available), and a visa fee (CNY168-1000 based on a reciprocal basis). The visa will be issued within 5 to 10 minutes for each person.

Q: Can I come alone or must I join a group?

A: You are not required to join groups; you are allowed to come alone.

Q: Can I travel to other parts of China?

A: Yes, you can stay in Hainan or any part of mainland China for up to 15 days and leave from any port open to foreigners. You can fly direct to most major cities of China for a visit from Hainan. If needed, you can also apply for an extension of your stay.

Tips:

• Most applicants can easily get a landing visa, but not all applicants are guaranteed to obtain it.

• The domestic and international departure terminals of Haikou Meilan Airport are 1 km away from each other. If you need to go to other Chinese cities after getting the landing visa, you can take the yellow free shuttle bus to the domestic departure terminal every 20 minutes. Sanya Phoenix Airport is small. It just takes a few minutes on foot to transit between two terminals.

Contact information of visa offices in Hainan airports

Haikou Meilan Airport Visa Office Phone Number: +86-898-65751994
Sanya Phoenix Airport Visa Office Phone Number: +86-898-88289566

Legal obligations and liabilities

Travelers must register their accommodation on time.
If you stay in a hotel, the hotel will handle this for you when checking in. If staying at a private residence, you need to register at the local police station within 24 hours.

Differences between Hainan Visa-Free Entry and Visa on Arrival

	Hainan Visa-Free Entry	Visa on Arrival
Eligible nations	59 countries	Most countries
Length of stay	30 days	15 days
Is the travel agency involved?	Yes	No
Areas allowed to stay	Hainan	Mainland China (Tibet travel permit is also required for traveling to Tibet)

If you like to explore the mysteries of China but don't want to spend much time on a Chinese visa, then applying for a visa on arrival is a better choice. Please feel free to contact Odynovo if you have any questions about visas or travel.