Why this matters
Most people check one list, find their nationality missing, and book a visa appointment. There are several separate schemes, and the one that fits you may not be the one you checked.
Hainan: a whole province, 30 days
Ordinary passport holders from 61 countries can enter Hainan Province through its own ports and stay 30 days, within Hainan only. Kyrgyzstan and Vietnam were added on 20 August 2026.
It covers tourism, business, visiting family, medical treatment, exhibitions and sport. Since 2024 individual travellers no longer need a travel agency — this used to be a group-only scheme, and a lot of outdated content still says so.
Hainan is a tropical island: Sanya's beaches, Haikou, diving and resorts. It is not a route to the rest of China — you stay in the province.
Cruise passengers: 15 days
Since 15 May 2024, foreign tour groups of two or more arriving by cruise ship, organised by a Chinese travel agency, can enter visa-free at cruise ports in 13 cities: Tianjin, Dalian, Shanghai, Lianyungang, Wenzhou, Zhoushan, Xiamen, Qingdao, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beihai, Haikou and Sanya.
You get 15 days across the coastal provinces and Beijing — but you must stay with the ship to its next port and leave on the same cruise.
From Hong Kong or Macao into Guangdong: 144 hours
Already in Hong Kong or Macao? If your country has diplomatic relations with China and you travel in a group of two or more organised by a registered Hong Kong or Macao travel agency, you can enter Guangdong visa-free for six days.
It covers the nine Pearl River Delta cities — Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou — plus Shantou. Group in, group out.
This is the easiest way to see mainland China if you are already on a Hong Kong trip.
ASEAN tour groups
Two regional schemes for travellers from the ten ASEAN countries, both group-only and organised by a Chinese agency:
- Xishuangbanna, Yunnan — effective 10 February 2025, six days, entering via Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport or the Mohan rail and road ports.
- Guilin, Guangxi — six days via Guilin Liangjiang International Airport. We could not confirm this one's current status from an official source, so check before relying on it.
24-hour direct transit
All nationalities, no visa, no arrival card — provided you hold an international through ticket, stay under 24 hours and remain in the port area. Useful for a long layover; not useful for seeing the city.
One thing that changed in September 2026
New Exit and Entry Administration Regulations took effect on 15 September 2026. They tighten verification of your stated travel purpose and documents, and false statements can bring a one-to-five year entry ban. Inviters and sponsors are liable for accuracy too.
Nothing here is a reason for an ordinary tourist to worry — but fill things in accurately, including your real address in China.
Which one applies to you?
Run your nationality and dates through the readiness check and it will tell you which scheme fits, with the conditions you actually have to meet.