Hainan InsiderHainan, China
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All guides

In the order you'll need them, from a month before you fly to your days in Hainan. Start at the top.

  1. 11 month before
  2. 22 weeks before
  3. 31 week before
  4. 41–3 days before
  5. 5In Hainan

1 month before

Pick when to come, how you'll enter China and how to book your flights.

  1. Best time to visit Hainan: weather and typhoon seasonHainan's weather month by month, when typhoon season is, and how to plan around heat, rain and holiday crowds.
  2. Hainan 30-day visa-free entry: how it worksEssentialCitizens of 61 countries, including the US, can visit Hainan for up to 30 days without a visa. No travel agency or pre-registration needed, but you must land in Hainan first.
  3. 240-hour visa-free transit through Haikou or SanyaHow to use China's 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit via Hainan, the onward-ticket rule, and when Hainan's 30-day policy is better.
  4. Flights to Hainan: routes that keep visa-free entry validEssentialHow to fly to Haikou or Sanya from abroad, which connections break Hainan's visa-free entry, and how much connection time to leave.
  5. Connecting flights in China: immigration, bags and timingWhat happens when you connect from an international flight to a domestic one in China, and why one ticket beats two.

2 weeks before

Get payments working: Alipay, WeChat Pay, a ¥1 test, fees and backups.

  1. How to set up Alipay before your trip to ChinaEssentialStep-by-step Alipay setup for visitors: call your bank, register, verify your passport, link a card and make a test payment.
  2. How to register WeChat and turn on WeChat Pay as a foreignerEssentialRegister WeChat with a foreign phone number, get past the friend verification step, turn on WeChat Pay and link a foreign card.
  3. Test Alipay and WeChat Pay before your tripEssentialMake a real ¥1 test payment with Alipay and WeChat Pay before your China trip.
  4. Alipay vs WeChat Pay: which do you need in Hainan?When Alipay works better, when you need WeChat Pay, and why most visitors should set up both.
  5. Alipay and WeChat Pay fees and limits for foreign cardsThe fees and spending limits foreign cards face on Alipay and WeChat Pay in China, and how to handle big payments like hotels.
  6. Personal QR code not working with a foreign card? Here's whyWhy Alipay and WeChat Pay personal QR codes fail more often with foreign cards than merchant codes, and what to do.
  7. Alipay or WeChat Pay payment failed? What to checkThe common reasons Alipay and WeChat Pay payments fail for foreign cards in China, and what to do for each one.
  8. Getting cash in Hainan: ATMs, fees and how much to carryWhich ATMs in China take foreign cards, how much you can withdraw, the fees, and why to always choose yuan.

1 week before

Mobile data and getting around: eSIM, apps, taxis, food delivery and trains.

  1. Phone data in China: travel eSIM vs roaming vs a local SIMEssentialThe easiest way to get mobile data in Hainan, why a Chinese SIM may not fit your phone, and how to set up a travel eSIM.
  2. Buying a Chinese SIM card at the airport or in townWhat you need to buy a China Mobile, China Unicom or China Telecom SIM as a visitor, and how to stay online until you get one.
  3. The apps to install before your trip to ChinaThe five apps every first-time visitor to Hainan needs, what each is for, and why you should set them up at home.
  4. How to take a taxi in Hainan with DiDiUsing DiDi inside Alipay in English, entering Chinese addresses, paying, and talking to drivers without a Chinese phone number.
  5. How to order food delivery in China as a foreigner (Meituan)Using the Meituan mini program inside WeChat with translation, paying with WeChat Pay, and what to put as your phone number.
  6. How to buy China train tickets as a foreigner (Trip.com or 12306)Trip.com vs the official 12306 app for foreigners, how passport names work, and how boarding works at the station.
  7. Haikou to Sanya by high-speed trainTaking Hainan's round-the-island high-speed train between Haikou and Sanya: travel time, tickets and tips.
  8. Can foreigners drive in Hainan?Foreign driving licenses and International Driving Permits aren't valid in China. How Hainan's provisional driving permit for visitors works, and why hiring a driver is easier.

1–3 days before

Fill in the arrival card online.

  1. How to fill in China's arrival card onlineSince November 2025, foreigners can fill in China's arrival card online before the trip. Which official channels to use and what you need.

In Hainan

Hotel registration, beach safety, doctors, duty-free and everyday tips.

  1. Hotel and homestay registration for foreigners in ChinaEssentialHotels register foreign guests with the police automatically. Homestays and private stays need registration within 24 hours. Here's how.
  2. Beach safety in Sanya and HainanWhere to swim safely in Hainan, what the flags mean, and what to do if a rip current pulls you out.
  3. Getting sick in Hainan: hospitals, insurance and your consulateWhere to go if you get sick in Haikou or Sanya, how payment works at Chinese hospitals, and getting help from your country's consulate.
  4. Hainan duty-free shopping and tax refunds for foreign visitorsCan foreigners use Hainan's offshore duty-free shops? Allowances, limits, and how China's departure tax refund works.
  5. Hainan practical tips: water, power plugs, tipping and emergency numbersCan you drink the tap water in Hainan? Will your plugs work? Do you tip? The everyday things first-time visitors ask.