Which rule applies to you depends on one thing: the country that issued your licence. Finland sorts foreign licences into three groups, and each group has a different deadline and requires a different amount of paperwork.
Three kinds of foreign licence
| Issued in | How long you can drive on it after moving | Exchange without a test? |
|---|---|---|
| EU or EEA country (and Åland) | Until it expires | Yes |
| Geneva or Vienna convention country, or one Traficom treats as equivalent | 2 years from moving to Finland permanently | Yes, for A1, A2, A and B, inside the 2 years |
| Any other country Finland recognises | 1 year from being entered in the population register | No — theory and driving test |
The EEA adds Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein to the EU. The convention list is long and includes, among many others, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Brazil, Ukraine, Turkey, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Traficom publishes the full list at the bottom of its exchange page, and it does change: Andorra and El Salvador were added in 2025. Check your country there before you plan anything.
A licence from a country Finland does not recognise at all is not accepted for driving here.
"Entered in the population register" includes a temporary address, so the one-year clock for the third group can start earlier than people expect. This entry is one of the first steps after moving to Finland.
EU and EEA licences
You can keep driving on an EU or EEA licence for as long as it is valid. Exchanging it becomes compulsory when it is about to expire, at the latest. To exchange it, you must live in Finland permanently or have been studying here for at least six months.
What to bring to Ajovarma:
- passport or other official ID
- 2 passport photos, unless you have a valid Finnish passport or identity card
- the licence you are exchanging
- a certificate of study, if you are a student whose permanent home is in another country
- a medical certificate, only if your licence has already expired
You leave with a temporary licence, valid in Finland and the other Nordic countries, and the Finnish card arrives by post in about two weeks. It is valid for up to 15 years.
Licences from convention countries
This is the group with the deadline that bites. You may drive on the licence for two years after moving to Finland permanently; after that, it stops being valid here. Within those two years, you can exchange it for a Finnish A1, A2, A or B licence without attending a driving school or taking a test. Traficom advises starting well before the two years are up, as the process takes about 3–4 months.
A test — theory and driving — is required if:
- you have lived in Finland permanently for more than two years
- your driving rights have expired
- you are exchanging category BE, or a lorry or bus category (C1, C, D1, D and their trailer versions)
You cannot exchange a licence for a category you first obtained while already living in Finland. Renewing a licence abroad while living here is permitted; getting it for the first time is not.
Documents for a convention-country licence
- passport or other official ID
- 2 passport photos, unless you have a valid Finnish passport or identity card
- a medical certificate of fitness to drive (lääkärinlausunto ajokyvystä), no older than 6 months
- the foreign licence, with a translation into Finnish, Swedish or English signed and stamped by an official translator if the card does not clearly show the issue and expiry dates, the categories and their validity
What happens to your licence
Ajovarma keeps your foreign licence and sends it to Traficom for storage. You only get it back when you move away from Finland. In its place, you receive a temporary licence, which:
- is valid in Finland only — not for driving abroad
- lasts at most 6 months, and never beyond the expiry of your foreign licence or the day you reach two years of residence
- cannot be issued at all if your foreign licence has already expired
Once Traficom makes a decision, you receive one of three things: the Finnish licence by post, a message telling you to book a driving test, or a refusal letter. If you do need the test, the licence arrives about two weeks after you pass; until then, the test certificate plus photo ID serves as your proof of driving rights.
Licences from other countries
You can drive on these for one year after being entered in the population register. To get a Finnish licence, you apply through Ajovarma with the same documents as above — the medical certificate is always required — and Traficom processes the application in about 3–4 months. Your licence stays with Traficom and you receive a temporary one, valid in Finland only, if your foreign licence would still be valid for driving here. If the decision is positive, you then book the theory and driving tests.
The medical certificate
Book an appointment at your municipal health centre or a private clinic and ask for a medical statement for a driving licence. Expect an eyesight check and general health questions, so bring your glasses if you drive in them. The statement is valid for six months, so do not get it too early. The cost depends on where you go; private clinics list their prices when booking.
Booking and fees
Exchanges are handled by Ajovarma, Traficom's service partner, whose offices mostly share premises with A-Katsastus in almost a hundred towns. Book online — you log in with Finnish strong identification through suomi.fi — or by phone on 029 534 5115. Customers with a booking are served first.
| Fee (as checked, 26 September 2026) | € |
|---|---|
| Foreign licence exchange | 45.00 |
| Theory test, if required | 46.00 |
| Category B driving test, if required | 110.00 |
These are statutory fees set by ministry decree, with no VAT. The medical certificate is paid for separately at the clinic.
Before your first Finnish winter
A Finnish licence does not come with Finnish winter experience. The winter tyre rules are the first thing to learn, and the road cameras show what the surface is actually like before you set off. For the rest of the move, start at living in Finland and the immigration overview.
