Hainan Island China Visa Waiver, Hainan Visa Free Policy & Procedures
On March 26, 2020, the Chinese Government announced the following policy which suspended any foreign nationals holding visas or residence permits to enter China:
In view of the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the world, China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry into China by foreign nationals holding visas or residence permits still valid to the time of this announcement, effective from 0 a.m., 28 march 2020. Entry by foreign nationals with APEC Business Travel Cards will be suspended as well. Policies including port visas, 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy, Hainan 30-day visa-free policy, 15-day visa-free policy specified for foreign cruise-group-tour through Shanghai Port, Guangdong 144-hour visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong or Macao SAR, and Guangxi 15-day visa-free policy specified for foreign tour groups of ASEAN countries will also be temporarily suspended. Entry with diplomatic, service, courtesy of C visas will not be affected. Foreign nationals coming to China for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities or out of emergency humanitarian needs may apply for visas at Chinese embassies or consulates. Entry by foreign nationals with visas issued after this announcement will not be affected.
Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters, and reunion are allowed to enter China from Sept. 23. But Hainan’s 30-day Visa Free-policy is still under suspension.
About Hainan Visa Waiver:
Based on Hainan Island China, we are a registered travel agency/tour operator to process Hainan Island Visa Waiver or Hainan Visa-Free/Hainan 30-day visa-free for travelers from 59 countries. We have got hundreds of emails about Hainan Island Visa Waiver Policy/Hainan 30-day visa-free, and some guests were rejected at Sanya or Haikou Airport as they just showed up with their passports. Visa Waiver or Visa-free doesn’t mean that travelers from the following 59 countries can show up with their passports, but they should apply for a visa waiver through a Hainan Registered Travel Agency including www.sunnyhainan.com.
To benefit from this policy, tourist(s) must book their travel schedule with qualified travel agencies or tour operators in Hainan Island like Hainan Joy Tours & Travel Service Limited, the owner of www.sunnyhainan.com.
If you are visiting Mainland China as part of your international plan, please check out China’s New Policy: 72 or 144 hours Transit Visa-Free Guide
Steps on how to apply for a visa waiver to Hainan Island China
A: What documents are requested to apply for a visa waiver?
- Passports copies of all passengers from the following countries:
- Schengen Area 25 CountriesAustria, France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia.More European outside Schengen Area 15 CountriesRussia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Monaco, Belarus.From America and South America 6 CountriesUnited States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile
From Oceania 2 Countries
Australia and New Zealand
From Asia and Middle East 11 Countries
South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
- Your round-trip flight bookings
Make sure you book a direct flight to Hainan Island either to Haikou or Sanya airport from overseas including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If you book a transit flight via any city in mainland China, then you must apply for a China visa in advance. It is the same for your return flight, must fly out from Haikou or Sanya Airport to overseas including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, not by transit flight via any city on Mainland China.
Cruise visitors to Hainan Island can also apply for a visa waiver with a local tour operator for day tours on Hainan Island, the terminals include Haikou Xiuying Pier & Sanya Phoenix Island International Cruise terminal.
- Your hotel booking information
Please email us your booking information with travel dates and addresses. Or please let us know your preferred hotel, we will make a booking for you. Our rates are always better than direct bookings.
If you stay in a family house or a friend place, we need to have their address in Chinese and local contact person with a phone number. And you must register at a local police office within 24 hours upon arrival.
Traveling to Mainland China with Visa Waiver Policy:
Please note visitors entering Hainan Island with visa waiver policy are not allowed to travel to Mainland China.
There is no request on a number of travelers, so a single traveler can also enter Hainan Island with visa waiver while booking his/her stay with the authorized local tour operator like Hainan Joy Tours & Travel Service Limited, the owner of www.sunnyhainan.com.
Common mistakes on Hainan Visa Waiver Application
Frequently Asked Questions on Hainan Visa Waiver Policy
Question: Can I just show up with my passport after booking my hotel & flight on my own?
Answer: No, the visa waiver doesn’t mean you can just show up with your passport. It is your local tour operator/travel agency who applies for you in the local immigration system.
Question: What documents must I have to apply a Hainan Visa Waiver?
Answer: your passport copy, your flight bookings, and your hotel information.
Question: Can I visit Mainland China if I enter Hainan Island under a visa waiver.
Answer: NO, not possible. And you can’t apply a visa to visit Mainland China with your visa waiver.
Question: Can I stay in a friend’s house/apartment, or I must stay in a hotel?
Answer: Yes. And you need to tell your local tour operator the address in Chinese, and local contact with a phone number. You must register in a local police office with your passports within 24 hours upon arrival.
Question: How much shall I pay for the visa waiver?
Answer: You pay service charge with your tour package including hotels, airport transfers & local tours to your local tour operator/travel agency. No agency is allowed to process your visa waiver if you don’t book your tour services with an authorized local agency.
Question: Can I ask for a visa waiver from a local tour operator if I have booked all my flights & hotels?
Answer: It is possible, if your hotel is non-refundable. But you must book airport roundtrip transfers with your local tour operator to have the visa waiver service from them. And you need to email them all your booking information to double-check that you have booked the right flights.
Question: Can I come alone or do I have to join a group?
Answer: Yes, you can come alone, no request to join a group.
Question: When should I apply?
Answer: Your local tour operator should apply at least 48 hours in advance, so you have to plan at least 3 days in advance so as to have enough time to discuss the details of your travel plan with your local tour operator.
Question: Can I change my travel plan after my agency confirm my visa waiver?
Answer: yes, possible to change your arrival, departure date, flight details, and hotel information, but you must tell your local tour operator min. 48 hours before your flight arrival time.
Question: How can I know that I have the visa waiver service?
Answer: Once you arrange your schedule with Hainan registered travel agency www.sunnyhainan.com, they will email you 2 forms in Chinese only with your passport details, and flight information.
A sample is found below:
Question: What to do after I get the visa waiver?
Please print out the visa waiver forms and keep them with your hotel & flight bookings. You may need to present them for flight check-in. Upon arrival at Sanya or Haikou Airport, no documents are requested for immigration, you just go through the immigration counter with your passports. On departure day, no documents are requested from your side.
PLEASE NOTE the following after you get your visa waiver:
- NEVER travel to Mainland China with a visa waiver.
- If you need to change your travel plan before arrival or during your stay, please let us know min. 48 hours in advance.
- You must register with your hotel upon check-in as per the visa waiver policy.
- If you stay in a local house, you must register with the local police office within 24 hours upon arrival.
Question: Is my Visa for China valid for Hainan Island?
Answer: Yes. Hainan Island is part of China, so your China is also valid for Hainan Island. For example, you got a single entry visa to China and entered China via Beijing. From Beijing, you could fly to Hainan Island, with your China visa. After your Hainan trip, you are ok to travel back to Mainland China, no ask for a visa.
Question: Can I apply for Landing Visa/Visa on Arrival to Hainan Island?
Answer: Landing Visa/Visa on Arrival to Hainan is case by case. The first challenge is from your departure airport. All the airlines are requested to check the passenger’s visa before flight check-in. So if you don’t have visa for China, the airlines may not let you check in the flight. Even if you can check in the flight without visa to China, upon arrival at Sanya or Haikou Airport, there is still possible that your application rejected by the airport visa officer, and he/she will never let you know why. And it happened already a few times. So it is best to have a visa for China to visit Hainan Island, or have your visa waiver confirmed with a local travel agency in advance to reduce the risk and costs.
