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I booked a trip from New York to Busan flying on China Eastern the entire way with a 2 hour layover in Shanghai PVG airport. As this is my first time having a international transfer, I didn't know there are procedures for international transfers until recently. Below is a picture of their international transfer procedure.

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I believe I am the second type of passenger, the one labeled "Other Airline Transfer Process".

  • What is the joint inspection process and what does it entail? I would assume it a regular passport/customs control.

  • Does PVG have anything like the Mobile Passport app to quickly get through customs? (Mobile Passport allows travelers to input their travel info and quickly get through customs without waiting in line in select airports. I'm not affiliated with Mobile Passport in any way)

  • Is there a site that tells travelers how long a passport control/customs line is at any given airport terminal? Like many questions here, I am not sure if my 2 hour layover will suffice.

If anyone has any experience, particularly a PVG international transfer, it will be helpful.

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  • I don't have any experience of Shanghai, but in general this process is not a big deal and it would be exceedingly unusual for two hours to not be enough.
    – user35890
    Aug 11, 2016 at 14:52
  • @dan1111 I hope so but security lines is one of those "anything can happen" lines
    – LampPost
    Aug 11, 2016 at 15:02
  • cdn.feeyo.com/bbs/20160810/201608100636132383.jpg
    – Him
    Aug 11, 2016 at 15:21
  • 2
    This graph is outdated. I guess the graph was made when Shanghai Airlines is still a member of Star Alliance (2007-10).
    – Him
    Aug 11, 2016 at 15:37

2 Answers 2

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This depends whether you are checked in all the way through Busan in New York. This is NOT always the case; I was flying on China Eastern a few months ago KUL-PVG-SFO and I was NOT checked in all the way through, and even had to re-check my bag.

However this does not matter, since the immigration in PVG will let you through when you present the second ticket departing from China; you will get a one day temporary entry stamp, and can even visit the city. You do not need Chinese visa for that in this airport (and a few others), but you do have to be a national of one of (many) countries which are allowed to do so.

Now, to your questions:

  1. "Joint inspection process": in China when you connect from international to international flight, you still go through a kind-of-immigration when they scan and register your passport. The way it looks at their computer screen it seems like they register you in the computer as arrived, and then immediately register you as departed. Nothing is stamped in your passport. I've been through this process many times at Guangzhou airport. PVG has international transfer counters too, so I assume the procedure is the same.

    Side note: in Guangzhou this is very slow and annoying process if you arrive early morning, as only couple of booths are staffed. Then it is faster to go through "real" immigration, and then come in.

  2. No app, as far as I know, but it is not needed either. From my experience the immigration there was always pretty quick, with many lines open, and they're quite efficient there. Longest I had to wait was 15 minutes.

  3. No idea about site, and your 2 hour layover should suffice.

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  • Much appreciated!
    – LampPost
    Aug 12, 2016 at 13:06
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They've been talking about airside international transfers at PVG for some time, but if they don't, you really don't need to worry with one ticket and one airline- it's pretty much their problem.

Just don't dally unnecessarily and make sure you know where your bags are checked through to when you check in in NY. If they're marked PUS or PVG.. so you know if you have to retrieve them.

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