Hi Esthervd, welcome to the forum!

Yes, as a European citizen, you can usually enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days, that includes flights coming directly from Hong Kong or Macau. Here’s how it works:

Direct Entry Required:

You must arrive directly in Hainan (Haikou or Sanya) on an international flight, meaning your plane’s origin must be outside Mainland China.

✅ Example: Hong Kong → Haikou (eligible)

❌ Example: Hong Kong → Guangzhou → Haikou (not eligible, since you’ve entered Mainland first)

Eligible Nationalities:

Citizens of 59 countries (including most of Europe) qualify for visa-free entry.

Length and Purpose:

You can stay for up to 30 days, for tourism, family visits, business meetings, or short non-degree cultural/language courses. (If you want to stay longer, you may have to fly from Hainan to Hong Kong or Macau, then re-enter Hainan again on a new 30-day visa-free entry).

Studying Mandarin for a month at a local language center is generally fine under this category, as long as it’s informal and not part of a degree program.

Not for Work or Formal Study:

You can’t work or enroll in long-term academic programs on this entry. If you plan to stay longer or join a university course, you’ll need an X (student) visa, which requires official admission documents.

Other Requirements:

You’ll need an onward or return ticket out of Hainan and must register your accommodation (hotels do this automatically).

For official policy information, see the following visa page:

So, in short:

Yes, you can study Mandarin in Hainan for 30 days on a tourist/visa-free entry, even if flying from Hong Kong, as long as it’s a direct flight and the course is short-term and non-degree.