CITES products are endangered animals and plants, their parts and products made of them. The import these products may is prohibited or requires a permit. Further information: Environment.fi
- Pets (e.g. parrots, tortoises and many reptiles) and plants (e.g. orchids)
- Cosmetics and medicines containing parts of CITES species
- Clothes and accessories (e.g. wolf fur coat or a crocodile skin bag)
- Hunting requisites and fishing tackle (e.g. bear hair fly)
- Fish and fishery products (e.g. sturgeon, caviar, eel).
The import and export of some species are prohibited, but some products covered by the the CITES Convention can be imported and exported legally under appropriate permits. If a product being sold is made of a CITES species, you must get an export licence for it from the authorising body of the country in question. Some species, live animals and plants as well as consignments arriving by mail or as cargo also require an import permit issued by the Finnish Environment Institute.
Finnish Customs does not issue CITES permits. As needed, contact the Finnish Environment Institute to find out if a permit is required.
Approved border crossing points must be used for CITES specimens (plants, animals, their parts or products made from them) brought into Finland from non-EU countries or taken out of the EU via Finland.
Consult the Finnish Food Authority (in Finnish) as to what veterinary controls and licences are required for bringing animals or products of animal origin into Finland. You’ll find a list of the approved border crossing points on Finnish Food Authority's website.
Always consult Finnish Food Authority as to what controls and licences are required for importing or exporting plants.
If you don’t acquire a licence
Without appropriate documents, cross-border transports of CITES species and trade in them is illegal. If you don’t have the required licences, the products may be seized.
Customs supervises import goods that are subject to restrictions by means of risk analysis and X-ray, with the help of detector dogs, and by performing goods inspections when needed.
Please have a look at the frequently asked questions.
If you have a question about the arrival of parcels, its contents or the handling fee, please contact Posti.