China waives fingerprinting for short-term visa applicants in Finland until end-2026

The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Helsinki announced that, effective 23 December 2025, all travellers applying in Finland for Chinese visas of up to 180 days’ stay are temporarily exempt from fingerprint collection. The waiver runs until 31 December 2026 and applies to the most common short-term categories, including tourist (L), business (M) and family (Q2/S2) visas.

Applicants for long-term D, J1, Q1, S1, X1 and Z visas—who must apply for residence permits after arrival—still need to provide biometrics. Beijing says the measure is designed to “facilitate mobility and revive two-way business travel” in the post-pandemic era.



For Finnish companies sending staff to China, the exemption shaves roughly 15 minutes off each visa-centre appointment and eliminates the need to travel to Helsinki for repeat applicants outside the capital. Regional chambers of commerce welcomed the move, noting that it will ease the surge in factory-audit trips expected before the Lunar New Year break in February.

The waiver is reciprocal; Finland already exempts Chinese diplomats and certain frequent travellers from fingerprints under Schengen rules. Mobility teams should still allow time for courier transport of passports and for the e-Visa form, which remains mandatory.

The Chinese centre cautions that it may re-impose biometrics with 48-hour notice if security circumstances change, so employers should build flexibility into travel plans.