Foreign tour groups traveling to Hainan from Hong Kong and Macau are now eligible for the 144-hour visa-free policy.
China’s National Immigration Administration revealed that this visa-free policy has been effective since July 30 of this year.
According to the authority, holders of ordinary passports from countries eligible for six-day visa-free transit can join groups organized by local travel agencies in the SARs to go to Hainan, VisaGuide.World reports.
However, travelers must keep in mind that they are not allowed to continue to other provinces
Category of Foreign Visitors Subject to Hainan’s 144-Hour Visa-Free Stay Policy
Despite the rules being eased, the new measure only includes the foreign visitors who are:
- citizens of countries that have established diplomatic relations with China
- holding ordinary passports
- entering Hainan as a tour group (with at least two people) organized by a travel agent registered in Hong Kong or Macao
The entry ports include all those established by our country in Hainan province that are open externally. The tour groups must enter and exit collectively, and their activities are limited to the administrative area of Hainan province. The stay time starts from the day following their entry.
Recently, China decided to grant visa-free access to foreign tour groups arriving via cruise ships as part of its ongoing efforts to attract more international visitors and boost the inbound travel sector. Following the new move, tourists can stay in China for up to 15 days. In addition, China’s Ministry of Transport data show that during the first quarter of this year, China recorded over 190,000 cruise passenger trips.
China Extends Its Visa-Free Transit Policy to 37 Ports
China introduced its first 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit policies in 2013. As of this month, it has been extended to more than three ports bringing the total number to 37.
More than 20 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, have also implemented such policies for citizens of 54 countries, which are as follows:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- The Republic of Korea
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- The United Arab Emirates
- The United Kingdom
- The United States
According to online travel agency Trip.Com Group, the number of trips to Hainan has increased by 84 percent since the beginning of 2024.
The data also reveals that most people choose beach destinations from Hong Kong and Macau, as such trips increased by 60 percent year-on-year. Most foreign tourists are citizens of countries such as Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, and Australia.