Apply for a transfer permit for a vehicle | Traficom
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Transport and Communications Agency

Apply for a transfer permit for a vehicle

Apply for a transfer permit for your vehicle if you need to temporarily transfer or use it. With the transfer permit, you will receive the transfer badges that you must attach to the vehicle before using it.

A transfer permit is vehicle-specific and it is issued for a justified purpose. Read about the purposes of transfer permits towards the end of this page under Purposes for which you can get a transfer permit. The permit may be issued for a vehicle that has not been registered for the first time or has been decommissioned from traffic use or for a vehicle that is in traffic use but has been banned from use or driving.

In certain cases, you can take the vehicle to an inspection without a transfer permit even though you should otherwise not use the vehicle in traffic: 

  • You can take your vehicle that is used in traffic to an inspection even after the periodic inspection period has ended if you have booked the inspection in advance and the vehicle has the registration plates attached. 
  • You can move your decommissioned vehicle to an inspection station if you have booked the inspection in advance, the vehicle has the registration plates attached, the vehicle tax has been paid and the vehicle has a valid motor vehicle liability insurance. In these cases, you can also transfer the vehicle to a place where you keep your vehicle or where it can be repaired immediately after the inspection.

When can you get a transfer permit?

  • The vehicle does not have any overdue vehicle tax or additional tax.
  • The vehicle is suitable for traffic and the build, equipment, condition and other features of the vehicle are safe. 
  • You take out a temporary motor liability insurance or you have a valid motor vehicle liability insurance.
  • The vehicle has a permanently marked vehicle identification number.
  • If car tax has not been paid on the vehicle, you have submitted a declaration of use to the Tax Administration. 

At the end of this page, you will find more information on the purposes for which you can get a transfer permit and what you can use the vehicle for with a transfer permit.

Do the following

  • Step 1

    Apply for the transfer permit from an inspection station that offers registration services or from a Customs office

    Fill in the transfer permit application either in advance or in the office. Note that the validity period of the transfer permit must begin within one week from when you apply for the permit. 

    Take your identification document with you, because your identity will be checked in connection with the application.

    Fill in and print the transfer permit application
    Inspection stations on the map
    Customs offices
  • Step 2

    When you apply for the transfer permit, also take out a temporary motor liability insurance

    When you apply for the transfer permit, you will also need a motor vehicle liability insurance. You can take out a temporary motor liability insurance granted by the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre when you apply for the transfer permit.

    However, you can use the (continuous) motor vehicle liability insurance of your own vehicle in the following cases:

    • The vehicle is used in traffic and you are the owner or the holder of the vehicle or you have been authorised by the owner or the holder.
    • Your vehicle has not been registered before and you are the applicant of the transfer permit and the holder of the insurance policy.

    For more information about temporary motor liability insurance, contact the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre.     

    For more information on the pricing and the terms and conditions of continuous motor vehicle liability insurance, contact your insurance company.

    Go to the website of the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre
  • Step 3

    Keep the transfer permit with you when you drive and attach the transfer badges to the vehicle

    Keep the transfer permit you received with you when using the vehicle in traffic. 

    Attach the transfer badges you received with the transfer permit either to the front and the back of the car, to the space reserved for the registration plate or to the rear window and the right top corner of the windscreen (when viewed from behind). Do not attach the badges on painted bumpers, painted metal surfaces or on the window defroster grid.

    If the transfer permit is not for a car and you attach the transfer badge to some other vehicle, attach the badge to the space reserved for the registration plate. 

    Remember to remove and destroy the transfer badges after the validity of the transfer permit has ended.

Purposes for which you can get a transfer permit

You can apply for a transfer permit for taking a vehicle for inspection or to a repair shop if the vehicle has not been registered for the first time or it has been decommissioned from traffic use. 

A transfer permit must also be obtained for a vehicle that is used in traffic in the following cases:

  • The vehicle has been banned from use – it is possible to get a transfer permit for taking it to a repair shop.
  • The vehicle has been banned from driving – it is possible to get a transfer permit for taking it for repairs or to an inspection.

Apply for a transfer permit for a vehicle that you have imported and that has not been registered for the first time. You may transfer the vehicle through Finland following the most direct route to the place of export or to another location in the country.

You may transfer a vehicle combination using a transfer permit from the place of import to another location in Finland or to the place of export if the use of both vehicles is related to the transfer of the vehicle and both vehicles have been imported from abroad. 

Before applying for a transfer permit, declare the tax-exempt use of the vehicle to the Tax Administration.

Presentational purposes mean, for example, that vehicles that have not been registered for the first time or products closely linked to a new or used vehicle are presented to potential buyers. For example, such a product may be a water tank and pump built into a trailer.

When you are applying for a transfer permit for presentational purposes, you must provide a detailed written account of the presentation, its purpose and the route. Also explain in the account whether the transfer permit is for presenting the vehicle or devices that are a fixed part of it.

You can also get a transfer permit for the presentation of a used car. 

If you are applying for a transfer permit for a vehicle that has not been registered in Finland before, you must first declare the tax-exempt use of the vehicle to the Tax Administration.

You can get a transfer permit for using a car in a sports competition. The competition must be in the event calendar of a sports organisation that is registered as a national central organisation for motor sports in Finland. You can also get a transfer permit for a competition that is organised in another Nordic country but is not in the event calendar when you present proof of the competition or your participation in it in connection with your application.

The transfer permit enables you to participate in the competition within the competition area. The competition may also include, for example, a special test and a rally inspection.

