How to Buy Exchange Finland Driving Licence

( 19/01/2013 ➔ )

Driving licence exchange in Finland

If you are planning on obtaining a driving licence from Finland we would be glad to help! However, doing it yourself may also be an option if you are already in Finland. Here is some information to get you started.

Driving licences are valid for 15 years.

All driving licences that have been issued after 19 January 2013 are fixed-term licences, valid for 2-15 years (depending of category and age of the licence holder). If the licence was issued before 19 January it has to be renewed before holder reaches the age of 70 years or at the latest by 18 January 2033.

Read more on driving licences in Finland.

Driving licences for novice drivers are valid for:

15 years - category A
15 years - category B

Driving licences for elderly drivers over 70 years old are valid for:

5 years - category A
5 years - category B

If you hold a driving licence for life (i.e. one that remains administratively valid for an unlimited period) that was issued by another EU country, you will have to renew the licence before the age of 70 or at the latest by 18 January 2033.

Non-EU driving licences - exchange & recognition

You must exchange your non-EU driving licence within 2 years of moving.

If the licence was issued in a country that is a party to the Geneva or Vienna Convention on Road Traffic it can be exchanged on application for a Finnish A1, A2, A or B category without passing a new driving test.

Read more on driving licences in Finland.

To exchange your non-EU driving licence:

go to the Ajovarma Oy customer service in person,
hand in the following documents:

2 photos (however, if you have already submitted photos for a driving licence since 1 January 2010, new photos are usually not required),
a medical certificate for a driving licence (no more than six months old), or
a comprehensive medical report, if the applicant is aged 70 or older at the time of submitting the application,
a valid driving licence issued in a country that is party to the aforementioned Conventions,
if the foreign driving licence is not consistent with the model in the Convention or is in a language not understood at the police department, the applicant must submit both the original driving licence and an authorised translation thereof into Finnish or Swedish,
the applicant must fill in a driving licence application form available at Ajovarma Oy customer service. The form requires the applicant to state if they already have a driving licence or were subject to driving ban issued in another EU or EEA member State. Also in that form the applicant states that he/she has been driving car in Finland for at least 6 months.

Driving licences not issued in an EU or EEA Member State or in a country that is a party to the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention do not entitle their holders to drive motor vehicles in Finland unless otherwise agreed in international treaties. Holders of such driving licences must apply for a driving licence permit, demonstrate that they comply with the criteria for granting a driving licence permit, and undergo a driving test.

Read more on driving licences in Finland.

If you have previously exchanged a non-EU driving licence for an EU licence in another EU country, you can use it in Finland.

Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Finnish licence

Exchanging a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA Member State

If you are permanently resident in Finland or have studied here for at least six months, you may exchange a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA Member State for a corresponding Finnish licence without having to pass a new driving examination.

This option is open to you if your driving licence is valid, or no more than two years have passed since the expiration of your Group 1 (A1, A2, A, B, BE, LT) licence, or no more than one year has passed since the expiration of your Group 2 (C1, C1E C, CE, D, DE) licence.

Exchanging a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA Member State for a Finnish licence.

Exchanging a driving licence issued in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan or a country that has signed the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention

If you are permanently resident in Finland, you may exchange a driving licence issued in a Contracting State for a Category A1, A2, A or B Finnish driving licence without passing a new driving examination.

If you want to exchange your licence without taking a driving examination, you must exchange your licence within two years of becoming a permanent resident in Finland and before your licence expires.

Exchanging a driving licence issued in a Contracting State for a Finnish licence.

Driving licences issued in other countries

If you hold a driving licence issued elsewhere than in an EU or EEA Member State or a Contracting State, you will have to fulfil the criteria for obtaining a driving licence permit and pass a driving examination in order to obtain a Finnish driving licence.

You must also supply Ajovarma with proof that you have received driving instruction in your prior country of residence, so that the examiner can decide whether you need to take any driving instruction before taking your driving examination.

