Endangered species and derivative products (CITES)
You are not allowed to import endangered species to Finland without a CITES permit. The prohibition concerns endangered animals and plants, parts thereof, as well as derived products.
Examples of products that may require a CITES permit:
- souvenirs, ornaments and instruments made for example from bone, turtle shell or a rare species of wood
- endangered pets (parrots, tortoises and many reptiles) and endangered plants (orchids, cacti, corals)
- watch braces, belts, bags or shoes made from crocodile skin or other reptile skin
- pelts and furt products
- cosmetics items that content animal or plant extracts
- Asian medicine products.
More information on CITES products is available on the ymparisto.fi website.
Note that you are always personally responsible for any goods that you order or bring to Finland. If you are not certain if an item involves an endangered species or a derived product, you should not buy it.
If you bring CITES products to Finland
If you wish to bring a CITES product to Finland, you should obtain the required permits well in advance. Imports permits are granted by the Finnish Environment Institute, not by Customs. An export permit is granted by the country from which you are importing an item to Finland. Permits are not granted retrospectively.
When you arrive in Finland, choose the red channel and show your permits to Customs. Also note that you can arrive in Finland only through specific border crossing points.
Importing CITES products to Finland without an appropriate permit is illegal.