Flights to Hainan: routes that keep visa-free entry valid
To use Hainan's 30-day visa-free entry, Hainan (Haikou or Sanya) must be your first stop in China. So either fly straight to Hainan, or connect outside mainland China (Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and others) and take a last flight that goes straight to Hainan. If your plane lands in any mainland Chinese city on the way, even if you stay on the same plane, you enter China there and the Hainan policy no longer applies. With a Chinese visa, or if your country has nationwide visa-free entry, this limit doesn't apply.
On this page
Which routes work with Hainan visa-free entry
| Route | Works with Hainan's policy? |
|---|---|
| Nonstop from home to Haikou (for example London, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Moscow) | Yes. You clear Chinese immigration in Haikou |
| Home → Hong Kong → Haikou / Sanya | Yes. One ticket with an airside transfer is easiest. Separate tickets work too, but you enter Hong Kong (check whether your passport needs a Hong Kong visa) and check in again |
| Home → Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo, etc. → Haikou / Sanya | Yes, as long as that last flight goes straight to Hainan |
| Home → Shanghai / Guangzhou / Beijing → Haikou / Sanya | No. You enter China in the mainland city, not in Hainan |
| A flight that stops in a mainland city on the way (for example Changsha, Shenzhen, Chongqing), even on the same plane | No. You clear immigration at the first mainland city you land in |
Routes change every season, so go by what the airline shows when you book (the examples above come from Hainan Airlines' 2026 summer-autumn international schedule).
Before you pay, check every stop on the itinerary. If any stop is in mainland China and you're relying on Hainan's policy, choose another route.
Have a Chinese visa, or is your country on the nationwide visa-free list? Then any route is fine.
How much connection time to leave
| Connection | Leave at least |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong, one ticket | 2 hours |
| Hong Kong, two separate tickets | 3–4 hours |
| Mainland China city, one ticket | 3 hours |
| Mainland China city, separate tickets | 4–5 hours |
Long-haul flights are often an hour or two late, so more is better.
One ticket vs two tickets
- One ticket (one booking for the whole trip): if your first flight is late and you miss the second, the airline rebooks you. Bags usually go straight through.
- Two separate tickets: if you miss the second flight, that airline owes you nothing and you buy a new ticket. In Hong Kong you'd also have to enter Hong Kong, collect your bags and check in again.
For a first trip, book one ticket.
When you land in Hainan
Coming from Hong Kong or another country, you go through immigration and customs in Haikou or Sanya. Coming from a mainland city, you already did that, so you just collect your bags and walk out.
Before you leave the airport, turn on your travel eSIM so you can call a taxi or message your hotel.
Booking
Trip.com has English, takes foreign cards and sells international and domestic flights. Airline websites work too. For domestic flights inside China, you check in with your passport at the counter or a kiosk.
More on connecting in mainland China: connecting flights in China.