Sanya becoming a popular destination for overseas talents

With the launch of its visa-free entry policy for 59 countries and a series of supporting measures, Sanya has seen an increasing number of inbound tourists with longer stays, and more global talents who have come to work or live in the tropical city. 

The government report for this year revealed that the city issued 1,141 residence permits for expats who came to Sanya for work in 2019, and reviewed a total of 576 work permit-related cases for foreigners, excluding those for academic purposes. By 2019, a total of 422 overseas talents, mainly hailing from Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Malaysia, the United States, and Britain, worked in Sanya with a working permit in 13 industries spanning accommodation and catering to leasing and business services, as well as education.

In recent years, Sanya has shown its inclusiveness to global talents and its eagerness to attract more of them. The city has implemented a more active, more open, and more effective talent policy to form a strong talent pool.

"We have set up a window for foreign talents to receive one-stop services at the municipal government service center, which specifically deals with problems they encounter," said an authority from the Sanya Municipal Government Service Center.

On Jan 12, Sanya opened its first green channel for expats to receive quality medical services, with the Sanya Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine being the pilot designated medical institution. Equipped with professional doctors that have doctoral and master degrees in medicine, as well as nurses capable of speaking English, the hospital was reported to have received 12,000 visits made by expats in 2019.

With the implementation of the visa-free policy, it is more convenient for foreigners to live in Sanya, according to Draid from Romania. He has since also applied for a temporary driver's license, making his travel in Sanya even easier.

He expressed hope that Sanya can provide more opportunities for foreigners' development and become an international metropolis.

I have been in Sanya for three years and have witnessed the gradual development of the city. In the construction of the Hainan Pilot Free Trade Zone and Free Trade Port, it has attracted more and more attention from overseas, and I believe the city will make greater progress, said Kareena, a South African native who is currently working as an English teacher in Sanya.

A foreign tourist poses for a photo at a beach in Sanya. [Photo/Sanya Daily]