Driving licence and car

Exchanging your licence, registering your car.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Driving in Finland with a foreign licence: European, British or Swiss licence, and exchange at Ajovarma

With a valid driving licence issued in an EU or EEA country, you can drive in Finland for its entire period of validity, with no compulsory exchange; you replace it when it expires. A British or Swiss licence lets you drive for two years after you settle in: you must exchange it before then. The exchange is done at Ajovarma, the provider approved by Traficom (the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency).

Costs: Authorisation to exchange a foreign licence: €45 at the counter (Traficom rate, page updated on 09/10/2026)
Timeframes: EU licence: no compulsory exchange as long as it is valid; British or Swiss licence: 2 years after settling in

Steps

Check the validity of your licence. It must have been obtained before you settled in Finland (a licence obtained abroad when your permanent residence was already in Finland is not valid).
EU or EEA licence: keep driving with it. When it approaches expiry, apply for a Finnish licence if you live in Finland long term (or if you are studying there for at least six months).
British or Swiss licence: book an appointment at Ajovarma well before the two years are up (allow 3 to 4 months for processing).
Go to Ajovarma with your documents. You receive a temporary licence during the procedure if your foreign licence is still valid.
EU licence: your Finnish licence generally arrives about two weeks after the exchange. British or Swiss licence: your foreign licence is sent to Traficom and kept until you leave Finland.

Documents

Passport or other official identity document.
Two passport photos (except with a valid Finnish passport or identity card).
Your foreign licence.
Medical certificate (valid for 6 months): for an EU licence, only if it has expired; always for a British or Swiss licence.
For a British or Swiss licence: official translation into Finnish, Swedish or English, unless the licence clearly shows the dates of issue and expiry and the categories.
If you are a student without permanent residence in Finland: enrolment certificate.

Costs and timelines

Authorisation to exchange a foreign licence: €45 at the counter (Traficom price list updated on 09/10/2026, consulted on 23/10/2026). The Traficom price list (page "Tieliikenteen tutkinto- ja lupapalvelujen asiakashinnat") lists separately the card application (ajokorttihakemus: €22 online, €32 at the counter) and the application for authorisation to exchange a foreign licence (€45 at the counter); it does not say that the two add up for an exchange, so ask Ajovarma for the total when you book your appointment.
Timelines: about 2 weeks for an EU licence; 3 to 4 months for a British or Swiss licence.
Temporary licence: EU, valid in Finland and the Nordic countries until the Finnish licence arrives; United Kingdom or Switzerland, valid only in Finland, 6 months at most (or until the foreign licence expires or the two years of residence are up).

Common pitfalls

Letting the two years go by with a British or Swiss licence. After two years of residence, you are no longer entitled to drive with it, and the exchange may require a theory and practical test.
Driving with an expired licence. With an expired British or Swiss licence, Ajovarma can no longer give you a temporary licence; with an expired EU licence, a medical certificate is needed for the exchange.
Believing that an EU licence must be exchanged on arrival. It is not compulsory; you only do it when it expires, or if you wish.
EU licence "for life". Traficom only says that an EU or EEA licence remains usable as long as it is valid and that it must be exchanged when its validity comes to an end; it does not deal with old licences with no end date (for example old French cardboard licences). Directive 2006/126/EC allows the host State to apply validity periods by renewing this licence 2 years after you settle in (art. 2 § 2) and requires all licences in circulation to comply by 19 January 2033 (art. 3 § 3): do the exchange before these deadlines.
Police check. With a British or Swiss licence, keep an official translation or an international licence if your licence does not clearly show its categories and validity.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA countries (including France, Belgium, Luxembourg): licence valid as long as it has not expired; exchange at Ajovarma when it reaches its expiry date. Temporary licences from the other Nordic countries are also accepted.
Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Scotland included): countries that are parties to the Geneva and Vienna conventions: driving possible for two years after settling in, then exchange compulsory. For a British or Swiss licence in the heavy goods vehicle, bus or BE category, the exchange goes through a test.
Åland Islands: Åland keeps its own licence register; Traficom treats Åland licences as EU licences. On the archipelago, the licence application goes through the Åland police (Ålands polismyndighet) and the tests through Fordonsmyndigheten (Åland vehicle agency); the Åland driving licence law (2015:88, art. 64) provides that an EEA licence can be exchanged for an equivalent Åland licence if you have your permanent residence in Åland or have been studying there for at least six months; the police (polismyndigheten) issue the new licence and take back the old one. A licence already subject to a measure in its country of issue cannot be exchanged. The exchange fees in Åland are not published in the Traficom price list: ask the Åland police.

