Skip to content

How do I apply for a warehousing authorisation and what is required?

  • Make sure that your company has a comprehensive guarantee authorisation for warehousing granted by Customs. If you do not have this authorisation, read more: How do I apply for authorisations for comprehensive guarantee and payment deferment?
  • Find out if the warehouse records you are planning to use meet the requirements set by Customs.
  • Find out if your storage space is such that it can be used for storing undeclared goods.

Apply for a warehousing authorisation in the Authorisation Service of Finnish Customs

Complete the application form carefully, enclose the attachments mentioned in the service (e.g. floor plan and description of the transport and logistics system) and send it to the Customs Authorisation Centre.

If there is a service interruption in the Authorisation Service, you can apply for the authorisation using an application form:

  • Application for a temporary storage authorisation: Transport or temporary storage authorisation, customs form 1012s or 1012r (Finnish or Swedish)
  • Application for an authorisation to operate a customs warehouse: Customs form 1017e
  • Enclose your trade register extract and the floor plan of the warehouse facility or other verification regarding the storage space or place where undeclared goods will be stored.
  • Send the application with attachments to the Customs Authorisation Centre
    • by email (with scanned original documents) to lupakeskus(at)tulli.fi or
    • by post to: Customs Authorisation Centre, PL 261, 65101 Vaasa.

You can influence the processing time of your application if you are proactive and e.g. draw-up a description of your company’s warehousing process before submitting the application. In the application, provide the details of the person in your company who is responsible for matters regarding warehousing. When the application has been submitted, reply as specifically and as soon as possible to questions from the official processing the authorisation.

Points to consider

If your company does not have an authorisation for comprehensive guarantee, or if your current authorisation does not include warehousing, apply for an authorisation for comprehensive guarantee in the Authorisations Service of Finnish Customs and attach all information regarding you company that is requested in the service.

During the application process for the authorisation for comprehensive guarantee, you will receive a notification of the amount of guarantee needed for warehousing. You will receive a decision regarding your application in which is indicated the reference amount for warehousing (the amount of taxes). Once you have a decision on the authorisation for comprehensive guarantee, you can submit your application for a warehousing authorisation. Read more about the comprehensive guarantee.


Customs does not impose any specific technical requirements regarding storage spaces. Staff facilities, break rooms and office spaces cannot be included in storage facilities for undeclared goods. Customs inspects the spaces during the authorisation process. These facilities must be separated from the rest of the building or site in question so that access by unauthorised persons is restricted. During warehouse opening hours, the warehouse can be supervised for example so that outside persons can access it only when staff is present.

If an individual building or area houses also other companies in addition to the holder of the warehouse authorisation, the facilities used by the companies must be separated for example with a wire fence.

If changes to the facilities are required after the authorisation is granted, the holder of the authorisation must contact the customs office that supervises operative activities prior to making changes. If the warehouse is moved to another location, the holder of the authorisation must lodge an amendment application with the Customs Authorisation Centre.


Records approved by Customs have to be kept for goods to be stored temporarily. Customs inspects the records during the authorisation process. The records can be kept in Finnish, Swedish or English; either electronically or manually.

The records must be up-to-date and must be traceable all the way from the arrival of the goods to the exit from the storage facility. The system must be able to create reports on different storage situations to customs; for example, on the stock balance and warehouse transactions.

Read more on reporting: Keeping records and reporting in temporary storage

General requirements on keeping records can be found in Customs regulation 13/2016 on record keeping in temporary storage (in Finnish and Swedish).


Records approved by Customs have to be kept for goods placed under a customs warehousing procedure. The warehouse authorisation defines who is responsible for the record keeping; the authorisation holder or the holder of the procedure. The records can be kept in Finnish, Swedish or English; either electronically or manually. The goods items of each consignment must be separated in the records. If the records are kept on a product level, they must show the consignment the goods arrived in.

The records must be up-to-date and must be traceable all the way from the arrival of the goods to the exit from the storage facility. The system must be able to produce reports on different storage situations to customs; for example, on the stock balances and warehouse transactions.

Read more on reporting: Keeping records and reporting in customs warehousing

General requirements on keeping records can be found in Customs regulation on record keeping under the customs warehousing procedure (in Finnish and Swedish)