Rules and laws in Finland (2026)
Last reviewed: 30 October 2026
Every topic we cover for Finland. Each rule links to its official source.
Driving
Distinguishing sign on cars
The Finnish Vehicle Act makes the registration state's plates and nationality sign a condition for using a foreign-registered vehicle in Finland. The sign on the left of an EU plate is recognised under Regulation (EC) No 2411/98. Finnish plates carry FIN.
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Driving after drugs
The Criminal Code makes it an offence to drive a motor vehicle with an active substance of a narcotic drug or its metabolite in the blood, unless it comes from medicine the driver may lawfully use. The basic offence carries a fine or up to six months in prison.
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E-bikes and speed pedelecs
An electrically assisted bicycle with at most 250 W that cuts out at 25 km/h is a bicycle under Finnish law. Cyclists must generally wear a helmet. Fast e-bikes and the rules on age, licence and insurance were not verified.
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E-scooters
A light electric vehicle, which includes an electric kick scooter limited to 25 km/h and 1 kW, is ridden under the bicycle rules and may not carry passengers. The rider must be 15 or older. Licence, helmet, plate and the insurance rule for lighter vehicles were not stated on the page read.
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Foreign driving licences
A driving licence from an EU or EEA state is valid in Finland within its period of validity. Visitors may use licences from convention states and other recognised states, with an international licence or translation if the licence does not clearly show categories and validity. Residents may keep using a convention-state licence for 2 years and another recognised state's licence for one year.
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Mopeds
A moped (mopo) in Finland needs a class AM licence, with a minimum age of 15. A helmet, traffic insurance and a rear registration plate are required. The maximum permitted speed is 45 km/h.
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Motorcycles: helmets and licences
Riders and passengers of motorcycles must wear an approved helmet, and motor vehicles must use headlights or daytime lights while driving. The minimum ages are 16 for category A1, 18 for A2 and 24 for A, or 20 after two years on A2.
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Seat belts and child seats
Seat belts must be worn in cars wherever a belt is installed. Children under 135 cm must use a child restraint, and a rear-facing seat may not be used on a seat with an active front airbag.
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Winter tyres and snow chains
Finland requires winter tyres on cars with at least 3.0 mm tread in November to March when weather or road conditions require it. Studded tyres are allowed from November to March and at other times if conditions require, and snow chains are allowed.
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Travel
Air passenger rights
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 applies to flights departing from Finland, with compensation of EUR 250, 400 or 600 by distance. Consumers go to the Consumer Advisory Services and the Consumer Disputes Board, business travellers to Traficom.
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Customs allowances for tobacco and alcohol
Finnish Customs lists what a traveller may bring for personal use. From other EU countries the guideline quantities include 200 cigarettes, 110 litres of beer and 90 litres of wine. From outside the EU the tax-free allowances are 200 cigarettes, 16 litres of beer, 4 litres of still wine and 1 litre of spirits.
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Health cover for temporary visitors
A European Health Insurance Card (or a UK GHIC) gives access to necessary medical care in the Finnish public healthcare system. Finnish providers accept only a physical card, and Kela handles reimbursement claims.
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Meat and dairy imports
Food can generally be brought into Finland when travelling in the EU, with restrictions on pork and wild boar products from countries with African swine fever. Meat, meat products, milk and dairy products cannot be brought from outside the EU, except from Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Allowances from outside the EU are 2 kg of infant food and 20 kg of fish.
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Rail passenger rights
EU Regulation 2021/782 applies in Finland, with exemptions for certain commuter routes and services to Russia. A delay of 60 minutes or more gives a right to reimbursement or re-routing, and compensation is 25% (60 to 119 minutes) or 50% (120 minutes or more).
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Short stays (90/180-day rule)
Citizens of visa-exempt countries may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The passport must be valid for at least three months after departure and issued within ten years. Non-EU nationals are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System.
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Tax-free shopping for visitors
Finland has a voluntary tax-free scheme for travellers who live outside the EU and Norway. The purchase must be at least EUR 40 and the goods exported unused within three months of the month of purchase. The refund follows a Customs-stamped receipt.
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Travelling with personal medicines
Medicines for personal use may be carried in up to a year's supply from an EEA state and three months' supply from outside the EEA. Narcotic-classified medicines are limited to 30 days' supply from a Schengen country and 14 days' from elsewhere, and a Schengen certificate is used when travelling in Schengen. The pages were read as archive snapshots.
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Travelling with pets
EU-wide rules for travelling with a dog, cat or ferret apply in Finland from 22 April 2026: a microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport from another EU country. Up to 5 animals may travel in one non-commercial movement. National restrictions were not verified.
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Living
Home education
Compulsory education can be met by attending organised basic education or by obtaining equivalent knowledge in another way. The home municipality supervises the progress of a child who is not in organised teaching. Compulsory education starts in the year the child turns seven and ends at 18.
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Maximum working time
Regular working time is at most 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, and total working time including overtime may average 48 hours a week over four months. Employees need 11 hours of daily rest and 35 hours of weekly rest.
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Registering residence for longer stays
EU citizens staying in Finland for more than three months must register their stay with the Finnish Immigration Service within three months of entry. A move of home municipality is notified to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency from one month before to one week after the move.
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Smoke alarms in homes
The building owner must equip every dwelling with a sufficient number of smoke alarms and keep them in working order. The resident must tell the owner promptly about faults.
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State pension age
In Finland's earnings-related pension scheme the retirement age rises by three months per birth year from those born in 1955 until it is 65 for those born from 1962 to 1964. For people born in 1965 or later it is linked to life expectancy, first adjusted in 2027. A partial old-age pension can be taken from age 62.
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Restrictions
Cannabis
Cannabis is a narcotic in Finland. Possession, use, sale and cultivation for use as a drug are criminal offences; a small amount for own use carries a fine or up to six months in prison. Driving with active cannabis substance in the blood is drink-driving.
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Drinking age and alcohol sales
The minimum age is 18 for mild alcoholic drinks (up to 22%) and 20 for strong drinks. Retail sale is a state monopoly with exceptions: shops may sell fermented drinks up to 8.0% and other drinks up to 5.5%, between 09:00 and 21:00.
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Drones
Drone operators register with Traficom if the drone weighs 250 g or more or has a camera or other sensor; the operator must be 18 and the remote pilot 12. Open-category flights are limited to 120 m, and remote identification is required for C1, C2 and C3 drones. Liability insurance is obligatory above 20 kg.
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Fireworks
Fireworks may be handed to consumers aged 18 or over, and F2 and F3 fireworks only from approved sales points and not from shops between 1 and 26 December. They may be used without notice from 18:00 on 31 December to 02:00 on 1 January unless the local rescue authority decides otherwise.
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Knives and pepper spray
Holding blade weapons and similar objects in a public place is prohibited unless a work task or other acceptable reason makes it necessary. Gas sprayers need a police permit under the Firearms Act.
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Tobacco and nicotine age limits
The minimum age to buy tobacco, e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches is 18. Smoking and vaping are banned in indoor public premises and vehicles used by the public, and in a private vehicle with a person under 15 inside.
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General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official source before you fly or ride.