Customs regulations for your trip to Finland

Customs regulations

Import regulations:

Free import for passengers arriving with goods purchased within the EU which are for personal use only:
a. there is no limit on the quantity of purchases made, inclusive of tax, in the shops of an EU Member State and brought to Finland if these goods are for the travelers own or their families consumption or brought in as a non-commercial gift.
b. there is also no limit on the following food items if brought in for the travelers own consumption: meat, meat-products, fish, fish-products, milk, milk-products and egg-products from an EU Member State;

Free import to passengers arriving from non-EU Member States (including the Aland Islands, Canary Islands and similar territories):

Tobacco products (for passengers aged 17 years of age and over):

• 200 cigarettes; or
• 100 cheroots; or
• 50 cigars; or
• 250 grams of tobacco; or
• a proportional mix of these products;

Alcoholic beverages (passengers aged 20 years of age and older may import all of the below; those passengers aged over 18 years of age are allowed to carry only alcoholic beverages with max. 22% vol.):

• 1 liter of spirits over 22% volume, or non-denatured ethyl alcohol with more than 80% volume; or
• 2 liters of spirits or aperitifs made of wine or similar beverages less than 22% volume, or sparkling wines or liquor wines; or
• a proportional mix of these products; and in addition
• 4 liters still wine; and
• 16 liters of beer;

Cut flowers, except for chrysanthemums and carnations (from countries outside Europe) and orchids from Thailand; other goods (for air travelers) up to a total value of EUR 430.- per traveler.

Products of animal origin, not originating from an EU Member State, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino or Switzerland, are not permitted to be imported into an EU Member State, with the exception of limited amounts from Andorra, Faroe Isl., Greenland, Iceland and small amounts of specific products from other countries.

For full details, please see or refer to the website of the European Union, http://europa.eu/.

For full details please see Terms & Definitions, section 5. Customs, or refer to the website of the European Union, http://europa.eu/.

Certain plants and plant products entering the EU must have an original phytosanitary certificate (see www.ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity). These items must be declared on arrival and are subject to phytosanitary checks.

Arms and Ammunition regulations:

Transfer and importation for private purposes of firearms, parts of firearms and cartridges suitable for use in firearms, requires a permit, issued by the police authority at the importer’s home municipality or place of residence.
This permit must indicate that the person is authorized to possess the firearm concerned. The transfer and importation of especially dangerous cartridges or dangerous edged weapons is prohibited.
For more information contact the Police Department of the Finnish Ministry of Interior. Tel: 358 9 1601.

Prohibited: It is not allowed to import arms and ammunition from Russian Fed. and Syria. For more information see https://sanctionsmap.eu/#/main/

Additional Information on regulations:

Import of narcotic drugs is only allowed with special permission from authorities of Finland.

Export regulations:

Free export:

tobacco products: no restrictions;

alcoholic beverages: passengers of 20 years of age or more up to 12 liters of strong beer and up to 5 liters of other alcoholic beverages (18 years of age only mild ones).

Pets:

Cats and dogs are subject to Regulation (EC) No. 998/2003 and Regulation (EU) 576/2013 .
Birds are subject to Decision (EC) No. 25/2007 . For more information contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Food and Health. Tel: 358 9 160 53387. Fax: 358 9 160 53338. Pets may enter as passengers’ checked baggage or as cargo.

Baggage Clearance regulations:

Baggage is cleared at the airport of final destination in Finland.

Currency

Currency Import regulations:

Same regulations as per Export apply.

Currency Export regulations:

Local currency (Euro – EUR) and foreign currencies: no restrictions if arriving from or traveling to another EU Member State . If arriving directly from or traveling to a country outside the EU: amounts exceeding EUR 10,000.- or more or the equivalent in another currency (incl. banker’s draft and cheques of any kind) must be declared.

Airport Tax

No airport tax is levied on passengers upon embarkation at the airport.

Learn all about regulations for your destination country. From airport tax to be paid on departure, to importing pets, as well as rules on how much currency you may bring into and out of a country.