You may also get a transfer permit for a 0 car linked to the competition or for master bikes in enduro competitions. In the case of an enduro competition, the manager of the competition must list the persons and master bikes that require a transfer permit for the competition. You must present this list when you apply for the transfer permit.

You must not use the transfer permit for driving to or from the competition site. You also cannot drive a practice round or make notations.

Always include the time and place for the permit as well as the name of the competition in the transfer permit application.

If you apply for a transfer permit for a vehicle that has not been registered in Finland before, you have to first declare the tax-exempt use of the vehicle to the Tax Administration. Present the notification when you apply for the transfer permit and keep it with you when using the vehicle.

You can apply for a transfer permit for a car, van, motorcycle or quadricycle for the duration of the processing of the car tax matter when you intend to register the vehicle in Finland. You must submit a declaration of use to the Tax Administration, and the Tax Administration will confirm it. Present the confirmation of the declaration of use when you apply for the transfer permit. Keep the confirmation of the declaration of use with you when you use the vehicle in traffic.

The validity period of the transfer permit ends on the due date of the car tax or if you cancel the car tax return.

If your vehicle has a valid registration in another EEA state, you do not need to apply for a transfer permit. You can use your vehicle that has been registered in an EEA state in Finland for a maximum of three months when you intend to register it in Finland. 

You can apply for a transfer permit for up to nine months if the vehicle is intended to be sold in Finland and the intention is to use it for test driving or presentation purposes. The test driving or presentation must be part of the business activities of a company that imports, manufactures or sells vehicles. Before you apply for a transfer permit, declare the use of the vehicle for presentational purposes to the Tax Administration. You will receive a confirmation of the declaration from the Tax Administration. Present the confirmation of the declaration when you apply for the transfer permit. Keep the confirmation of the notification with you when you use the vehicle in traffic. 

You can also apply for a transfer permit, for example, when you have to transfer your decommissioned vehicle to a storage place for winter.

Using a vehicle with a transfer permit

Once you have been granted a transfer permit, you can also use your vehicle loaded if processing of the matter concerning the vehicle’s car tax is still pending in the Tax Administration. In such cases, you can freely load the vehicle, which means that loading has not been restricted in any way.

If the transfer permit for the vehicle has been granted for some other purpose, the load of the vehicle must be intended for the personal use of the holder of the transfer permit. However, if the intended use of the transfer permit is to use the vehicle in a competition, loading is entirely forbidden.

The vehicle that a transfer permit has been issued for can be freely used to tow a trailer if the processing of the matter concerning the vehicle’s car tax is still pending in the Tax Administration.

In other cases, the vehicle that a transfer permit has been issued for can be used to tow a trailer only if the use of both the towing vehicle and the trailer is related to the intended use that the transfer permit has been granted for. For example, the intended use may be taking it for inspection or to a repair shop, transferring an imported vehicle from the place of import to the place of export or some other location in the country, or presentational purposes related to the vehicle or a product closely linked to it. If the transfer permit has been granted only to the towing vehicle, the load of the trailer must be intended only for the personal use of the holder of the transfer permit, which means yourself. 

In other words, a transfer permit enables you to transfer a vehicle combination, for example, from the place of import to another location in Finland or to the place of export if the use of both vehicles is related to the transfer of the vehicle and the trailer has not been loaded with commercial goods. You are also permitted, for example, to take your vehicle for a registration inspection or coupling inspection or to demonstrate the vehicle’s towing capabilities.

In the Car Tax Act, several provisions are laid down regarding the kind of situations and conditions in which a vehicle may be temporarily used in Finland without paying the car tax. Tax-exempt use also depends on whether the person using the car lives permanently in Finland or somewhere else. 

If you are not sure whether tax-exempt use of the vehicle is possible, contact the Finnish Tax Administration. As the car tax authority, the Tax Administration will decide on the application of the Car Tax Act in individual cases. In some cases, tax-exempt use has to be declared to the Tax Administration. The required declarations and permits are always the responsibility of the vehicle user.

Under the Car Tax Act, the use may be tax-exempt in cases such as when a transfer permit has been issued for the vehicle for competition purposes or the vehicle is operated with test number plates.

Based on an agreement between the Nordic countries, you can visit Denmark, Norway and Sweden with a vehicle that has been fitted with transfer badges. The vehicle must be roadworthy. In addition, you must comply with the destination country’s regulations on the vehicle's dimension limits and taxation. 

You can also get a transfer permit to countries other than Denmark, Norway and Sweden. You are then responsible for ensuring that the transfer permit and the motor vehicle liability insurance are definitely valid in the country where you will be driving. You can verify the matter with the registration authority of the country concerned. The origin or the destination of the route indicated in the transfer permit must be in Finland.

It is possible to also get a transfer permit for motorsport competitions organised in Nordic countries. The transfer permit applies only to the use of the vehicle at the site of the competition. The transfer permit does not enable you to drive the vehicle to the competition.

Provisions and regulations on the registration or temporary or fixed-term use of an unregistered vehicle must be complied with when using a vehicle. If they are violated, police, customs or border officials may prevent the use of the vehicle in traffic or elsewhere and impose a driving ban on the vehicle. The officials may confiscate the registration plates, transfer badges, the certificate given for the registration, the test plate certificate or the transfer permit, or use other necessary measures. Violation of provisions on temporary or fixed-term use is a traffic violation, which may additionally result in a fine.

Police, customs or border officials may, however, provide you with written permission to drive the vehicle to its destination for repair or inspection.

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