Accommodation registration
If you stay in a hotel, reception handles registration for you. In an apartment, Airbnb-style stay or private home, you (or your host) must register with local public security within 24 hours. Do it again each time you move.
In Hainan you can often register online through Haiyiban (海易办). Use the full Chinese address your host gives you and keep the registration confirmation. If the online form doesn’t cover your stay, the police station for that address handles it.
- Get the complete Chinese address — compound name, building and room number.
- Agree with the landlord who will submit the registration before you pay for an informal stay.
- Underlying rule: National Immigration Administration guidance.
Where to live
In short: choose Dadonghai if you want the beach, restaurants and social life on foot, or central Yingbin Road for lower rents near hospitals and city services. Budget about ¥1,600–3,000 a month for a Dadonghai studio or one-bed.
The ranges below are asking prices for ordinary long lets — mostly annual contracts advertised in August–September 2026. Short winter lets cost more. They are a starting point rather than a fixed rate, and live listings move with season and supply.
Can’t read Chinese listings? Try Wellcee’s English Sanya page. It translates listings and messages, and filters by district, lease length, bedrooms, pets and budget. Wellcee says its direct landlord listings have no agent commission. The useful phrase for a viewing is 这套房可以给外籍租客办理住宿登记吗？ (“Can this address register a foreign tenant?”). Wellcee’s foreign-renter FAQ.
| Area | Choose it for | Expected monthly rent | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dadonghai 大东海 | Walkable beach, restaurants and social life without a car. | Studio/1-bed ¥1,600–3,000 2-bed ¥3,500–4,200 | Listings |
| Central / Yingbin Road 市区 / 迎宾路 | Hospitals, government offices and normal year-round city life. | Simple room/studio ¥1,200–1,800 2-bed ¥2,300–3,300 | Listings |
| Sanya Bay / Haipo 三亚湾 / 海坡 | Phoenix Airport, a seafront promenade and western Sanya. | 1-bed ¥1,600–2,500 2-bed ¥2,200–3,000 | Listings |
| Haitang / Linwang 海棠湾 / 林旺 | Resort or duty-free work, 301 Hospital and Houhai access. | Room about ¥1,200 1-bed ¥2,100–2,200 2–3 bed ¥3,000–3,300 | Listings |
| Yazhou Science City 崖州湾科技城 | Science City, seed/agriculture and deep-sea research jobs. | Studio about ¥2,000 2-bed ¥2,400–4,500 | Listings |
Surfing: Houhai / Tenghai (后海 / 藤海社区) puts you in the surf village. Most stock is guesthouse-style rather than normal annual apartments — use live map results . Resort-contained stay: Yalong Bay (亚龙湾) makes sense when the hotel itself is the destination. See both on the Sanya area map.
Scooter and car rentals
Electric scooters and e-bikes
In short: for getting around your own area, a basic e-bike delivered to your door is the cheapest option, at about ¥30–50 a day. Staying longer? Ask a local shop for a weekly or monthly rate.
Budget ¥30–50 per 24 hours for a basic e-bike, or ¥59–69 for a longer-range model. Deposits are usually ¥200–500. For a longer stay, expect roughly ¥180–300 per week or ¥350–600 per month if you negotiate.
- Ctrip’s Sanya e-bike delivery — free delivery/collection, quoted 50 km range, one full-battery swap per day; live price shows when you book.
- Rishengchang Electric Rental , 99 Hexi Road (河西路99号), central Sanya · 155 0190 0888.
- Nearest live AMap results: Dadonghai · Sanya Bay · Houhai · Haitang / Linwang .
Look for a plated 新国标电动自行车 (national-standard e-bike, designed for no more than 25 km/h). Faster electric and petrol scooters count as motorcycles and need the matching motorcycle licence.
Rental cars
In short: compare totals on Ctrip, then collect at Phoenix Airport. Budget about ¥260–450 a day for a standard automatic, keep room on your card for the deposit holds, and sort out your temporary driving permit first.
Standard automatics in live Sanya inventory on 3 September 2026 were ¥260–450/day, ¥1,200–2,400/week or ¥3,500–6,000/month. A 7-seat car or SUV was roughly ¥448–700/day.
- Ctrip live Sanya search — enter dates plus Phoenix Airport, Sanya Station or your district to compare totals.
- Shenzhou / China Auto Rental · 400 616 6666 · current Sanya page lists 40 points, including 24-hour Phoenix Airport T1/T2 and T3, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay and Haitang Bay.
- eHi · 400 888 6608 · airport, Sanya Station, Dadonghai, Yalong Bay and hotel delivery in Sanya Bay and Haitang Bay.
- Toyota Hainan Mobility · 400 0201 333 · Phoenix Airport parking pickup with arrivals-hall collection; direct bookings advertise insurance/no-deductible included, and Sanya–Haikou one-way return is listed at ¥499.