Used Household and Personal Effects

Client must be in Finland and have a primary residence there at the time of the customs clearance process. Used household goods and personal effects are duty free provided goods have been owned and used by the client for a minimum of six months and customer has lived abroad for at least one year. Personal effects can be imported within 12 months of arrival into Finland. The goods cannot be sold, lent or otherwise disposed of for at least 2 years. Note: An EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number is required for all imports and exports to clear Customs in the European Union. The EORI number must be used in all electronic communications with Customs Offices and other government agencies and departments. This number is valid in all EU member states and replaces ALL Customs identification numbers including the TIN (Traders Identification Number. Consult with your Destination Agent for further details and assistance. Note: Documents and Customs regulations vary according to nationality of the client. Finnish Customs has an English version in the Acknowledgments section below with all necessary forms, requirements and procedures.

Required Documents

We recommend taking copies of the original documents beforehand. Attachments to the visa application/documents won’t be returned. The application filled incorrectly and carelessly can cause denial of visa. The applicant may need to supply additional details, e.g. a more detailed plan of the trip, or the applicant can be invited to the interview.

1. One application form filled by computer, online (Internet based application can be found at the Visa centre’s web site, address http://visa.finland.eu/Russia/Moscow/English/Online_Application_Form.html) or by hand neatly. It should be signed by the applicant personally (signature must be placed both to the question 37 and to the end of the last page). A minor’s visa application form is signed by his/her guardian(s). The Embassy of Finland in Moscow accepts only application forms filled in online. The Embassy of Finland in Moscow and its visa centers accept application forms filled in Latin letters only (you may write in Russian, but with Latin characters).

2. Valid foreign passport (and other valid foreign passports, if the applicant has several). The passport must be valid for 3 months after the end of the visa, have two free pages, and it has to be issued during the last ten years. The applicant must have with him a copy of the page with the applicant’s biodata.
3. Old/expired foreign passports (if the applicant has any).
4. One recent color photograph taken against a light one-colored background, grey color is recommended, 36 mm wide x 47 mm height in size, 25 mm – 35 mm height of the head, not more than 6 months old. Retouching a photo is prohibited.
5. Please note, after having submitted a visa application at the Visa Centre, Russian citizens have to provide their domestic passport for cash transactions.
6. Travel insurance policy – Each applicant (including children) must have an insurance policy. An exception are spouses of EU citizens and their under 21-year-old children, as well as holders of diplomatic and official passports on official travel. They do not need an insurance policy. An applicant for a multiple-entry visa may provide an insurance policy, which is valid during the first trip. The applicant undertakes to purchase an insurance policy for further trips by signing the visa application.

Basic requirements for an insurance policy:

• Insurance validity area should cover all the Schengen countries, no areal restrictions (for example “Finland, Schengen”) are allowed.
• Without franchise.
• The insurance coverage limit should be not less than 30 000 euros or equivalent amount in other currency (for example, 50 000 dollars).
• Policies should insure the costs in case of sudden illness or accident and assistance on site, including the costs of medical repatriation to the place of permanent residence of the insured person or the repatriation in case of death.

Insurance policies filled in by hand are not accepted.

An applicant always needs to present an original insurance policy and a copy if needed.

7. Copy of the internal passport (concerns the citizens of Russia who are over 14 years old)

•  a page with an applicant’s biodata and
• registration in Russia.

8. For minors (below 18 years)

Always required a birth certificate (the copy of the birth certificate should be prepared beforehand).

If a child’s application is submitted separately from the application of his/her parent/parents (guardian/guardians), a notarized consent from the non-applying parent/parents is required. If a child’s application is submitted together with only one of the parents/guardians, a notarized consent from the nonapplying parent/guardian is required. The consent has to be valid at least from the day of submitting the visa application, should not be older than 12 months on the day of the submission of the application and has to cover all of the Schengen countries. The consent can be omitted if the parent/guardian signs the child’s visa application form in the presence of the submission officer and attaches his/her internal passport biodata page copy to the child’s application. If only one of the parents/guardians is available to sign the child’s application form in the presence of the submission officer, then a notarized consent from the other parent/guardian will be required. The consent has to be valid at least from the day of submitting the visa application, should not be older than 12 months on the day of the submission of the application and has to cover all of the Schengen countries. If the child applies together with both his/her parent’s/guardian’s, no consent is required. If the parent(s)/guardian(s) have valid Schengen visas, copies of these should also be attached to the child’s application, regardless of consents. A parent’s notarized consent can be replaced by any of the following:

parent’s death certificate

• parent’s notarized certificate stating that the whereabouts of the other parent are unknown (issued not more than 1 year ago)
• a police certificate stating that the whereabouts of the other parent are unknown, and during the search period the parent was not found (issued not more than 1 year ago)
• certificate № 25 stating that details of father in the child’s birth certificate were put as per mother’s words
• court decision that the parent is a single parent
• the child’s birth certificate, where there are no details about the father
• free form written consent, that would contain all the information required from the notarized one (only for parents that have EU, EEA or Switzerland residence permit or EU, EEA or Switzerland passport)

