Certain nationalities get visa free access to Hainan if they are part of an organised tour.

See …sanya.gov.cn/html/200812/t20081204_102.shtml

No, you do not. Hainan Island was designated a special "International Tourism Island" in April of 2009. You can get a 15 day tourist Visa upon arrival on the Island in the airport. Your tour company should manage this for you. Ask them...

Here is an article with more details:

Hainan: Visa Free for Foreign Tourists with Duration of 15 Days

Ratified by the Ministry of Public Security, the provincial government of Hainan has lately issued a preferential policy granting visa exemption to tourists holding private passports from 21 countries to make tours in Hainan with duration of 15 days.

According to the policy, foreign tour groups consisting of no less than five persons can make their entry into Hainan only by filling in a group namelist instead of individual registration form of entry and exit.

The regulation is currently applied to citizens holding private passports from Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Germany, the UK, France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, these citizens must be members of a tour group organized by international travel services in Hainan, whose registrations have been approved by the National Tourism Administration, and their travel may not exceed the time limit of 15 days, including the time spent for entry and exit. However, foreign journalists are not entitled to enjoy the preference.

The regulation has it that the travel agencies hosting the tour groups must submit the namelist of tourists to Hainan to the related frontier inspection stations and public security departments respectively at least 24 hours prior to the group's entry at the port. Agency staff must go with the approved namelist to meet the tour group at the port. Deduction of tourists, but no permission for replacement or addition of persons in a tour group is allowed.

Hi mdsfluke,

Please see the following page for Hainan visa information.

tripadvisor.com/Travel-g297423-c116639/Haina…

The bototm line is that you do not need to pre-apply for a visa nor be part of a group of 5 or more people.

Excellent post with the updated information...You see everyone, Hainan Island is slowly but surely working it's way up to international tourism status.

Add to this there are more and more direct flights. Kudos to everyone who travelled here in the past, but come back and see how we've changed!!

I wonder how well know this regulation is with airlines and immigration officials. What will happen if I book my flight to Sanya, and then I am refused boarding because I haven't got a Chinese visa? If I do get to Sanya, what kind of visa do I get on arrival - a sticker or a chop or both? If I depart China using another crossing, such as Shenzhen to Hong Kong, will this visa be recognised as a valid one, or will it cause me trouble with immigration leading to lots of phone calls being made to find out whether it is valid?

international tourism? - if they were serious they would remove the need to travel with authorised tour group.

you guys just don't get it do you...

do chinese nationals need a visa to go to indonesia for some fantastic beaches... NO.

so your effort if feeble and fake.

Thank you to HainanFeilipu and BoaoInn for your information. In 2008 I travelled to Sanya on Superstar Virgo and we needed a visa then. In 2010 I will visit again on Legend of the Seas and Royal Caribbean don't get involved with visas. I thought I would do it myself this time and have been scanning the China web sites for information and I thought I would just have a quick look at the Sanya forum. I should have come here first.

As with drumbrake I share their concerns that this information may not have filtered down to the "foot slogers" on the front lines. It would be nice to hear from someone who has actually entered since April 2009.

Thanks again

John

thanks