Hainan

Actually, there are several other differences:

- You can use Hainan visa on arrival to travel to mainland China for a period of 15 days after your stay in Hainan. You cannot do that with 30 day visa free access.

- You have to pay for Hainan visa on arrival upon arrival in Sanya/Haikou and you don't pay anything for a visa when traveling on 30 day visa free access. To be totally transparent, you have to pay for at least some simple service with the agency that will send you an invitation letter.

- You are never sure that you will be allowed to board the plane when declaring that you will travel to Hainan on Hainan VOA and you are always sure that you will be allowed boarding when traveling on 30 day visa free access.

- To be almost certain that you will be allowed to board the plane when traveling on intention to obtain Hainan VOA, you have to take a flight from Hong Kong. Beside Hong Kong, you will probably be refused boarding. By using 30 day visa free access, you will be allowed boarding everywhere. Of course, you should have in mind that both, Hainan VOA and 30 day visa free access can be used if you are arriving to Hainan from outside of mainland China. Arrivals to Hainan from within mainland China are not allowed if you want to use any of the mentioned schemes.

In reality, Hainan VOA is by far more practical and usual travelers prefer it over 30 day visa free access, but since the introduction of 30 day visa free access, airport staff, with the exception of those in Hong Kong, are reluctant to allow boarding to the travelers who declare that they will rely on Hainan VOA. This is the reason why more and more passengers to Hainan choose 30 day visa free access, although they have to defend themselves from quite an aggressive offers of services by the agencies that will send an invitation letter.