Attention! In accordance with the EU legislation, a child cannot be included into his/her parents’ visa. It is necessary to complete a separate application form with photo and complete set of required documents for every child. A child must obtain his/her own separate visa. If the child is included in his/her parent’s passport, the visa will be pasted into the passport bearing the child. The passport must have one additional blank page per visa for each endorsed child.

9. Non-Russian citizens

• a Russian visa or a residence permit (if required, depends on the nationality of the applicant)
• a registration in Russia
• a Russian work permit card or a student card
• copies of all the above mentioned documents.

10. Personal data processing consent

According to the Federal law of Russian Federation “About personal data” every applicant has to sign “Personal data processing consent”. Please note that if another person submits for the applicant, the applicant has to sign this document in advance or to sign a power of attorney on a person submitting documents. The power of attorney can be notarized or handwritten. For a minor (all children under 18) a lawful representative (parents, tutors, etc.) should sign this document. You can find the consent at the Visa centre’s web site (choose “Documents required” and then Form of personal data processing consent).

Dutiable Items

1. Firearms and ammunition require a permit from theFinnish Police.
2. Medications classed as narcotics are subject to certain restrictions. For further information, please visit Finnish CustomsMedicines.
3. Animals are subject to a mandatory health inspection at the first point of entry on EU territory. They must also have a microchip or tattoo, and have been properly vaccinated against rabies. A Common Veterinary Entry Document certifying the healthy inspection must be provided with the customs declaration. Pets travelling within the EU must have a valid pet passport. For further information, please visit theFinnish Food Safety Authority.
4. Endangered animals, plants, and their derivative products protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) may require protected species permits. For further information, please visit the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).
5. Certain plants, fruit and vegetables from non-EU countries require a phytosanitary certificate, and inspection on arrival in Finland. For further information, please visit theFinnish Environment Institute (SYKE).
6. Meat and dairy products from outside the EU are generally prohibited except a small amount for personal consumption. For further information, please visit Finnish CustomsFood.
7. Products of animal origin such as milk powder and baby food can be brought in in baggage as long as they are still packaged and do not require refrigeration.
8. Up to 20kg per person of fish and fishery products may be brought along from both EU and non-EU countries.
9. Infant formula, baby food, and food for medical purposes can be brought in in baggage as long as they are still packaged and do not require refrigeration. (Source: https://visalist.io/finland/customs )

Prohibited Items

• Alcoholic beverages
• All forms of asbestos fibers
• All products containing the biocide dimethylfumarate (DMF)
• Atlantic red tuna fish (Thunnus Thynnus) originating from Belize, Panama, and Honduras
• Certain U.S. Beef hormones
• Drugs, Prescription and Non-Prescription
• Foodstuffs
• Illicit Narcotics and Drugs
• Items having a flexible metal blade entirely contained in a plastic, paper or fabric sheath
• Ivory
• L-Trytophane and any items having L-trytophane as an ingredient
• Medical thermometers containing mercury intended for human consumption
• PCB and PCT chemicals used in transformers and condensers causing problem wastes
• Personal effects
• Rubber erasers that are similar in appearance to food products that are easily ingested
• Textile articles
• Toys and games containing copper sulfate
• Whale Meat

Due to the risk of contamination with E. coli bacteria possibly linked to the recent outbreaks in Germany and France, the emergency measure prohibits with immediate effect the importation of seeds and beans from Egypt to all EU countries. The commodities are:

• Beetroot sprouts, radish sprouts
• Dried leguminous vegetables, shelled, whether or not skinned or split
• Fenugreek seeds
• Leguminous vegetables, shelled or unshelled, fresh or chilled
• Lucerne (alfalfa) seeds
• Lucerne (alfalfa) sprouts
• Mustard seeds, for sowing
• Other mustard seeds
• Other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken
• Rocket sprouts
• Soya bean sprouts
• Soya beans, whether or not broken
• Sugar beet seeds
• Vegetable seeds