Many citizens, including citizens of Finland, need a visa when travelling to China. You can conveniently apply for a visa here and you can find further information on the visa centre closest to you here.
If you have a connecting flight from China to a third country and your flight leaves from the same airport, you can, depending on your nationality, stay in Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai for 144 hours on a transit visa that is issued on arrival. In Xian, the allowed transit time is 72 hours. The transit visa allows entry into the country. Notice that your passport needs to be valid at least 3 months for a transit visa to be issued. A transit visa will not be issued if your connecting flight is to the same country that you arrived in China from.
You can read more about the Chinese visa requirements from the website of the Chinese Embassy in Finland.
Flights to Shanghai
Travel guide – Shanghai
Shanghai, the “Pearl of the Orient” and one of the most recognisable cities in the People’s Republic of China, is lovingly referred to as the “New York of Asia.” It is also one of the largest cities in the world in terms of population. In Shanghai, you can travel around by car on elevated roads and look out over a city that appears almost futuristic. But amid this sea of modernism you can still find quiet parks where people enjoy a spot of tai-chi in the morning and busy yet quaint hutongs (narrow lane or alleyway in a traditional residential area of a Chinese city).
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
The airport is located 30km southeast of Shanghai.
- Finnair flights: Terminal 2, area B
- Check-in opens 3 hours and 20 minutes before departure
- Check-in closes 1 hour before departure
Passengers with oversized baggage, for example musical instruments or pets, need to check in at least 1 hour 20 minutes before departure.