Official sources (8) ›

Checked on 23 October 2026

Coming to Finland with my car: car tax (autovero), registration, insurance, annual tax and winter tyres

If you settle in Finland with a car registered abroad, you must register it in Finland and pay the autovero (car tax) once, calculated on the car's value on the Finnish market and its CO2 emissions. If you want to drive before registration, you first file a käyttöönottoilmoitus (notification of putting into use) with Vero (tax administration), then your tax return within 5 days; the car then goes through a rekisteröintikatsastus (registration inspection) and is registered only once the tax has been paid. After that, you pay the ajoneuvovero (annual vehicle tax) to Traficom every year, and you must drive on winter tyres when the weather requires it, from November to March.

Costs: Car tax (autovero) depending on the car's value on the Finnish market and its CO2 emissions; late penalty: €50 per vehicle tax return filed late (Vero)
Timeframes: Notification of putting into use before driving, then tax return within 5 days

Steps

Check whether you are still a "non-resident" for car tax purposes. For Vero, your permanent residence is where you live at least 185 days per calendar year and where your personal and professional ties are. A person who came for a temporary assignment can keep their residence abroad; if in doubt, ask Vero for a free decision (valid for one year).
Insure the car. Valid liikennevakuutus (motor third-party liability insurance) is compulsory before driving and for registration.
Before driving in Finland as a resident, file the notification of putting into use in OmaVero (or form 1220). The car must be registered in another EEA country, otherwise a transfer permit is needed. This notification is not necessary if the Finnish registration is ready before you drive, if the car is not driven on the road (trailer, transport by lorry) or if its use is exempt from tax; in that case, file the tax return directly before registration.
File the car tax return in OmaVero (or form 1200) within 5 days of the declared date of putting into use. For a car under 24 months old, state its options and equipment (except a 100% electric car).
Pay the tax after Vero's decision (in OmaVero or through your bank); you receive a message when the registration can be finalised.
Go through the registration inspection at an inspection station that offers registration (you can do it before paying the tax, but the registration is finalised only once the tax has been paid); you receive your plates at the first registration. Keep a copy of the foreign registration certificate; a certificate of conformity (COC) makes the procedures easier.
Pay the annual tax (ajoneuvovero) that Traficom then bills you every year.

Documents

Foreign registration certificate and, if possible, certificate of conformity (COC) with the CO2 emissions.
Proof of third-party liability insurance valid in Finland.
Henkilötunnus and access to OmaVero (Finnish bank codes or mobile certificate), or paper forms 1220 and 1200.
Tax decision and proof of payment; registration inspection certificate.
For a car coming from a non-EU country (United Kingdom, Switzerland): customs clearance decision from Finnish Customs.

