Buying goods and services in Finland

In Finland, some service agreements may require you to have a Finnish personal identity code. If you don’t have a Finnish personal identity code, this might also restrict the use of some services. Read more about the Finnish personal identity codes on the page Personal identity code in Finland.

Depending on the operator, a Finnish personal identity code may be required to get a monthly billed mobile phone contract.

Rather than a monthly billed contract, you can also choose a a prepaid contract, where you pay the operator for phone use in advance. In most cases you do not need a Finnish personal identity code to get a prepaid contract. You can make a prepaid contract and top it up online, on the spot in your operator's own shop, or often in kiosks or shops. To do this online, you will generally need a Finnish electronic identifier. Read more on the page Electronic identification (e-ID) in Finland.

Read more on the Traficom and InfoFinland.fi websites.

Internet

Nowadays in Finland many of the contacts between authorities, companies and private persons take place online. The banks have increasingly moved their services online, and may for example charge a service fee for paying bills if you don’t use your online banking service. You can also apply for Kela benefits and do your tax return online. For personal matters of this type, your identity is verified using online banking codes or an electronic ID card (Population Register Centre).

Libraries, for example, have computers for public internet access. Many bank branches have an internet terminal for using online banking services and paying bills. Employment and Economic Development Offices often have internet terminals for jobseekers.

Public places, like libraries, schools and restaurants, often provide a free open-access broadband network that you can use on your own computer.

Making a contract

Depending on the operator, a Finnish personal identity code may be required to make an internet contract. To use some operators’ online stores, you may also need a Finnish mobile phone number.

If you don’t have a Finnish personal identity code, you can get a prepaid contract, where you pay for internet use in advance.

Depending on the operator, a Finnish personal identity code may be required to make a broadband contract. Read more on the Traficom website.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, you can get a prepaid contract, where you pay for internet use in advance. For more information, go to the operator's website. 

You can also usually use the internet for free in libraries if you have a library card. It is also possible to use the internet to look for a job at some TE service points.

Public places such as libraries, schools and restaurants often have free public wireless internet, which you can use with your own device. Read more on InfoFinland.fi.

Occupants usually make their electricity contracts themselves, unless agreed otherwise with their landlord or housing company. You can make an electricity sales contract with the electricity supplier of your choice, but electricity distribution agreements are always made with the local grid operator. In practice all customers have to do is contact their electricity supplier, who take care of the distribution contract on their customers’ behalf.

You can make an electricity contract without a Finnish personal identity code. In that case the electricity supplier may ask for your date of birth or passport number.

You can compare electricity suppliers and prices on the Energy Authority’s electricity price comparison service.

You can get more information on electricity prices and contracts on the Finnish Energy and Energy Authority websites.

To receive Finnish digital TV broadcasts, you need a set-top box or a TV with a built-in digital decoder.

In Finland, TV channels will switch to HD from spring 2025, when the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle will stop broadcasting basic channels. After that, the channels will only appear in HD, and you will need a TV or set-top box with an HD tuner to watch TV. Read more about the switch to HD in Traficom's HDTV guide.

Instead of a separate TV licence fee, resident taxpayers in Finland pay public broadcasting tax. Read more on the website of the Finnish Tax Administration.

Credit information describes a person's ability to pay. You have the right to check your credit history free of charge once a year. You can check your credit history with the company that manages your credit information.

If you repeatedly fail to pay a bill or other debt, you may receive a default notice in the credit register. A default notice usually remains in the register for 2-3 years. Read more on the website of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

In the Nordic countries, credit data is managed by private companies. The companies have cooperation agreements with other Nordic countries, which means that in some cases default entries registered in Finland can also be checked in other Nordic countries.

If you have a problem, you can contact the national consumer advisory services. The consumer advisory services provide information on consumers' rights and obligations, guide consumers and businesses in problem and dispute situations and mediate disputes between consumers and businesses. Read more on the website of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.

In the case of disputes concerning cross-border transactions, you can contact the European Consumer Centre. Read more on the website of the European Consumer Centre.