ChinaBuddyHainan, Cruise and Tour-Group Visa-Free Policies
Compare Hainan, cruise and organised tour-group visa-free policies and their geographic and eligibility conditions.
IN THIS GUIDE
Ordinary passports · These schemes trade geographic freedom for wider nationality coverage
If your nationality is not on China's 50-country unilateral list, the regional schemes are where you should look next. They are narrower (one province, one cruise itinerary, one tour group), but they cover passports the main list does not, including the United States, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico and Ukraine for Hainan.
There are six regional policies in force. All of them are geographically limited, several require a tour group organised by a registered travel agency, and none of them permit work or study.
Starting from scratch? Read the pillar guide first.
Hainan 30-day visa-free entry
Ask Buddy ↗The most useful of the regional schemes, because it is the only one that lets an individual traveller stay 30 days without a tour group.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Ordinary-passport nationals of 61 countries (list below) |
| Where | Hainan Province only. You may not continue to the mainland |
| Stay | Up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 the day after entry |
| Purpose | Tourism, business, visits, family visits, medical treatment, conferences and exhibitions, sports competitions |
| Not permitted | Work, study, news reporting |
| Ports | Any open port in Hainan (including Haikou Meilan and Sanya Phoenix airports) |
| Group required? | No, individual travellers qualify |
The 61 countries: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam.
Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026, taking the list from 59 to 61.
The catch that matters most: Hainan is a province, not a gateway. A visitor who enters under this scheme and then flies to Shanghai has left the permitted area, even with days left on the clock.
Cruise tour groups (15 days)
Ask Buddy ↗| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Foreign tourist groups of 2 or more, organised and received by a China-registered travel agency |
| Stay | Up to 15 days |
| Where | Beijing plus 11 coastal provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities: Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Shandong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Zhejiang |
| Ports | 13 cruise ports: Beihai, Dalian, Guangzhou, Haikou, Lianyungang, Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Xiamen, Zhoushan |
| Condition | The group must arrive and depart on the same cruise ship, following the scheduled ports |
This scheme is nationality-agnostic: it depends on the group and the ship, not on the passport list. It is the practical option for cruise passengers who want to go ashore and travel inland for up to two weeks.
ASEAN tour groups to Xishuangbanna and Guilin (6 days)
Ask Buddy ↗Two separate schemes with identical terms, aimed at neighbouring Southeast Asian markets.
| Item | Xishuangbanna | Guilin |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Groups of 2 or more holding ordinary passports from an ASEAN member state, organised and received by a China-registered agency | Same |
| Stay | 6 days | 6 days |
| Where | Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan | Guilin, Guangxi |
| Ports | Xishuangbanna Gasa Int'l Airport; Mohan Railway Port; Mohan Highway Port | Guilin airport |
| Condition | Enter and leave China as part of the group | Same |
ASEAN member states covered: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Hong Kong / Macao tour groups (6 days)
Ask Buddy ↗For travellers who are already in Hong Kong or Macao and want a short mainland add-on without arranging a visa in advance.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who | Foreign nationals holding ordinary passports from countries with diplomatic relations with China, entering Hong Kong or Macao first, then the mainland as a tour group organised by an agency registered in either SAR |
| Stay | Up to 6 days |
| Where (Guangdong) | 10 cities: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Huizhou, Zhaoqing, Shantou |
| Where (Hainan) | Hainan Province |
| Ports | Any exit-entry port in those 10 cities / in Hainan |
| Condition | Enter and exit the mainland as part of the group |
This is the widest scheme by nationality, covering nationals of any country with diplomatic relations with China, but it is also the most restrictive on time and requires a group.
