Do I need a passport or visa to go to Hainan?

China citizens do not need passports or visas to go to Hainan. Hainan is the southernmost province in China, so you don't need a passport, let alone a visa. Foreign citizens need passports and visas to go to Hainan. Because they have already entered People's Republic of China (PRC), they must have passports and visas issued by institutions outside China before they can enter the country.

Passport is a legal document issued by a country to prove the nationality and identity of its citizens when they enter and leave the country and travel or stay abroad. The word Passport means port pass in English. In other words, a passport is a passport for citizens to pass through international ports in various countries. You don't need a passport to go to China. China citizens need ID cards to travel in China.

A visa is a note and seal made by the sovereign organ of a country on the passport or other travel documents held by its own or foreign citizens to indicate the procedures for allowing them to enter, exit or pass through its territory. It can also be said that it is an endorsement certificate issued to them. Generally speaking, a visa is a document issued by a country's entry-exit administration (such as immigration bureau or its embassy or consulate abroad) to approve the entry of foreign citizens. Therefore, foreigners must apply for a Chinese visa to enter Hainan.