An input detection and protection circuit and an AC electronic ballast for HID lamps, including a power input circuit performing a first limitation to an input surge voltage and then performing a second limitation to a residual voltage from the first input surge voltage limitation; an input voltage acquisition circuit feeding back an input voltage to an MCU chip; a pull-in circuit for a relay connecting to a relay in the power input circuit; a PFC circuit, and an MCU chip controlling the PFC circuit to switch on and off according to voltage values input by the input voltage acquisition circuit, and controlling pull-in and drop-out of the relay through the pull-in circuit for the relay.