Arriving in Finland to study and bringing a car

The instructions on this page concern both cars and other vehicles.

Is the country part of the EU? Look it up here.

Arriving for studies from another EU country

If you are arriving in Finland from another EU country for studies, you are not required to declare your car to Customs.

However, there are many requirements for using your car in Finland. See the Tax Administration website for details.

Arriving to study from outside the EU

If you are arriving in Finland from outside the EU to study and you bring a vehicle by driving it yourself, you do not need to submit a customs declaration. You can arrive in Finland using the green channel. Be sure to have a document proving your student status should Customs ask for one.

The car you bring cannot be used by anyone other than you, the student. During student holidays, you can leave your car in Finland and exit the EU territory. However, no one is allowed use your car while you are away.

When you have completed your studies, you are required to remove your car from Finland immediately to an area outside the EU or declare it for use in Finland. Customs can check the certificate issued by the educational institution to see when your studies were completed.

There are also other requirements for using your car in Finland. See the Tax Administration website for details.

You may need a Frontier Motor Liability Insurance if you bring a vehicle registered abroad to Finland for temporary use.

You will need the Frontier Motor Liability Insurance if

the vehicle is registered in a country outside the green card system or
the vehicle does not have a valid green card.

A green card is an international certificate on a valid traffic insurance. Read more about the Green Card on the website of the Finnish Motor Insurers' Centre (LVK).

You can buy the Frontier Motor Liability Insurance at a customs office.

Note that, as of 16 February 2024, Customs does not sell frontier motor liability insurances to vehicles under Russian registration. However, insurances are sold for cars of EU and EEA citizens who reside permanently in Russia, and for diplomatic vehicles.