Boao Lecheng Visa Guide: The 30-Day Hainan Policy vs the 240-Hour Transit Trap

In short

If you are travelling to Boao Lecheng (Hainan's international
medical tourism pilot zone) for treatment, the correct route for most
patients is Hainan's own 30-day visa-free policy: citizens of 59
countries — including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the
Philippines, Kazakhstan, Russia, the US, Canada, the UK, Germany,
France, Australia and Japan — can enter Hainan without a visa for up to
30 days, and since February 2024 medical treatment is an
explicitly approved purpose. The trap is China's 240-hour transit
visa-free: it requires onward travel to a third country, so a simple
return ticket home — Jakarta–Haikou–Jakarta — does not qualify, and
patients who plan around it risk being refused boarding.

The two routes compared

	Hainan 30-day visa-free (use this)	240-hour transit visa-free (the trap)
Who	Ordinary passport holders of 59 listed countries	Passport holders of 54+ countries in transit
Purpose	Tourism, business, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions, sports	Genuine transit only
Onward ticket needed?	No — a return ticket home is fine	Yes — confirmed onward ticket to a third country/region within the 240-hour transit window
Duration	Up to 30 days (counted from 00:00 the day after entry)	Up to 240 hours (10 days) transit stay
Where you can go	Within Hainan Province only	Permitted areas across 24 provinces, including Hainan
Entry points	Any open port in Hainan — Haikou Meilan, Sanya Phoenix and Qionghai Boao airports among them	Designated ports nationwide
Pre-declaration	None required	Carrier/immigration checks of the onward booking

Why the transit route fails medical travellers

"Transit" has a precise meaning in the 240-hour policy: country A →
China → country B, where B is a different country or region from A.
A patient flying Jakarta–Haikou for two weeks of treatment and then home
to Jakarta is not transiting anywhere — the itinerary starts and ends in
Indonesia. Airlines verify onward bookings at check-in, and immigration
verifies them on arrival; a return-home ticket does not satisfy the
rule. The workaround sometimes suggested — routing home via a third
country such as Singapore — can technically create a transit, but it is
fragile, caps you at 10 days, and solves a problem you do not have: the
Hainan policy is simpler, longer and designed for exactly your trip.

How to use the Hainan 30-day policy, step by step

1. Check your passport is on the 59-country list. It includes most
   of Europe (UK, France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain, the
   Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and more), Russia, the US, Canada,
   Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Japan,
   South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, the
   Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, the UAE and Qatar. (If your
   country also has a mutual visa-exemption agreement with China, those
   terms take precedence.)
2. Fly directly into Hainan from outside mainland China. If your
   country has no direct Hainan flight, connect through a hub that does
   — Hong Kong and Macao included — provided the flight that lands in
   Hainan departs from outside the mainland.
3. Enter at a Hainan port. For Lecheng, Qionghai Boao
   International Airport is the closest port of entry; Haikou Meilan
   is the main hub. No visa, no pre-declaration — present your ordinary
   passport at the border.
4. Stay within Hainan, up to 30 days, counted from 00:00 the day
   after you enter. Your hotel or hospital handles accommodation
   registration.
5. If treatment runs long, extend properly: before the 30 days
   expire, apply to Hainan's public security exit-entry administration
   with your hospital's supporting documents for a visa or stay permit
   — the same route you would use to continue on to another part of
   China.

A note on Lecheng itself

Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, in Qionghai near
Boao airport, is China's designated pilot zone for international medical
care, with special policies that can allow the clinical use of medicines
and devices already licensed overseas under the zone's approval
channels. Treatment plans and eligibility are confirmed case by case —
which is why PriumCare confirms your hospital plan and documents before
you book flights, and aligns the treatment schedule with your 30-day
window (or prepares the extension route) as part of the coordination.

Frequently asked questions

Can Indonesians travel to Hainan for medical treatment without a visa?

Yes. Indonesia is one of the 59 countries covered by Hainan's visa-free
entry policy. Indonesian ordinary passport holders can enter Hainan
without a visa for up to 30 days, and since 9 February 2024 the approved
purposes explicitly include medical treatment. You must arrive in Hainan
directly from outside mainland China and stay within Hainan Province.

Why doesn't the 240-hour transit visa-free work for a Jakarta–Haikou return trip?

Because transit means travelling from one country through China to a
third country or region. A Jakarta–Haikou–Jakarta itinerary returns to
the country you came from, so it is not transit and does not qualify.
Passengers have been refused boarding or entry for planning around the
transit policy on a simple return ticket. For treatment in Hainan, use
Hainan's own 30-day visa-free policy instead — it needs no onward ticket
and gives you 30 days, not 10.

Can I fly into Beijing or Shanghai first and then take a domestic flight to Hainan under the 30-day policy?

No. Hainan's 30-day visa-free entry requires you to arrive at a Hainan
port of entry directly from outside mainland China. If there is no
direct flight from your country, you can connect through a place that
has direct flights to Hainan — including Hong Kong or Macao — as long as
your flight into Hainan comes from outside the mainland. Entering via
another mainland city means a different policy (or a visa) applies.

What if my treatment in Lecheng takes longer than 30 days?

Apply before your stay expires. If you have a legitimate reason to
remain in Hainan longer, or to travel onward to another part of China,
you apply to the local public security exit-entry administration in
Hainan with supporting documents (for treatment, your hospital's
documentation) to obtain a visa or stay permit. Do not overstay and sort
it out afterwards.

What if my country is not on the 59-country list?

Then apply for a Chinese visa before travelling. Medical treatment trips
are commonly handled under a private-affairs (S2) visa supported by an
invitation letter from the treating hospital; PriumCare helps patients
obtain that invitation paperwork as part of coordinating their care.
Check your nearest Chinese embassy or visa centre for the current
requirements for your nationality.

Sources and notes

• National Immigration Administration of China, announcement expanding
  the approved purposes of Hainan's 59-country visa-free policy
  (effective 9 February 2024) — including medical treatment; summarised
  by Chinese embassies and Hainan provincial sources.
• Hainan provincial visa-free policy guides (Explore Hainan / Invest in
  Haikou), and Hainan Airlines' 59-country policy page — country list
  and entry rules, accessed October 2026.
• National Immigration Administration, 240-hour transit visa-free policy
  rules (third-country onward travel requirement).

Visa policies change. This guide reflects the policies as published in
October 2026; confirm your eligibility with the National Immigration
Administration or your nearest Chinese embassy before booking. China
Medical Tour (PriumCare) is a medical travel coordination service; we do
not provide medical diagnosis or treatment, and hospital fees are paid
by patients directly to the hospital.

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• China's five new TCM drug
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• Healthcare in China for foreigners — the full
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