How to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Finnish licence

You may drive in Finland as long as your EU or EEA driving licence is valid. You must exchange your driving licence at the latest when your driving licence is about to expire.

The precondition for exchanging the licence is that you live permanently in Finland or study in Finland and the studies have lasted for at least six months.

Åland has its own driving licence register. When exchanging a driving licence, Åland is treated as an EU country, which means that a driving licence issued in Åland is exchanged in mainland Finland under the same conditions as a licence from an EU or EEA country.

You only need a medical certificate if your driving licence has expired.

The medical certificate is valid for six months. You do not need a medical certificate if your driving licence is still valid when you exchange it for a Finnish one.

Fill in the application form at Ajovarma. Bring the following:

• your passport or other official ID
• two passport photos (if you have a valid Finnish passport or identity card, no photos are needed)
• a medical certificate issued to you
• the driving licence you are replacing
• a study certificate if you are studying in Finland but your permanent residence is in another country.

You will receive a temporary driving licence from Ajovarma, which you can use until you receive the actual driving licence.

You can use the temporary driving licence in Finland and other Nordic countries.

The Finnish driving licence will be sent to your home address within about two weeks of exchanging the licence. The driving licence is valid for a maximum of 15 years, after which it must be renewed.

You may continue driving with your driving licence issued in a Contracting State for two years after you have moved permanently to Finland. See a list of the Contracting States and other states treated similarly to them at the bottom of this page.

If you want to continue driving in Finland after the 2-year period, start the driving licence exchange process well in advance before the period of validity expires.

Exchanging the driving licence takes around 3–4 months. You will be provided with a temporary driving licence valid for driving in Finland for this period.

You will not receive a temporary driving licence if your foreign driving licence has expired in Finland.

You cannot exchange your foreign driving licence if you have received the right to drive for the driving licence for the first time during your residence in Finland.

However, if you have renewed a driving licence obtained abroad while living in Finland, the driving licence may be renewed.

Exchanging a driving license issued in a Contracting State requires a medical certificate. .

Booking an appointment speeds up the process and makes it easier for you to use Ajovarma’s services. When visiting Ajovarma, bring the following:

• your passport or other official ID
• two passport photographs (if you have a valid Finnish passport or identity card, no photos are needed)
• a medical certificate on driving capacity
• the foreign driving licence you wish to replace and, if necessary, a Finnish, Swedish or English translation of the licence by an official translator, signed and stamped by the translator. No translation is required if the driving licence clearly indicates the date of issue and expiry of the driving licence, the periods of validity of the right to drive categories and other necessary information.

1. Your driving licence will be sent to Traficom for storage - you will receive a temporary driving licence.

You will receive a temporary driving licence from Ajovarma for the duration of the exchange process if your foreign driving licence would still be valid in Finland. Your foreign driving licence will only be returned to you when you move out of the country.

Once a decision has been made on the application, you will receive

• the driving licence to your home address by post if you do not need to complete a driving examination or
• a message from Traficom informing you that you may schedule a driving examination or
• a letter sent to your home address informing you of a negative decision on the licence.

If you need to take a driving examination, book an appointment for the tests at Ajovarma. The driving examination consists of a theory test and a driving test.

If you have lived permanently in Finland for more than 2 years, your right to drive has expired, or you are exchanging a category BE, lorry and/or bus driving license, you must take a driving examination.

When driving, carry the certificate of the passed driving examination you received from the examiner and a photo ID with you.

You can use the driving examination to drive until you receive your driving licence.

The official driving licence will be sent to your home address within about two weeks of the examination.

The states are listed at the bottom of this page.

If the country is included on the list, follow the instructions provided above.

If the country is not on the list, continue reading these instructions.

You will need a medical certificate when you exchange a driving licence issued in a country other than an EU or EEA country or a Contracting State.

When visiting Ajovarma, bring the following

• your passport or other official ID
• two passport photographs (if you have a valid Finnish passport, no photos are needed)
• your foreign driving licence and, if necessary, a Finnish, Swedish or English translation of the licence by an official translator, signed and stamped by the translator. No translation is required if the driving licence clearly indicates the date of issue and expiry of the driving licence, the periods of validity of the right to drive categories and other necessary information.

Your foreign driving licence will remain with Traficom. You will receive a temporary driving licence if your foreign driving licence would still be valid for driving in Finland.

Your application will be processed at Traficom.

The processing time is approximately 3–4 months. Once a decision has been made, you will receive a message from Traficom.

The driving examination consists of a theory test and a driving test. Schedule the examination at Ajovarma.

When driving, carry the certificate on the passed driving examination you received from the examiner and a photo ID with you.

You can use the driving examination to drive until you receive your driving licence.

The official driving licence will be sent to your home address within about two weeks of the examination.