The border crossing points at the eastern border are temporarily closed
The border crossing points of Kuusamo, Salla, Vartius, Vaalimaa, Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Raja-Jooseppi are temporarily closed.
The freight train traffic in Vainikkala continues.
Read more in our notice
Are you arriving by car from Russia?
Ensure smooth passage through Customs when you return. Read our guidance in advance.
Please note!
Due to the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia there are also various restrictions on imports. Note that the import and export regulations may change quickly, so you should always find out what regulations apply by consulting, for example, the authorities of the country in question.
Time limits for the temporary use of a passenger vehicle
If so required by weather or road surface conditions, winter tyres must be used from 1 November to 31 March. Studded tyres can be used from 1 November to 31 March and also during other periods if so required by weather or road surface conditions.
Read more on Traficom’s website.
Import of alcoholic beverages from Russia
You are currently not allowed to bring in strong alcoholic beverages (over 22%) such as whisky, rum, gin, vodka or liqueurs, from Russia to Finland.
You are also not allowed to bring in light alcoholic beverages to which alcohol has been added during production. These are, for example, some long drinks and hard seltzer drinks. The ban concerns also alcoholic beverages bought from tax-free shops.
However, you can bring in other light alcoholic beverages, for example beer as well as fermented wines and ciders. You can only bring in a restricted quantity of these for personal use or as a gift.
You are allowed to bring in, free of customs duties and taxes, for your own use or as a gift:
4 litres of still wine
16 litres of beer (over 0.5% ABV)
Still wine includes red wines, white wines and rosés.
In addition
1 litre of strong alcoholic beverages (over 22% ABV)
2 litres of alcoholic beverages (max. 22% ABV)
For example aperitifs (such as vermouth, bitter, liqueur, sherry, long drinks, cider and sparkling wine)
Remember the age limits!
Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to bring in alcoholic beverages.
Persons under the age of 20 are only allowed to bring in light alcoholic beverages.
The limits for bringing in alcohol beverages
If you live in Finland and arrive in Finland from Russia, you may only import alcoholic beverages if your journey has lasted more than 24 hours.
If you live outside the EEA and arrive in Finland by road, you may import alcoholic beverages only if you are staying in Finland for more than three days.
For more information on the time limits and other matters that apply to traveller imports of alcohol
All import of cigarettes, cigarillos and cigars from Russia is prohibited.
You are allowed to bring in, free of customs duties and taxes, for your own use or as a gift:
200 cigarettes
50 cigars
100 cigarillos (max. 3 g/each)
250 grams of roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco or waterpipe tobacco
In addition, you are allowed to bring in free of duty within the value limits for traveller imports (430/300 €):
10 millilitres of nicotine liquids
200 units of ready-rolled and 250 grams of loose herbal products for smoking
A total of 1 000 grams of chewing tobacco, nasal tobacco and oral tobacco (snus)
Remember the age limits!
To bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids you must be aged 18 or over.
Time limits for bringing in tobacco products and nicotine liquids
If you live in Finland and you arrive in Finland from Russia, and your journey has lasted no more than 24 hours, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
If you live outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and arrive in Finland by road and your stay in Finland lasts no more than three days, you are not allowed to bring in tobacco products or nicotine liquids.
The fuel in the regular tank of a motor vehicle is tax-free. In addition, motor fuel is tax-free up to the amount of 10 litres per motor vehicle if the fuel is brought into Finland in a portable container carried by a passenger car or a motorcycle and, if the fuel is of the same kind as the fuel used in that vehicle. Therefore, customs duties and tax are levied on fuel brought into the country in portable containers in commercial motor vehicles, such as trucks and vans.
Update, 16 June 2022: Due to the sanctions laid down by the EU against Russia, travellers are for the time being only allowed to bring in fuel from Russia in the regular tank of a motor vehicle. You are not allowed to bring in fuel in a portable container or a can carried in the vehicle.
Imports of medicines are subject to restrictions. The restrictions depend on the country you’re arriving from and whether the medicine is classified as an over-the-counter medicine, a prescription medicine or a narcotic medicine in Finland.
If you are arriving in Finland from outside the EEA (the EEA = the EU countries, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), you may bring in, for your personal use, medicinal products in a quantity corresponding to no more than three months’ use.
Take your prescriptions, a patient instruction sheet printed out by your doctor or a summary of your prescriptions with you. We advise you to carry your medicines in their original packaging in your hand luggage.
Exception: Restrictions apply to imports of medicines classified as narcotics.
Apart from a few exceptions, you are not allowed to bring in milk, meat or products containing milk or meat from outside the EU. The ban has been issued by the Finnish Food Authority, which governs food safety in Finland, in order to prevent the spread of animal diseases.
However, you can bring in chocolate, sweets, bread, cakes, biscuits and other confectionery products.
Please note! Upon arrival from outside the EU, a phytosanitary certificate is always also required for plants, fresh fruits, vegetables and berries brought in by travellers. It is almost impossible for a private person to get a phytosanitary certificate. In practice, this means that plants, fresh fruits, berries and vegetables, apart from a few exceptions, can no longer be brought into the country from outside the EU.
Plants and plant products such as fruit, vegetables and seeds can only be brought in subject to restrictions. Some of these products require a phytosanitary certificate, while imports of some products may be prohibited altogether
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. Thus, you may only bring in 125 grams of caviar, for example.
