Finland is opening two visa application centers in Beijing and Shanghai in response to growing demand from Chinese visitors.

The new centers will be open from 8 am to 3 pm Monday to Friday. They will allow visa applicants to submit applications without appointment, either online or in paper form. They also will provide additional services such as on-site photographing and mail delivery of documents once the visa has been issued.

"It is a major step in bringing Finland onto the map for Chinese visitors. The Finnish visa center will make the visa process more efficient, fast and will give us the possibility to provide more comprehensive services for Chinese tourists and business people," said Marja Joenusva, consul general of Finland in Shanghai.

Finland has become an increasingly attractive destination for Chinese visitors. The General Consulate of Finland in Shanghai has seen 45 percent growth in the visa applications it has received in the first four months of this year, compared to the corresponding period last year, said Heta Laurila, immigration officer at the consulate.

Business and group tourism visa applicants can get their visas done in four working days, and in four to seven working days for private tourism visa applicants.

The Shanghai center on Middle Sichuan Road opens today and the Beijing center on Worker's Stadium North Road on May 25.