- Phoenix Airport walk-up: T1/T2 rental centre opposite Domestic Arrivals Gate 5; for T3 use Shenzhou’s separate T3 point. eHi airport: 0898 88031825, 24 hours. Shenzhou airport: 178 9899 1645, 24 hours on its current Sanya page. City rental directory.
Ordinary-car card holds are commonly ¥3,000–5,000, plus a separate ¥2,000 traffic-violation hold usually released 30–45 days after return. Central delivery is often about ¥50 each way; Haitang delivery about ¥120–200. Current 92 petrol is ¥9.20/L and 95 is ¥9.77/L; Hainan petrol includes the road surcharge, so the island has no separate expressway toll.
Temporary driving permit
Open Hainan’s temporary-permit application
An overseas licence alone isn’t enough to drive here. Hainan’s temporary permit portal works in Chinese, English, Russian, Japanese and German. Register, upload your documents, finish the online road-safety lessons to 100%, then choose the Hainan vehicle-management office where you’ll collect the physical permit. Published processing time is two working days.
At Phoenix Airport: you can apply in person at the airport traffic-management desk and collect the permit once it’s approved. Bring everything in the checklist below. The airport issues the permit but doesn’t translate foreign licences — arrange the translation before you arrive.
The airport doesn’t currently publish the counter’s terminal or opening hours. The 24-hour information desk is 0898 9612333; the counter is the 临时入境机动车驾驶许可办理点. Phoenix Airport service confirmation.
Licence translation
Get the translation before you upload the application or go to the airport. Many people order one from a translation company on Taobao: send clear scans of both sides of your licence and make sure the finished Chinese version carries the company’s stamp. It does not need to be notarised. The published Sanya instructions don’t name a government “official translator” or an approved-provider list.
- Published ¥100 Sanya option: Sunny Hainan / Hainan Joy Tours, Room 203, Block 2, Ruihai Complex. Email a clear passport copy and both sides of your licence to holiday@sunnyhainan.com; ask for the stamped Chinese translation and the stamped copy of the translator’s business licence. WhatsApp / phone: +86 138 0753 5200.
- Before paying: provider price, turnaround and document package can change. Sunny Hainan is a commercial service, not a government-endorsed provider; Sanya Vehicle Management Office is 0898 88869015.
- Bring: passport, original overseas driving licence, stamped Chinese translation and two recent one-inch white-background photos.
- Fee and validity: ¥10 government fee. A stay of three months or less gets a three-month permit; longer permitted stays can get up to one year.
- Sanya collection office: 1F, Public Security Service Centre, Chengyue New Energy Vehicle Industrial Park, 45 Hairun Road, Jiyang (吉阳区海润路45号诚越新能源汽车产业园1号馆1楼) · Monday–Friday 09:00–17:00 · · 0898 88869015 · service listing.
Official references: Hainan permit requirements · pre-application sequence.
Beaches and swimming
A bay name is not permission to swim along its whole coastline. Stick to official bathing areas with marked buoys, posted hours and lifeguards. Outside them you can hit rip currents, boat lanes, rocks, reefs and rough water — four people drowned in 2023 in a signed no-swimming stretch beside Houhai, south of Wuzhizhou. CCTV report.
| Beach | Can you swim? | Useful detail | Map / live check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dadonghai 大东海海水浴场 | Latest verified notice: all swim zones closed from 25 August 2026; reopening had not been published when checked. | When open, four buoyed zones use posted hours Apr–Sep 07:00–19:00 and Oct–Mar 07:00–18:00. Information: 0898 88219638; beach rescue: 0898 88219278. | Latest closure Zone specification |
| Yalong Bay 亚龙湾公共海水浴场 | Yes, inside the official public swim zones. | Call 0898 88561671 for same-day opening status. The resort publishes closures and reopening notices. | Status source |
| Sanya Bay 三亚湾 | Only in a marked bathing area — not anywhere along the 20 km bay. | Rescue-service points reported in 2024 included Haiyue Square and 三亚湾迎宾馆. A rescue post is not a swim-zone boundary; use the current buoys and flags. | Haiyue Square Sanya Bay Guesthouse Rescue-point source |
| Queen’s Bay / Houhai 皇后湾 / 后海湾 | Yes, but only in the managed public bathing zone. | June–September is bathing/water-sports season; October–May is surf-dominant. The adjacent signed no-swimming stretch is not part of the swim zone. | Service/check-in point 公共泳区 means “public swim zone”. |
| Haitang Bay hotel coast 海棠湾 | Not a reliable sea-swimming choice; follow each section’s posted status. | Sanya Tourism Board describes the 21.8 km open coast as windier, rougher and unsuitable for sea swimming. | Official bay guide |
| Wuzhizhou Island 蜈支洲岛海滨浴场 | Only in the island’s designated seaside bathing zone. | Every other public section of the island coast is no-entry for swimming. Visitor line: 400 114 6666. | Island rules |
| Tianya Town / Maling 天涯小镇 / 马岭 | No confirmed everyday public swim zone. | Choose this coast for the town and sunset, not regular sea swimming, unless a staffed buoyed zone is explicitly open onsite. | |
Latest municipal bathing-water results rate water quality, not whether a zone is open today. Also see Sanya’s bathing-beach rules and the official explanation of Sanya’s rip-current signs.