Comparing the regional schemes
Ask Buddy ↗| Hainan 30-day | Cruise groups | ASEAN groups (Xishuangbanna / Guilin) | HK/Macao groups | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationalities | 61 listed countries | Any (group-based) | 10 ASEAN states | Any country with diplomatic relations |
| Individual traveller? | Yes | No, group of 2+ | No, group of 2+ | No, group of 2+ |
| Max stay | 30 days | 15 days | 6 days | 6 days |
| Area | Hainan | Beijing + 11 coastal regions | One prefecture / one city | 10 Guangdong cities, or Hainan |
| Purpose | Tourism, business, visits, medical, MICE, sport | Tourism | Tourism | Tourism |
| Work / study | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Agency required | No | Yes (China-registered) | Yes (China-registered) | Yes (SAR-registered) |
Where a traveller qualifies under both a bilateral agreement and a unilateral or regional policy, the terms of that agreement or policy prevail.
Hainan or 240-hour transit: which one to use
Ask Buddy ↗Travellers from the same country can often choose between the two, so the itinerary decides:
| Hainan 30-day | 240-hour transit | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A single-province holiday, medical trip, conference or sports event | A multi-city trip that passes through China |
| Nationality | 61-country list | 57-country list |
| Group required | No | No |
| Third-country ticket | Not required | Required |
| Where you may go | Hainan only | 24 listed provinces |
| Stay | 30 days | 240 hours |
If the plan is Beijing–Shanghai–Xi'an, transit is the only route that fits. If the plan is a beach and resort trip around Sanya, Hainan is simpler: no onward ticket, no third country, and three times the stay.
Regional conditions, illustrated: check the exact scheme's geographic limits and whether a registered agency or group itinerary is required. The Hainan individual-entry arrangement and the group schemes have different conditions.
Mistakes that end the trip early
Ask Buddy ↗- Leaving the permitted area. Hainan is not a springboard to the mainland; a group itinerary is not a licence to branch off.
- Travelling independently on a group scheme. The group must enter and exit together, and the agency must be registered in the right place.
- Booking a cruise that does not depart on the same ship. The scheme requires arrival and departure by the same vessel, following the scheduled ports.
- Using the days for work. Conferences and sports events are permitted in Hainan; paid work, study and reporting are not.
- Counting the arrival day. The stay begins at 00:00 the day after entry. See how the days are counted.
- Assuming the scheme is permanent. All of these are policy notices that can be amended, and the country lists have changed as recently as August 2026.
FAQ
Ask Buddy ↗Can I visit Hainan visa-free and then fly to Shanghai?
No. The Hainan scheme covers Hainan Province only. Continuing to the mainland is a breach of the permitted area.
Does the Hainan scheme apply to individual travellers?
Yes, that is its main advantage over the cruise and tour-group schemes. You do not need a group or an agency.
Do I need a Chinese visa for a cruise that calls at Chinese ports?
If you go ashore as part of an organised group of two or more through a China-registered agency, the cruise scheme may apply for up to 15 days. Independent disembarkation is assessed under the transit or unilateral schemes instead.
Can I join a tour group after arriving in China?
The regional group schemes are built around entering as a group, so the group and agency arrangements must be in place before arrival.
Are these schemes available to US nationals?
For Hainan, yes: the United States is on the 61-country list. US nationals may also use 240-hour transit.
Where can I confirm the current terms?
The NIA 12367 hotline, or the Chinese embassy or consulate covering your residence. Agency-run schemes should also be confirmed with the receiving agency in writing.
Sources
- NIA: Regional Visa-Free Entry Policies for Foreign Nationals, 20 Aug 2026. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c180637/content.html
- NIA: Announcement No. 4 of 2026 (Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam added to the Hainan scheme; 61 countries), 20 Aug 2026. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147468/c217849/content.html
- NIA: Visa-Free Transit Policies, 20 Aug 2026. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.html
- NIA: List of Countries Covered by Unilateral Visa Exemption Policies, 17 Feb 2026. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183390/content.html
- NIA: Online Accommodation Registration Service, 21 Sep 2026. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c237273/content.html
- Exit and Entry Administration Law of the PRC: stay conditions and penalties. https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147458/c155982/content.html