Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG): the arrival guide
Arrival essentials · Verified 2026-09-21 · Rules change — confirm entry specifics with the National Immigration Administration before you fly
The short answer
Shanghai's main international airport: the 8-minute Maglev to Longyang Road, easy metro Line 2 access, and the most common first landing for first-time visitors.
What happens at immigration?
PVG handles the largest visa-free transit flow in China - the 240-hour channel is well-practiced here. Have your onward ticket to a third country ready; officers routinely check it. Arrival-card machines and English signage are standard; allow 30-60 minutes from gate to arrivals hall at peak. The official entry, visa-free and 240-hour transit lists live at the National Immigration Administration — check your nationality against our visa checker before you book.
How do you get connected and paid on landing?
Mobile-operator counters (China Mobile, Unicom, Telecom) sit in the arrivals halls of both terminals with passport-based SIM/eSIM registration; hours stretch past the last European arrivals but close overnight. An activated-before-landing eSIM remains the friction-free option. For the full comparison of eSIM vs roaming (and what stays blocked), see our internet & eSIM guide. Alipay/WeChat Pay with a linked foreign card works everywhere in the airport, including the Maglev gates and taxi queues. Exchange desks and bank ATMs operate 24h on the arrivals level. The complete playbook, including what to do when verification fails, is in payments in China and our rescue cards.
What is the best way into town?
The Maglev hits 300 km/h and reaches Longyang Road (Lines 2/7/16) in 8 minutes — but the last departure is 21:42, earlier than most visitors expect (official timetable; 50 yuan, 40 with a same-day flight ticket). The Airport Link Line suburban rail runs to Hongqiao T2 until 22:15, about 40 minutes end to end. Metro Line 2 crawls into town until about 22:00-22:30 (most trains require a same-platform cross at Guanglan Road — listen for the announcement). Metered taxis run 160-220 yuan plus a 30% night surcharge after 23:00. Heads-up: check-in is split by airline between T1 (China Eastern/SkyTeam) and T2 (Air China/Star Alliance/oneworld), and both feed satellite halls S1/S2 — a free 2-3 minute APM brings you back to the main building for baggage. Budget 20-30 minutes from gate to arrivals.
Landing late? Where should you sleep?
After the rails stop, the official Shouhang night bus runs from both terminals via Century Avenue to Hongqiao transport hub (80 minutes, 18-34 yuan) from 23:00 until 45 minutes after the last flight — roughly 05:30, every 30-45 minutes when full. Or sleep inside: T2 has paid sleep pods near gate 65, a free rest lounge near gate C71, and 24-hour free showers at gates D69 and D83 in the international arrivals area. Airport-adjacent rooms trade convenience for distance from the sights — right call after 23:00, wrong call otherwise.
Where should you spend the first night?
People's Square / Nanjing Road — Lines 1/2/8 intersect, everything walkable, first-timer default. Maglev to Longyang Road then Line 2, or the Airport Link Line. The Bund side costs more per night and is worth it exactly once.
Two scenario bases, editor-researched with honest trade-offs: