Chinese 72h TWOV ex-HEL
 

Does anybody have experience going to P.R.China without visa from HEL? How well do Finnair CI contractors, and the Finnish border guards handle it?

(I have once had Finnair check-in desk staff complain that she could not find my visa to New Zealand, so I fear the worst...)

I have only done it the other way (TPE-XIY-HEL on CI/AY).

I did HEL-PVG once with TWOV. No problems at the gate in HEL after I told them I have a connection to HKG.

I was going to ask nearly the same question what about the new 6 day (144 hours) visa exemption for the Yangtze delta region flying into PVG or with KA into HGH via HKG?

Done the 72hr once HEL-PVG-HKG-HEL. No problems, but a rather funny show at the PVG airport of many officials running around doing nothing sensible. Very kafka-esque.

HEL-HKG-CAN-BKK - absolutely no issue checking the luggage to CAN. Finnish border guards don't care a tiny bit about your visa arrangements.

For KA ground personnel it took a while in HKG to sort it out (20 mins or so)

At CAN very smooth sailing.

Hmm, I'm supposed to do HEL-CAN-HKG-BKK in a few days... and TIMATIC appears to have fat-fingered away all 3 nights transit airports, including CAN and PEK:td:

Now, I am really concerned that HEL desk won't let me check-in/board:(:confused:

It should work. AY has a lot of CN traffic, they know how it works. Just make sure that you discuss this at the Plat checkin desk - show them your CAN-HKG ticket, they'll type away a while and you're good. (They need to report your details to China immigration beforehand)

HEL-PEK-TPE worked like a charm.

I had exactly the same feeling in PVG 1.5 years ago with a 2-day connection to SYD. Our group of 4 were handled in two different ways with different handling times... But it all worked in the end. :)

In September 2015 I was flying HEL-PEK continuing the next day to Pyongyang with Air Koryo where the tour company had provided me with copies of the Air Koryo e-ticket and my DPRK tourist card which was to be collected in Beijing.

Checked in at the kiosk and used automatic bag drop without any problems. At the boarding gate the agent simply recorded details of my onward journey on a scrap of paper and allowed me to board.

Yeah so CI did not care one bit about my visa or lack thereof. The procedure has definitely changed since I last flew AY to mainland China.

I advised the gate agents of my transit before boarding started, so they quickly noted the flight reference and remembered to let me through at boarding.

It would be a very serious issue if the Finnish Border guard service prohibits you to leave Schengen/Finland for reasons of uncertain visa requirements for your destination.

You should be aware that the 72h TWOV is not available at all Finnair destinations in China.

At which Finnair destination is it not available? It is obviously available at PVG and PEK. I know it's available at CAN and XIY because I've done it there. And CKG is also listed as a possibility.

CKG has it too.

You need to present outward ticket (printed) at gate and at Chinese/PVG border control. You will also need to exit with that ticket. I ended up ditching the initial outbound ticket after the exit customs and boarded the plane back to Hel. I got pulled out of plane. 2 hrs of interrogations, 250e fine and deportation to Hong kong was the result.

^ They take the transit visas very seriously, but they do work if not played around with.

Thanks a million for telling! Unpleasant as that must have been, it is invaluable hands-on experience for the community. It is a thing a common FT'er might have contemplated and now we won't.

The fine isn't the worst. Deportation could mean difficulties getting visa in the future.