Contracting States

Countries that have signed the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are also Contracting States)

finnish-driving-licence-finland-categories

Physical description
Size	85,6 x 53,98 mm
Format	ID-1
Material	Polycarbonate
Colour	Pink
Distinctive features	Bilingual (Finnish/Swedish)

Security features
Micro text
Location	Top of front of card
Characteristics	The words �AJOKORTTI K�RKORT� in both raised and recessed print
Method of verification	Magnifying glass

Security pattern
Location	Whole document
Characteristics	Fine-lined security pattern and rainbow printing covering the entire background of the card.
Method of verification	Magnifying glass
Embossed pattern
Location	In left and right borders on front of card
Characteristics	Embossed pattern comprising small squares, whose sides are formed of the word "FIN"
Method of verification	Pattern visible when card is tilted and can be detected by touching with fingers. Text reading using a magnifying glass.

Embossed pattern
Location	In bottom-right corner on reverse side of card
Characteristics	Pattern in the shape of the map of Finland, formed by the words "SUOMI FINLAND"
Method of verification	Pattern visible when card is tilted and can be detected by touching with fingers. Text reading using a magnifying glass.

Fluorescent printing
Location	Front of card
Characteristics	Car headlamp pattern flashes fluoresce green.
Method of verification	Using UV light

Fluorescent printing
Location	Reverse side of card
Characteristics	Car tail-light pattern fluoresces red along bottom of reverse side of card.
Method of verification	Using UV light

Optically Variable Ink (OVI)
Location	Left border on reverse of card.
Characteristics	Trafi logo
Method of verification	When card is tilted, the colour of the logo changes from green to gold.

Laser engraving
Location	Front side, bottom right-hand corner
Characteristics	On front of card:
Method of verification	Sections 1 and 2 visible to the naked eye. Section 3 using a barcode reader.

Changeable laser image (CLI)
Location	Bottom-right of front of card
Characteristics	Licence holder's facial ID photo and date of birth change within the image
Method of verification	Visible image changes when card is tilted

Diffractive optically-variable feature
Location	Partially covering the bottom-right corner of the licence holder's facial ID photo on front of card.
Characteristics	Transparent image, in which the colour and patterns change. Contrast of the "FIN" text along bottom of the image changes from dark to light.
Method of verification	By tilting the card

Categories
Category	Period of validity
AM, A1, A2, A, BE	Until 70: 15 years; above 65: 5 years
B	First: 2 years; until 70: 15 years; above 65: 5 years
C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE	Until 70: 5 years; above 68: 2 years
(T), (LT)	Until 70: 15 years; above 65: 5 years

National categories
National category	Description of national category
T	Tractors (excluding road-rated tractors), motorised working machinery and snowmobiles, including vehicles towed by them.
LT	Road-rated tractors and vehicles towed by them.

Codes
National codes	Description	Community codes
103(n)	Duplicate of the driving licence, serial number of the duplicate included in the code
105	Exemption
111	Alcohol interlock
113	Alcohol interlock for health reasons.
114	Conditional right to drive. Licence valid in Finland only.
120	AM-class, moped	AM (restricted to mopeds)
121	AM-class, light quadricycles	AM (restricted to light motorised quadricycles)
131	Restricted right to drive in accordance with article 5, section 4 of the Finnish Driving Licence Act.

Professional drivers
Certificate of professional competence is issued	YES
Code 95 is marked on the driving licence	YES

Additional information

Right to drive a T-class vehicle is included in all other classes except in M/AM-class. Class T is not recorded on the driving licence if other vehicle classes that include T are already recorded. It may only be recorded on the driving licence if the licence holder has separately passed a class T driving test.

When applying for a duplicate of a licence issued before 19 January 2013, the latest expiry date for the duplicate licence will be 18 January 2033, or a date before this if the holder reaches 70 before then.

The first category B licence will be issued for 2 years. After 2 years, the next category B licence will be issued for 15 years.

An updated version was introduced on 17.06.2014, including on the front side the words "driving licence" in Croatian and changed the upper case "F" to lower case "f" in the Trafi logo (on the front side - in the bottom-right corner of the holder's facial ID photo; on the reverse side - in the Trafi logo).