Hospitals and clinics
Use the exact Chinese hospital name in AMap, or show the address to a driver. For appointments, search the WeChat official-account name listed in the municipal directory.
- Sanya Central Hospital — major comprehensive and emergency care
三亚中心医院（海南省第三人民医院）· 三亚市天涯区解放四路1154号
Phones: +86 898 38224488 / 38224499 · - Sanya People’s Hospital / West China (Sanya) Hospital — central hospital with an international clinic
三亚市人民医院（四川大学华西三亚医院）· 三亚市天涯区解放三路558号
Hospital: +86 898 88250550 · International clinic: +86 898 88021099, outpatient building 8F, Monday–Friday 08:00–12:00 and 15:00–18:00. This is an appointment/outpatient clinic, separate from the emergency department. - Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Hainan — children, maternity and gynaecology
上海儿童医学中心海南医院 · 三亚市吉阳区迎宾路339号
Current hospital contact: +86 898 88023955; the municipal directory also lists 88024000 · - PLA General Hospital Hainan Hospital — the major Haitang Bay option
中国人民解放军总医院海南医院 · 三亚市海棠区江林路80号
Hospital switchboard: +86 898 38866666 ·
The Sanya Municipal Health Commission’s medical-care directory lists departments, appointment channels and more specialist hospitals.
Everyday costs
Benchmarks from official or live sources — useful for budgeting, not a promise that every shop or ride will match them.
| Item | Current benchmark | Live or official check |
|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi | ¥10–11 including 2.5 km; then ¥2.2–2.4/km. Metered fare is 20% higher from 23:00–06:00. | Official tariff |
| DiDi / ride-hailing | The English DiDi China app accepts foreign mobile numbers and international bank cards, shows the fare estimate and route before booking, and translates messages with the driver. No extra app: Alipay → Transport → Taxi, or WeChat → Me → Services → Mobility / Ride Hailing. Phoenix Airport: follow the 网约车 signs, not the taxi queue. T1/T2 pickup is on Arrivals level 1, opposite Doors 2–3. At T3, leave from Door 2 on the east side of level 1 and take the outside shuttle to the temporary car park, then walk to the pickup point. | iPhone Android Sanya guide Airport pickup |
| Airport fixed-route car | Phoenix Airport–Yalong Bay ¥90; airport–Haitang CDF ¥110. Book in WeChat by searching 99定制约车. | Routes and fares |
| Electricity | First tier ¥0.6083/kWh. April–October: first 220 kWh; November–March: first 160 kWh. Combined residential meter: ¥0.6295/kWh. | Hainan tariff table |
| Water | Individually metered first 24 m³: ¥2.10/m³; combined residential meter: ¥2.15/m³, before separately billed wastewater/garbage items. | Sanya tariff |
| Home broadband | China Mobile currently advertises 200 Mbps from ¥588/year (about ¥49/month), subject to address coverage. | Check address/offers |
| Wet-market groceries | August city average per 500 g: vegetables ¥4.43, pork basket ¥22.21, fruit ¥4.83, rice/flour ¥3.47. Cooking oil: ¥79.35/5 L. | Official weekly prices |
| Fresh seafood in restaurants | Sanya publishes per-species maximum prices rather than one useful meal average. The 30 June list capped common sea bass at ¥87/500 g in three-star-and-below seafood restaurants. | Official price ceiling |
| Petrol | 92: ¥9.20/L; 95: ¥9.77/L on 28 August 2026. The price includes Hainan’s road surcharge; expressways have no separate toll booths. | Current Hainan price |
Work and residence permits
Sanya handles work permits and work-category residence permits in one foreigners’ service zone. The same counter covers changes, extensions and cancellation, employee social-insurance registration, and recognition of foreign professional qualifications.
- Where: International Service Zone, 5F, Chengyun Building, No. 352 Yingbin Road, Jiyang district.
- Show a driver: 三亚市政务服务中心，吉阳区迎宾路352号，5楼外国人服务专区.
- Start online: open the Hainan Government Service Network, log in and search 外国人来华工作一件事 (“One-Stop Service for Foreigners Working in China”). Choose Sanya for the exact document list or to file online.
- Help line: +86 898 38221960 · .
Use the city’s one-stop service instructions to prepare your documents. Your employer still needs to supply the employer-side material.