If you’re planning to make tax-free purchases in Finland, make sure that you follow the guidance for tax-free purchases already when buying the goods.
Ask the vendor how you can obtain a refund for the taxes you’ve paid. The vendor can refund you the taxes or use a refund office. In some cases, you must get the form or invoice stamped by Customs.
Customs never refunds the taxes paid for purchases.
When travelling by car, bus, train or on board a vessel or aircraft that is in your own recreational use, you may bring in goods you’ve bought for a total value of 300 euros without having to pay customs duties or taxes.
If you bought products for yourself or as a gift for more than 300 euros, you must declare the purchases to Customs.
When you declare the goods, choose the red channel or declare them in some other manner to Customs. Present a receipt of your purchases to the customs official. When clearing the goods through Customs you will pay the customs duties and taxes due for them.
Exception: Restrictions apply to imports of goods such as alcohol, tobacco products and fuel. Find out what the restrictions are.
Customs works to prevent the transport of endangered animals, plants or products made from them from one country to another. Do you know what you’re buying or bringing in?
Always ensure in advance that you are not buying or importing endangered. If in doubt, contact Finland’s environmental administration (the CITES permitting authority) to find out whether it is a matter of import or export of a specimen that requires a permit.
Examples:
Clothing and accessories (e.g. a wolf fur coat or a watch strap or bag made of snakeskin)
Fsh and fishery products (e.g. sturgeon meat, caviar, eel)
Utility articles and ornaments (made of bone or rare woods)
Hunting requisites and fishing tackle (e.g. bear hair fly)
Pets (e.g. parrots, tortoises and many reptiles) and plants (e.g. orchids)
Cosmetics and medicines containing parts of CITES species
If you are travelling with cash worth 10 000 euros or more when you enter the EU, you must submit a cash declaration to Customs on your own initiative.
Remember that you are only required to declare the cash – there are no restrictions on the amount of cash.
Are you carrying 10 000 euros or more in cash or a corresponding amount in some other currency or in gold?
If you are carrying cash worth 10 000 euros or more in some currency or in gold, you must submit a cash declaration to Customs. Print out and complete the cash declaration form beforehand. Enclose a copy of your passport or ID with the declaration. You can send the declaration form in advance by email.
Choose the red channel or provide the declaration in some other manner to Customs. You can also get the declaration form from Customs at the border crossing point.
Do not bring a radar detector with you. The use and possession of radar detectors in motor vehicles are prohibited in Finland. An unconnected radar detector in your car is considered possession.
Make sure that your dog travels smoothly. Restrictions apply when bringing dogs into Finland, depending on the country you’re arriving from.
Prepare in good time and get the necessary jabs, pet IDs (usually a microchip) and documents. We advise you to obtain an EU pet passport for your pet from a veterinarian.
Consult the Finnish Food Authority in advance to find out what requirements apply to imports of pets. If you are not certain if the documents you have on your dog are adequate, send them to the Food Authority in advance for inspection.
When a pet arrives from a country outside the EU, it will always undergo an inspection. The inspection is carried out either by Customs or a border veterinarian.
Consult the Finnish Food Authority to find out if the animal you wish to import needs to be inspected by a border veterinarian. When arriving from outside the EU, present the dog and its documents to Customs.
At Vaalimaa and Nuijamaa border crossing points, the animal may also be inspected by the Border Guard.
You should not bring with you any of the goods listed below, as the importation of these dangerous objects to Finland is prohibited:
- Knuckledusters, stilettos, shurikens, electroshock weapons, electric batons, spring batons, slingshots, fireworks and edged and bladed weapons disguised as other objects. More information on restrictions (in Finnish)
If you are unsure about the import restrictions, please ask for advice. You can choose the red channel at Customs, ask a customs official or contact our customer service. We are happy to help you.
Do not bring with you any gas sprays, pepper sprays or self-defence sprays if you do not have an appropriate import authorisation in compliance with the Finnish Firearms Act. The importation of gas sprays to Finland from other EU countries and from outside the EU without an authorisation provided for in the Firearms Act is prohibited.
Gas sprays include all pepper sprays, self-defence sprays and similar products which can be used to spread a debilitating agent. The importation of such products without an appropriate licence is also prohibited. More information on firearms licences on the Police website
Do you know what everyman’s right means?
Everyone in Finland has the right to enjoy nature and, for example, pick berries, as long as they don’t cause any damage or disturbance to nature. Go to the website of Finland’s environmental administration and read about everyman’s right so you can make the most of your holiday.
If you travel to the Åland Islands, read the guidance published by Visit Åland on everyman’s right in Åland.
Arriving from a business trip?
When bringing goods owned by the company into Finland they must be cleared through Customs upon arrival. There are separate instructions for situations where you brought the goods with you on your trip and are bringing them back, or when you bring them to Finland for the first time. Read more: Travelling on business with company goods.
We are happy to help you with any questions you may have about customs matters.
The right of crewmembers of a means of transport in professional traffic to bring in goods tax free
A crewmember on duty on a means of transport that provides professional transportation between Finland and a country or territory outside the EU, can in a calendar month import the same quantity of goods free of tax as passengers can from one trip.
You must enter the goods in a customs clearance carnet upon their import. Pick up a customs clearance carnet in time, before your employment on the means of transport begins. The customs clearance carnet must be presented to Customs upon request. Read more on the customs clearance carnet.