Travellers in Finland eyeing a China trip just received welcome news. The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Helsinki announced that, effective 23 December 2025, applicants for visas allowing stays of up to 180 days no longer need to provide fingerprints. The biometric waiver covers the most common categories—tourist (L), business (M) and family-visit (Q2/S2)—and will remain in force until 31 December 2026.
Beijing says the measure is designed to “facilitate mobility and revive two-way business travel” in the post-pandemic era. Demand from Finnish corporates has rebounded sharply since direct Finnair flights to Shanghai and Guangzhou resumed, yet executives complained that fingerprint appointments added days to lead-times. Removing the requirement should cut a typical application visit from 30 minutes to under ten.
For travellers who still prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ’s Helsinki-based service can now submit Chinese visa applications entirely by courier, eliminating the need for in-person fingerprint slots. Its digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) lets users fill out forms online, upload documents and track status in real time—handy for both individual tourists and corporate mobility teams adjusting to the faster timeline.
![China suspends fingerprinting for short-term visa applications lodged in Finland until end-2026]()
Long-term visa categories (D, J1, Q1, S1, X1, Z) still require biometrics because residence permits must be obtained after arrival. Security-services staff in both countries confirmed that background-check exchanges remain unchanged.
For mobility managers the takeaway is clear: update travel-approval workflows to reflect the shorter timeline and remind travellers that the waiver applies only to applications filed in Helsinki. Those submitting in Stockholm, Tallinn or Beijing must still follow local rules. Companies that outsource to visa agencies should renegotiate service-level agreements, as courier-only processing will now suffice for most trips.
Looking ahead, the Chinese embassy hinted that the pilot could become a template for other Nordic countries if fraud rates stay low. Finnish officials privately welcome the move, noting that it complements Finland’s own push toward friction-free digital borders.
Beijing says the measure is designed to “facilitate mobility and revive two-way business travel” in the post-pandemic era. Demand from Finnish corporates has rebounded sharply since direct Finnair flights to Shanghai and Guangzhou resumed, yet executives complained that fingerprint appointments added days to lead-times. Removing the requirement should cut a typical application visit from 30 minutes to under ten.
For travellers who still prefer expert assistance, VisaHQ’s Helsinki-based service can now submit Chinese visa applications entirely by courier, eliminating the need for in-person fingerprint slots. Its digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) lets users fill out forms online, upload documents and track status in real time—handy for both individual tourists and corporate mobility teams adjusting to the faster timeline.
Long-term visa categories (D, J1, Q1, S1, X1, Z) still require biometrics because residence permits must be obtained after arrival. Security-services staff in both countries confirmed that background-check exchanges remain unchanged.
For mobility managers the takeaway is clear: update travel-approval workflows to reflect the shorter timeline and remind travellers that the waiver applies only to applications filed in Helsinki. Those submitting in Stockholm, Tallinn or Beijing must still follow local rules. Companies that outsource to visa agencies should renegotiate service-level agreements, as courier-only processing will now suffice for most trips.
Looking ahead, the Chinese embassy hinted that the pilot could become a template for other Nordic countries if fraud rates stay low. Finnish officials privately welcome the move, noting that it complements Finland’s own push toward friction-free digital borders.