Costs and timelines

Car tax (autovero): paid once; amount according to the car's general selling price in Finland and its CO2 emissions. Vero offers a calculator and a used-car price service (for cars over 2 years old). The final amount appears on the tax decision.
Filing deadline: notification of putting into use before the first use on the road; tax return within 5 days.
Late penalty: €50 for a vehicle tax return filed late (amount published by Vero, page consulted on 23/10/2026); driving without a notification of putting into use results in a punitive surcharge on the tax, instead of this penalty.
Non-residents: exemption if your permanent residence is abroad and the car is registered abroad and insured, up to 6 months out of 12 with no formalities; extension possible on request, one year at most.
New EU car (under 6 months or under 6,000 km, according to Vero's rules): VAT of 25.5% on a new means of transport, in addition to the car tax. Vero considers it new if the car was sold less than six months after its first entry into service or if it had been driven 6,000 km at most at the time of sale (either condition is enough).
Winter tyres (law 729/2018): compulsory in November, December, January, February and March if the weather or road conditions require it, with a tread depth of at least 3 mm for a car; studded tyres allowed from the beginning of November to the end of March (and outside that period if the weather requires it).

Common pitfalls

Driving for months with your foreign plates. As soon as your permanent residence is in Finland, driving without a notification of putting into use makes the tax due, with late-payment interest and surcharges.
Believing that moving house exempts the car. Vero indicates that car tax is due when you bring a car back from abroad and re-register it in Finland; Vero writes that the tax reduction for removal vehicles was "completely abolished": the tax is calculated as for any imported vehicle that will be registered in Finland.
Underestimating the tax. It can be high for a recent, powerful car: run the simulation on Vero's calculator before deciding to bring your car.
Forgetting winter tyres. In case of ice or snow between November and March, driving on summer tyres is forbidden.
Confusing the two taxes. The autovero is paid once to Vero; the ajoneuvovero is paid every year to Traficom.

What changes by country of origin

Cars registered in the EU or EEA: procedure above, no customs.
Cars registered in the United Kingdom (Scotland included) or Switzerland: outside the EU: customs clearance to be arranged with Finnish Customs (rules on removal goods on the Customs website, not consulted), and a transfer permit to drive before registration, as the car is not registered in the EEA.
Åland Islands: registration, inspection and plates are handled by Fordonsmyndigheten (Åland vehicle agency), which keeps its own register. The notification of putting into use and the car tax still go through Vero, and any vehicle to be registered in Åland must also be declared to Customs (Åland is outside the EU tax territory).

Official sources (12) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Driving licence and car

Exchanging your licence, registering your car.

Checked on 23 October 2026

Driving in Finland with a foreign licence: European, British or Swiss licence, and exchange at Ajovarma

Costs: Authorisation to exchange a foreign licence: €45 at the counter (Traficom rate, page updated on 09/10/2026)
Timeframes: EU licence: no compulsory exchange as long as it is valid; British or Swiss licence: 2 years after settling in

Steps

Check the validity of your licence. It must have been obtained before you settled in Finland (a licence obtained abroad when your permanent residence was already in Finland is not valid).
EU or EEA licence: keep driving with it. When it approaches expiry, apply for a Finnish licence if you live in Finland long term (or if you are studying there for at least six months).
British or Swiss licence: book an appointment at Ajovarma well before the two years are up (allow 3 to 4 months for processing).
Go to Ajovarma with your documents. You receive a temporary licence during the procedure if your foreign licence is still valid.
EU licence: your Finnish licence generally arrives about two weeks after the exchange. British or Swiss licence: your foreign licence is sent to Traficom and kept until you leave Finland.

Documents

Passport or other official identity document.
Two passport photos (except with a valid Finnish passport or identity card).
Your foreign licence.
Medical certificate (valid for 6 months): for an EU licence, only if it has expired; always for a British or Swiss licence.
For a British or Swiss licence: official translation into Finnish, Swedish or English, unless the licence clearly shows the dates of issue and expiry and the categories.
If you are a student without permanent residence in Finland: enrolment certificate.

