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 in Finland from another EU country for a holiday

If you arrive in Finland from another EU country as a tourist, 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 in Finland from outside the EU for a holiday

Driving a car yourself

If you are arriving in Finland from outside the EU as a tourist 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.

You can use your car in Finland for a maximum of six months. After six months, the car must be removed from Finland immediately to an area outside the EU or declared to Customs for use in Finland.

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

Bringing a car to Finland as freight

If you arrive in Finland from outside the EU as a tourist and you bring a car in Finland as freight, for example as an import item carried by a freight company, you are required to submit at least an oral customs declaration for the car, and to fill in customs form 613s.

The form has two pages, one of which is archived by Customs. The other page stays with you.

When you exit the customs territory of the EU, you are to return your copy of customs form 613e. If the customs office is not open, you can leave the form in the post box or e-mail it to the customs office.

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.