Driving licences in Finland

You can only drive a car in Finland if you have a valid driving licence. Driving licences issued in Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Åland are valid directly in Finland, but there are restrictions for driving licences issued in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which you can read more about on this page. 

If you live in Finland, you can exchange your driving licence for a Finnish licence under certain conditions. You can only hold one EU driving licence at a time.

Åland has its own separate legislation on driving licences, so the Finnish rules do not apply to Åland. For information on driving licences in Åland, see the page Driving licences in Åland.

The validity in Finland of a driving licence issued in another country depends on the country where the licence was issued. Read the instructions that apply to you below.

If you want, you can exchange a driving licence issued by Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Åland or another EU or EEA country for an equivalent Finnish driving licence without a new driving test if you live permanently in Finland or have studied in Finland for at least six months. A provisional licence cannot be exchanged. Find out more on the Your Europe website.

To exchange your driving licence, make an application and book an appointment at an Ajovarma service point. You can find more information on the A-Katsastus website.

If you want to exchange a driving licence issued in the Faroe Islands or Greenland for a Finnish licence, you must take a Finnish driving test. The process takes several months, so it is a good idea to start well before the end of the one-year period. Read more on the Traficom website under Driving licence issued in another country.

If you want to exchange a non-EU/EEA driving licence for a Finnish licence, read the instructions on the Traficom website.

The requirements for obtaining a Finnish driving licence depend on the category of licence.

What type of driving licence do you need?

The driving licence categories used in Finland are recognised throughout Europe and entitle you to drive different types of vehicles. For example, to drive a passenger car you need a category B licence and to drive a motorcycle you need a category A1, A2 or A licence, depending on the size of the motorcycle. Read more about the different licence categories on the Traficom website.

What is required to obtain a Finnish driving licence?

You must be a permanent resident of Finland and meet the other conditions for obtaining a driving licence. If you have come to Finland to study at a higher education institution and want a driving licence, you can apply for a driving licence after you have studied in Finland for at least six months.

To obtain a Finnish driving licence, you always need a driving licence permit and a driving test, which consists of a theory test and a driving test. In addition, most licence categories require driving instruction before taking the driving test. 

The age limit for driving licences and tests is different in different licence categories. For example, you can apply for a moped driving licence permit at the age of 14 and take a driving test at the age of 15. You can apply for a driving licence permit for a passenger car at the earliest at the age of 16 and take the driving test at the age of 18 or, with an age exemption, at the age of 17. 

In addition, a medical certificate may be required to obtain or renew a driving licence. If you have a driving ban or temporary driving ban in Finland or another EU or EEA country, you cannot get a driving licence permit in Finland. Read more on the Traficom website. 

What happens if you move whilst attending driving school?

If you move abroad whilst attending driving school, you cannot directly transfer lessons taken in one country to another. If you only have a provisional licence, it cannot be exchanged for a foreign licence - you will have to restart the driving licence process in your destination country.

Always check the local rules with the transport authorities in your destination country.

A driver's licence issued in Finland entitles you to drive in all Nordic countries for as long as it is valid. You can drive vehicles in the vehicle categories listed on the licence. 

Note, however, that if you obtained your driving licence with an age exemption, you must comply with the national rules for drivers under the age of 18. A driving licence obtained with an age exemption cannot be used to drive in Åland or Sweden, for example, as these countries require applicants to be 18 years of age to obtain a driving licence. In Finland, driving with an exception permit is not allowed between midnight and 5 am, and in Denmark driving with an exception permit without an assistant driver is permitted only at certain times. Read more about the restrictions in different countries below.

A driving licence is not an official identity document. In some cases, showing it may be enough to prove your age or identity, but an official Finnish identity document is a passport or identity card. Read more on the Police of Finland website.

If you cannot find the answer to your question on this page, contact Info Norden – we will help you find out what driving licence rules apply to you. 

You can find general information on driving licences in Finland on the Traficom website, and on vehicles in Finland on our page Vehicles in Finland.