New 144-Hour Visa-Free Policy for Foreign Tour Groups from Hong Kong and Macao Entering Hainan

August 7, 2024 Posted by China Briefing Written by Qian Zhou Reading Time: 3 minutes

Effective July 30, 2024, a new 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao entering Hainan has been introduced by the National Immigration Administration. This policy is broader in scope than Hainan’s 30-day visa-free policy and is expected to boost Hainan’s tourism and enhance regional cooperation.

To further promote the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) and enhance international tourism exchange and cooperation, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) officially announced the implementation of a 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao entering Hainan (hereinafter, “144-hour visa-free policy for Hainan”), effective from July 30, 2024. This policy aims to attract more international tourists to Hainan, enhance its global reputation and tourism competitiveness, and strengthen economic and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong, Macao, and Hainan.

What are the key points of the 144-hour visa-free policy for Hainan?

Key points of the 144-hour visa-free policy for Hainan are summarized below:

Key points	Detailed description
Implementation date	From July 30, 2024
Applicable scope	Citizens of countries with diplomatic relations with China, holding ordinary passports
Entry conditions	The applicant will travel to Hainan from Hong Kong or Macao SAR in a tourist group organized by a travel agency that is legally registered in any of the two SARs and consists of at least two persons.
Visa-free duration	Stay not exceeding 144 hours (calculated from 00:00 the day after entry)
Entry and exit ports	All open ports in Hainan Province
Activity scope	Administrative region of Hainan Province
Special requirements	Must enter and exit as a group Those meeting visa-free agreements or other government visa-free policies with China can follow those regulations

What is the expected impact of this 144-hour visa-free policy for Hainan?

This policy will directly increase the number of international tourists to Hainan, especially foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao. With the increase in international tourist flow, Hainan’s accommodation, dining, shopping, entertainment, and other tourism-related industries will see new development opportunities, further promoting the prosperity of Hainan’s tourism industry. This will expand Hainan’s influence in the international tourism market and enhance its reputation and prestige.

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At the same time, the implementation of this policy will promote exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong, Macao, and Hainan in tourism, economy, and culture, thereby advancing regional integration. The Hong Kong SAR Government welcomed the 144-hour visa-free policy for Hainan, stating that this policy will further integrate the tourism markets of the two regions and inject vitality into tourism cooperation between Hong Kong and Hainan. The spokesperson for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government stated that the SAR Government will communicate and coordinate with relevant departments in Hainan to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy.

By attracting more international tourists to Hainan, this policy will help optimize Hainan’s business environment, attract more international enterprises and talents to settle in Hainan and promote the construction of the Hainan FTP to a higher level.

This policy is an important attempt by the NIA in the institutional opening of immigration management. It is expected to further optimize and improve regional visa-free policies in the future, providing more convenience and support for foreigners coming to China.

Can I enter Hainan through other visa-free policies？

Yes, Hainan also offers a 30-day visa-free policy for citizens of 59 countries for certain purposes.

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Citizens of 59 countries are eligible for 30 days of visa-free travel to the province of Hainan for purposes such as business, visiting, family reunions, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports competitions, and other needs (excluding long-term working and studying). Eligible travelers are free to travel around the whole province of Hainan and can travel from Hong Kong or any other place outside Mainland China with a direct flight to the island. This visa-free access will count the 30-day duration from 00:00 the day following the entry date.

This policy was previously only applicable to tour groups but was expanded to individual travel as well on March 15, 2023. On February 9, 2024, the 30-day visa-free travel to the province of Hainan was expanded again to include more allowed purposes of entry.

The 59 eligible countries are Russia, the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Ukraine, Italy, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, UAE, Qatar, Monaco, and Belarus.

The 144-hour visa-free travel policy for Hainan is an important addition to the 30-day visa-free policy, as it applies to citizens from more countries.

For more information about China’s visa-free policy, please read our China Briefing article here, which is regularly updated.