Bringing vehicles to Åland

Are you coming to Åland with a vehicle on holiday, for a temporary stay or to take up permanent residence in the country? The answer to these questions affects whether you have to inspect, register and pay tax on the vehicle in Åland.

On holiday trips and other situations where the vehicle is used in Åland temporarily, no registration is required and you do not have to pay tax if you meet certain conditions. If you move to Finland/Åland permanently and you have a vehicle with you, the vehicle being imported permanently to Finland/Åland must be inspected and registered and you have to pay tax on it. For vehicles imported from a Nordic country outside the EU, i.e. from Iceland or Norway, you must also make a customs declaration.

Re-registering your vehicle if you move to Åland

If you move from Sweden, you must re-register your vehicle as soon as possible to be able to use the vehicle in Åland without interruption as of the date you move. You must make an entry into service notification to the Finnish Tax Administration when you enter the country. Entry into service notifications for vehicles to be registered in Finland/Åland can be made electronically.

If you move permanently to Åland from Finland, the vehicle has to be re-registered no later than 30 days after you move. If you move temporarily, you should contact Customs in Mariehamn within 6 months of your move to extend the vehicle’s authorisation.

Car taxes and excise duties have been transferred from Finnish Customs to the Tax Administration. Importation of a vehicle that is going to be registered must, however, always be notified to Mariehamn Customs Office in the port on arrival in Åland. 

You can find more on Vehicles on holiday trips, vehicles used temporarily in Åland and vehicles as removal goods on the page Vehicles in Finland.

Inspection and registration

After the vehicle has been imported to Åland, an entry into service notification and tax notification have been made and the car has been authorised for registration, the vehicle can be inspected and registered. You must have the following documents to register your vehicle:

• Valid road traffic insurance
• Certificate of registration inspection
• Registration certificate from the last foreign owner
• Purchase document

Vehicles that are imported must undergo a registration inspection or be approved separately at an inspection station. At the same time it is checked that the vehicle meets all the requirements based on the documents submitted for the vehicle. You can get more information on what documents are needed for the registration inspection from the Motor Vehicle Office (Fordonsmyndigheten).

Following the registration inspection or separate approval, the vehicle can be registered. After registration you will get a registration certificate and Åland registration plates. Be prepared to confirm your identity when you register your vehicle.

You can get more information on car registration in Åland from the Motor Vehicle Office.

Note: Check with your insurance company. The vehicle must have valid road traffic insurance in the country of registration and most insurers are unlikely to insure a vehicle if the owner is not a permanent resident in the country.