The border inspection department of South China's Hainan Province has handled a total of 1.654 million inbound and outbound passengers in the six months since Hainan launched island-wide special customs operations last December, a year-on-year increase of 31.2 percent.
Two flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Hong Kong, China, landed at Haikou Meilan International Airport at noon on Wednesday. 316 passengers disembarked in an orderly manner and entered the border inspection hall guided by the bilingual signs. Border police officers then efficiently processed the arriving passengers.
"We're going to Sanya and Haihua Island, and will stay four days and three nights. We were able to cross the border quickly and easily because many procedures were completed beforehand, so we didn't have to stay here to fill out arrival cards," said a guide of a Malaysian tour group.
Since the start of the island-wide special customs operations, Hainan has maintained the best visa-free policy nationwide, allowing citizens of 86 countries to enter visa-free with ordinary passports, and the policy coverage continues to expand. Meanwhile, Hainan is continuously expanding its international air network, with routes connecting to key regions in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
Over the past six months, Hainan border inspection authorities have inspected a total of 913,000 foreigners entering and leaving the country, an increase of 36.1 percent year on year. The proportion of foreigners entering and leaving the country has increased from 48 percent at the beginning of 2025 to 55.2 percent of the total number of inbound and outbound passengers. The number of foreign tourists entering Hainan visa-free reached 393,000, up 43.7 percent year on year.
"We have successively launched convenient measures such as 24-hour direct transit without border inspection procedures, online filling of foreigners' entry cards, and online application for group tourist visas. At the same time, we have promoted the transformation and upgrading of port inspection facilities and equipment, continuously optimized inspection processes, simplified inspection procedures, and minimized the clearance time for passengers," said Nie Zhifeng, a staff member of the Haikou Meilan Border Inspection Station.
"I am very satisfied with the customs process upon arrival. It was quick and convenient, without any complications. Everything was simple and straightforward," said a Belarusian passenger.
It is estimated that cross-border passenger traffic in Hainan will reach another peak during this year's three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which begins on Friday, up 19 percent year on year.
Cross-border passenger numbers surge after launch of Hainan’s island-wide special customs operations
Cross-border passenger numbers surge after launch of Hainan’s island-wide special customs operations
