The National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced to implement a new policy from July 30, 2024, allowing foreign tourist groups from Hong Kong and Macao SARs to enter and stay for 144 hours in Hainan Province without visas. Specifically, any citizen with an ordinary passport from a country having diplomatic relations with China can now travel from Hong Kong or Macao SAR to Hainan Province and stay within the province for tourism purposes without a visa for no more than 144 hours, provided that he/she will travel in a tourist group which is organized by a travel agency legally registered in Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR and consists of at least two persons. For any foreign national covered by a mutual visa exemption agreement or any other visa exemption policy of China, the relevant provisions shall prevail. The eligible foreign nationals may enter and exit in groups through any of the exit-entry ports set up by the State in Hainan Province, and shall stay within the administrative region of Hainan. The duration of stay for each foreign national is calculated from 0:00 on the day following the day of entry.

According to an official of NIA, the new policy is part of the latest efforts to enhance the comprehensive and high-level opening-up of Hainan and facilitate the development of Hainan Free Trade Port. This policy is of great significance in building Hainan into a new hub for opening-up with greater openness, an improved business environment, and enhanced influence. The policy also promises to boost the economic development of Hong Kong and Macao SARs, facilitate closer collaboration between the two SARs and Hainan Free Trade Port, and better integrate the two SARs into the broader national development framework. Moving forward, NIA will further optimize and improve regional visa-free entry policies and broaden the institutional opening-up of immigration management, to welcome more foreign nationals to China with a more inclusive gesture and contribute to the greater opening-up and high-quality development of China.