Diplomatic goods

Submit the import declaration via the Customs Clearance Service or via message exchange.

If the consignment meets the requirements for customs duty exemption on diplomatic goods, provide the details according to this guidance in the customs declaration. You can find guidance on how to complete the rest of the customs declaration on the pages Common guidance on submitting import declarations.

Toimijatiedot (trader details)

If the consignment is intended for the official use of the mission, provide the details of the parties as follows:

• Via the Customs Clearance Service:
  • Under “Declarant” and “Importer”, provide the Business ID or the EORI number of the mission as the identification number.
  • Remove the trader office code and enter the details of the address in Finland.
  • As the trader nature, provide “D – Diplomatic mission”.
• via message exchange:
  • In the details of the declarant and importer, provide the Business ID or the EORI number of the mission as the identification number.
  • Enter the details of the address in Finland. The trader office code is not provided.
  • As the trader nature, provide “D – Diplomatic mission”.

If the consignment is imported for the personal use of diplomats, consuls, technical staff or their family members, provide the details of the parties as follows:

• As the declarant’s and the importer’s identification number, enter the personal identity code or, for foreign nationals, the country code and date of birth (ddmmyy), e.g. US21031960.
• As the trader nature, provide one of the following according to the person’s citizenship:
  • H – Private citizen/Finland
  • P – Private citizen/Non-EU
  • C – Private citizen/EU

Additional procedure code

As the additional procedure for the goods item, choose e.g. one of the following:

• “622 – Diplomatic goods, Customs duty exemption. Section 44 Customs Act, VAT exemption under section 94(1)(20) VAT Act, excise duty exemption under section 18 Act on Excise Duty”
  • The diplomat brings in removal goods or other goods for personal use and has applied for a “French paper” from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
  • The mission imports goods as freight and the consignment has not been marked as a diplomatic courier consignment (Diplomatic Bag). For the goods, the mission has applied for a “French paper” from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
• “3KZ – Exempt from customs duties, excise duties and VAT based on an international agreement. Customs duty exemption. Article 128 Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty, section 18 Act on Excise Duty, VAT exemption under section 96 VAT Act”
  • The consignment contains documents or items for the official use by the mission. The consignment is sealed and marked as a diplomatic courier consignment (Diplomatic Bag) and the consignment has been marked as a diplomatic bag.
• ”3RJ – Miscellaneous documents and articles sent free of charge to authorities and organisations.” Customs duty exemption under Article 104 Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 setting up a Community system of reliefs from customs duty (Duty Relief Regulation), VAT exemption under section 94(1)(16) VAT Act.”
  • The consignment contains goods in accordance with Article 104 of the Duty Relief Regulation, such as ballot papers for elections organised by bodies set up in third countries (commodity code 4911990000).

Additional document

If the customs duty exemption requires a “French paper” confirmed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, provide it as an additional document in the goods item details with the code 1ZZZ or 3EHS.

Commodity code

When the conditions for customs duty exemption for diplomatic goods are met and you provide the additional procedure code 622, you can use the commodity code “9905000000 – personal property belonging to natural persons transferring their normal place of residence”. You can also use the specific commodity codes of the goods.

When you provide the additional procedure code 3KZ or 3RJ and the consignment contains e.g. documents, you can use the commodity code “4911990000 – other printed matter”.

Do not include spaces in the commodity code.

Additional information

If the consignment contains a vehicle, enter the vehicle identification number under “Additional information” using the additional information code FIXBC.

Value details

Provide the statistical value of the consignment. You can enter 0 as the statistical value in the case of duty-exempt diplomatic goods or a diplomatic courier consignment (Diplomatic Bag). The statistical value includes the transport costs – in euros – up to the first border crossing point at the Finnish border.

Provide the known transaction price for the consignment. You can enter 0 as the transaction price in the case of duty-exempt diplomatic goods or a diplomatic courier consignment (Diplomatic Bag). Always select the type of currency, for example “EUR – Euro”.

If exemption from customs duty has been claimed using the additional procedure code 622 and a “French paper” has been presented as an additional document, exemption from customs duty is granted based on section 44 of the Customs Act. These duty-exempt goods are subject to a transfer restriction (section 45 of the Customs Act), unless otherwise agreed in the Vienna Conventions.

This means that the goods may not be lent, given as security, hired out or transferred, not even free of charge, for the next 3 years from the date on which Finnish Customs released the goods for free circulation as exempt from customs duty.

The goods can, however, be transferred without import duties and taxes to a mission or a person entitled to a similar exemption from customs duty and VAT.

If you wish to transfer the goods

After three years, the goods can be sold to anyone free of customs duty and VAT.

If you are going to transfer the goods before the expiry of the three-year time limit, you should notify Customs of it in advance. The import duties and taxes must be paid for the goods.

A private individual’s vehicle

If exemption from the customs duty on a vehicle as diplomatic goods has been granted to a person who moves from Finland and sells the vehicle before the expiry of the three-year time limit, a part of the import duties and taxes will be payable on the vehicle. The vehicle can, however, be transferred without import duties and taxes to a mission or a person entitled to a similar exemption from customs duty and VAT.

Proceed as follows:

• The Ministry for Foreign Affairs issues a sales permit, with which the diplomat’s exit from the country is confirmed.
• 1/36 of the full customs duty rate and VAT rate must be paid for each full month or part of a month that is left of the required three-year time limit.

If the conditions for customs duty exemption are not met, the code “D – Diplomatic mission” cannot be used as the trader nature code. For practical reasons, the EORI number must be provided as the trader’s identification number in the case of a foreign mission. Submit the import declaration according to the Common guidance on submitting import declarations.

The import duties and taxes will be payable, because the conditions for customs duty exemption are not met.

Finnish diplomats returning to Finland do not have diplomatic status in Finland. Therefore, their removal goods cannot be declared according to the guidance on diplomatic goods.

However, removal goods can be exempt from customs duty for other reasons. Check the conditions for exemption from customs duty on removal goods on the page I am moving to Finland. Guidance on declaring removal goods: This is how you declare removal goods.

If you are exporting diplomatic consignments outside the EU, check the guidance on the page How to make an export declaration.

• Duty Relief Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009)
• Customs Act 306/2016 (available in Finnish and Swedish)
• Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (SopS 4/1970) (in Finnish)
  • Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (in English) (pdf)
• Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (SopS 50/1980) (in Finnish)
  • Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (in English) (pdf)