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Transport and Communications Agency

Buying a used boat

When you buy a registered boat, complete a deed of transfer with the seller and report the change of ownership within 30 days of the sale.

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Buyer, follow these steps

  1. Step 1

    Check the watercraft's registration details before buying

    Before buying the boat, check that it is registered and who is recorded as its owner.

    Buy the watercraft from the registered owner. This will help you avoid problems with verifying ownership.

    If the seller is not the registered owner, ask them for documents showing the transfer of ownership from the most recent registered owner to the seller.

    If the watercraft has been deregistered or its details cannot be found for another reason, you can ask the seller to register it before the sale.

  2. Step 2

    Complete the deeds of transfer and check the seller's identity

    Agree with the seller in advance which of you will print two copies of the deed of transfer for the sale.

    Complete and sign both copies of the deed of transfer together with the seller. Check the seller's identity at the same time.

    If the seller submits a notification of transfer for you, they will need your personal identity code or Business ID.

    Give one copy of the deed of transfer to the seller and keep the other in case of any future disputes.

  3. Step 3

    Log in to My e-Services and choose how to transfer ownership

    You can transfer ownership electronically based on either a notification of transfer submitted by the seller or a certificate provided by the seller.

    If the seller has submitted a notification of transfer, select the boat from the list and then choose the service Buyer: transfer ownership based on a notification of transfer.

    If you received a certificate from the seller, select the service Buyer: transfer ownership using a certificate.

  4. Step 4

    Complete the ownership transfer details

    Complete the details of the boat's owners and holders. Once you have logged in to the service, you will automatically be recorded as an owner.

    Be prepared to provide any missing information. You can check what information is required in advance using the registration notification form. The fields marked with an asterisk (*) on the form are also mandatory when submitting an electronic notification.

  5. Step 5

    Confirm the details and pay the registration fee

    Check and confirm the information you have provided.

    Pay the registration fee.

    The service uses automated decision-making.

If you are unable to submit your registration electronically, you may visit any registration office of your choice. 
Remember to also bring proof of identity. When visiting a contractual registration service provider, bring the deed of transfer with you. An electronic certificate can only be used in e-services. 

Special situations

If you buy a boat that has never been registered, you must register it for the first time.

If the boat does not have documents proving ownership, read the instructions for registering a boat without ownership documents.

If you buy a boat from abroad or Åland, read the instructions for registering an imported watercraft.

If the boat has been removed from the register, you must register it again.

Check that the boat has been used by its builder for at least five years. This period is calculated from the date when the boat was first put into use.

If the builder sells the boat before the five-year period has ended, the boat must have a CE marking and the required documents. These include an owner's manual and a declaration of conformity in Finnish and Swedish.

Who can submit a registration notification?

An owner who is at least 15 years old can submit a registration notification for a watercraft.

If the boat has multiple owners, any one of them can submit the notification independently with the consent of the other owners.

You can also submit a registration notification electronically on behalf of another person or organisation if you have been granted a Suomi.fi authorisation to do so.

If you submit the notification on behalf of another person by means other than the electronic service, you must have the right to act on their behalf. However, you do not need to present a power of attorney when submitting the notification.

If you have inherited a boat

If you have inherited a boat from a deceased person's estate, you cannot transfer ownership electronically. Send a registration notification to Traficom.

Send the completed and signed registration notification form and the deed of transfer you received from the estate by post to:

Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom
P.O. Box 320
FI-00059 TRAFICOM

You can also send the documents by email to kirjaamo@traficom.fi.

You will receive an invoice for the ownership transfer by post once the registration is complete.

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