Costs and timelines

Authorisation to exchange a foreign licence: €45 at the counter (Traficom price list updated on 09/10/2026, consulted on 23/10/2026). The Traficom price list (page "Tieliikenteen tutkinto- ja lupapalvelujen asiakashinnat") lists separately the card application (ajokorttihakemus: €22 online, €32 at the counter) and the application for authorisation to exchange a foreign licence (€45 at the counter); it does not say that the two add up for an exchange, so ask Ajovarma for the total when you book your appointment.
Timelines: about 2 weeks for an EU licence; 3 to 4 months for a British or Swiss licence.
Temporary licence: EU, valid in Finland and the Nordic countries until the Finnish licence arrives; United Kingdom or Switzerland, valid only in Finland, 6 months at most (or until the foreign licence expires or the two years of residence are up).

Common pitfalls

Letting the two years go by with a British or Swiss licence. After two years of residence, you are no longer entitled to drive with it, and the exchange may require a theory and practical test.
Driving with an expired licence. With an expired British or Swiss licence, Ajovarma can no longer give you a temporary licence; with an expired EU licence, a medical certificate is needed for the exchange.
Believing that an EU licence must be exchanged on arrival. It is not compulsory; you only do it when it expires, or if you wish.
EU licence "for life". Traficom only says that an EU or EEA licence remains usable as long as it is valid and that it must be exchanged when its validity comes to an end; it does not deal with old licences with no end date (for example old French cardboard licences). Directive 2006/126/EC allows the host State to apply validity periods by renewing this licence 2 years after you settle in (art. 2 § 2) and requires all licences in circulation to comply by 19 January 2033 (art. 3 § 3): do the exchange before these deadlines.
Police check. With a British or Swiss licence, keep an official translation or an international licence if your licence does not clearly show its categories and validity.

What changes by country of origin

EU and EEA countries (including France, Belgium, Luxembourg): licence valid as long as it has not expired; exchange at Ajovarma when it reaches its expiry date. Temporary licences from the other Nordic countries are also accepted.
Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Scotland included): countries that are parties to the Geneva and Vienna conventions: driving possible for two years after settling in, then exchange compulsory. For a British or Swiss licence in the heavy goods vehicle, bus or BE category, the exchange goes through a test.
Åland Islands: Åland keeps its own licence register; Traficom treats Åland licences as EU licences. On the archipelago, the licence application goes through the Åland police (Ålands polismyndighet) and the tests through Fordonsmyndigheten (Åland vehicle agency); the Åland driving licence law (2015:88, art. 64) provides that an EEA licence can be exchanged for an equivalent Åland licence if you have your permanent residence in Åland or have been studying there for at least six months; the police (polismyndigheten) issue the new licence and take back the old one. A licence already subject to a measure in its country of issue cannot be exchanged. The exchange fees in Åland are not published in the Traficom price list: ask the Åland police.

Official sources (8) ›

Checked on 23 October 2026

Coming to Finland with my car: car tax (autovero), registration, insurance, annual tax and winter tyres

Costs: Car tax (autovero) depending on the car's value on the Finnish market and its CO2 emissions; late penalty: €50 per vehicle tax return filed late (Vero)
Timeframes: Notification of putting into use before driving, then tax return within 5 days

Steps

Check whether you are still a "non-resident" for car tax purposes. For Vero, your permanent residence is where you live at least 185 days per calendar year and where your personal and professional ties are. A person who came for a temporary assignment can keep their residence abroad; if in doubt, ask Vero for a free decision (valid for one year).
Insure the car. Valid liikennevakuutus (motor third-party liability insurance) is compulsory before driving and for registration.
Before driving in Finland as a resident, file the notification of putting into use in OmaVero (or form 1220). The car must be registered in another EEA country, otherwise a transfer permit is needed. This notification is not necessary if the Finnish registration is ready before you drive, if the car is not driven on the road (trailer, transport by lorry) or if its use is exempt from tax; in that case, file the tax return directly before registration.
File the car tax return in OmaVero (or form 1200) within 5 days of the declared date of putting into use. For a car under 24 months old, state its options and equipment (except a 100% electric car).
Pay the tax after Vero's decision (in OmaVero or through your bank); you receive a message when the registration can be finalised.
Go through the registration inspection at an inspection station that offers registration (you can do it before paying the tax, but the registration is finalised only once the tax has been paid); you receive your plates at the first registration. Keep a copy of the foreign registration certificate; a certificate of conformity (COC) makes the procedures easier.
Pay the annual tax (ajoneuvovero) that Traficom then bills you every year.

