Buying a car from abroad

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

1. Declare the car if needed

If you’re buying a car from an EU country, you don’t have to declare it. 

If you’re buying a car from outside the EU, you must declare it. You must pay VAT for the car as well as any customs duty that may be due. This also applies to a car you’ve bought from an EU country that has been imported from outside the EU but hasn’t been declared to the EU. 

If you drive the car to Finland or if someone else drives it on your behalf, the car must be declared at the customs office when it arrives in Finland. If the car is transported by a carrier, declare the car in the Import Declaration Service for private persons. You can ask the Customs Information Service for more information about the customs clearance and about alternative ways of declaring the car.

Remember to provide the vehicle identification number (VIN) in the customs declaration.

2. Make sure that you can use the car immediately after arrival

Using a car bought abroad in Finland requires that 

Without a registration or a transfer permit, you cannot drive the car in Finland. In that case, the car can only be moved on a trailer or using other transport.

You should apply for the transfer permit in advance from a vehicle inspection station. The transfer permit is subject to a charge. Read more about transfer permits on Traficom’s website. 

Permits can also be obtained from our customs offices with customer service. Always check with the customs office beforehand to ensure you can get transfer permits from that office.

3. Make sure that the other requirements are also met

  • Submit a car tax declaration to the Tax Administration within five days of submitting the declaration of use. 
  • Pay any car tax due.
  • Register the car.

You can find more specific guidance on the Tax Administration’s website and the Finnish Transport and Communication Agency Traficom’s website.

Other things to note

As a rule, the VAT rate on cars is 25.5% and the customs duty rate 10%. 
In addition, anti-dumping or countervailing duties must be paid on certain cars. These may considerably increase the import duties and taxes e.g. on a Chinese electric car. Read more about anti-dumping and countervailing duties. 

What is the VAT and the customs duty paid on?

VAT is paid on both the price of the car and on any costs incurred for transport, loading, unloading and insurance, as well as on other import costs incurred up to the destination in Finland.

Customs duty is paid on the price of the car and on the other above-mentioned costs incurred up to the EU border. In addition, VAT is paid on the customs duty. Read more about what the customs duty consists of.

When you’re buying a vehicle from Åland or bringing a vehicle to Åland, read the separate guidance.

If you’re buying a vehicle from the Canary Islands or some other area within the EU but outside the EU’s fiscal territory, you must declare the vehicle to Customs and pay VAT for it.

If you drive the car to Finland or if someone else drives it on your behalf, the car must be declared at the customs office when it arrives in Finland. If the car is transported by a carrier, declare the car in the Import Declaration Service for private persons. You can ask the Customs Information Service for more information about the customs clearance and about alternative ways of declaring the car.