Documents

Foreign registration certificate and, if possible, certificate of conformity (COC) with the CO2 emissions.
Proof of third-party liability insurance valid in Finland.
Henkilötunnus and access to OmaVero (Finnish bank codes or mobile certificate), or paper forms 1220 and 1200.
Tax decision and proof of payment; registration inspection certificate.
For a car coming from a non-EU country (United Kingdom, Switzerland): customs clearance decision from Finnish Customs.

Costs and timelines

Car tax (autovero): paid once; amount according to the car's general selling price in Finland and its CO2 emissions. Vero offers a calculator and a used-car price service (for cars over 2 years old). The final amount appears on the tax decision.
Filing deadline: notification of putting into use before the first use on the road; tax return within 5 days.
Late penalty: €50 for a vehicle tax return filed late (amount published by Vero, page consulted on 23/10/2026); driving without a notification of putting into use results in a punitive surcharge on the tax, instead of this penalty.
Non-residents: exemption if your permanent residence is abroad and the car is registered abroad and insured, up to 6 months out of 12 with no formalities; extension possible on request, one year at most.
New EU car (under 6 months or under 6,000 km, according to Vero's rules): VAT of 25.5% on a new means of transport, in addition to the car tax. Vero considers it new if the car was sold less than six months after its first entry into service or if it had been driven 6,000 km at most at the time of sale (either condition is enough).
Winter tyres (law 729/2018): compulsory in November, December, January, February and March if the weather or road conditions require it, with a tread depth of at least 3 mm for a car; studded tyres allowed from the beginning of November to the end of March (and outside that period if the weather requires it).

Common pitfalls

Driving for months with your foreign plates. As soon as your permanent residence is in Finland, driving without a notification of putting into use makes the tax due, with late-payment interest and surcharges.
Believing that moving house exempts the car. Vero indicates that car tax is due when you bring a car back from abroad and re-register it in Finland; Vero writes that the tax reduction for removal vehicles was "completely abolished": the tax is calculated as for any imported vehicle that will be registered in Finland.
Underestimating the tax. It can be high for a recent, powerful car: run the simulation on Vero's calculator before deciding to bring your car.
Forgetting winter tyres. In case of ice or snow between November and March, driving on summer tyres is forbidden.
Confusing the two taxes. The autovero is paid once to Vero; the ajoneuvovero is paid every year to Traficom.

What changes by country of origin

Cars registered in the EU or EEA: procedure above, no customs.
Cars registered in the United Kingdom (Scotland included) or Switzerland: outside the EU: customs clearance to be arranged with Finnish Customs (rules on removal goods on the Customs website, not consulted), and a transfer permit to drive before registration, as the car is not registered in the EEA.
Åland Islands: registration, inspection and plates are handled by Fordonsmyndigheten (Åland vehicle agency), which keeps its own register. The notification of putting into use and the car tax still go through Vero, and any vehicle to be registered in Åland must also be declared to Customs (Åland is outside the EU tax territory).

Official sources (12) ›

These guides give the general rules. Your situation can change the answer: Moovy looks at it with you and tells you when you need a professional.

Driving licence and car

Driving in Finland with a foreign licence: European, British or Swiss licence, and exchange at Ajovarma

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Coming to Finland with my car: car tax (autovero), registration, insurance, annual tax and winter tyres

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics

Driving licence and car

Driving in Finland with a foreign licence: European, British or Swiss licence, and exchange at Ajovarma

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Coming to Finland with my car: car tax (autovero), registration, insurance, annual tax and winter tyres

Steps

Documents

Costs and timelines

Common pitfalls

What changes by country of origin

Other topics