Hello proud car owner or wanna be one. If you are scratching your head about what it means to have a car in Finland, should you have one, or can you bring one from another country, this post is for you. We owned an old used car for few years before purchasing our current one. It took us years to get fairly confident as car owners and I’m glad to share our learnings with your all.

Should you buy a car?

Given my upbringing in Italy, I assumed owning a car was a given. The reality is that many Finns living in urban areas do not even have a driving license! The answer to the title question is it depends. Bigger cities are well served by public transportation and many families chose to live car-free. I think you should examine (a) how well served by public transportation you area is (check here if you live in the capital area), (b) how expensive owning a car would be, (c) what your family’s routines and needs are. In Finland it is common for school age children to go to school on their own, by feet or by bus (public transportation is clean and safe here). Several local administrations discourage owning a car through taxes and policies: car taxes are high, there are few parking spots and they are expensive. My point is, do not assume you need a car.
Beside public transportation, there are additional alternatives: City Car Club and Drive Now are car sharing services. Another option is leasing: the monthly fee is expensive, but service often includes all maintenance expenses, repair as well as a service car.

How expensive is to buy a car?

Cars are expensive in Finland, for example compared to Italy. There are several retailers selling used cars (ex. Kamux) as well as websites listing sale postings (Autotie, Nettiauto). You can find a fairly used car for a way better deal. If you want to buy new, simply visit the brand retailers.

How expensive is to own a car in Finland?

This bit requires some research. The expenses to consider are:

• insurance: request (and negotiate! So few foreigners do this!) a quote from an insurance provider (ex. OP, Nordea, IF, PopVakuutus). Car insurance is compulsory in Finland.
• annual tax: the tax office requires all car owners to pay a certain amount every year. Once you have your eyes on a car on sale, use this calculator.
• fuel: Diesel or petrol? It depends on how much you’ll use the car. Diesel is taxed more, but cheaper. I quote my husband, “If you expect to drive over 15-20 thousands km per year, probably Diesel is cheaper”. Natural gas is a greener options but there are few distributors. Electric cars are getting popular and most department stores offer charging stations (check out the public ones here). You can check the average fuel prices in Finland here.
• regular inspections: cars are required to be inspected regularly. New cars (<5 years old I believe) must be inspected every 2 years, older cars every year. An inspection costs 40 euros, but they are very throughout. If something doesn’t work you will be forced to pay repairs. Something can mean tiny things like “the headlights are not aligned” or “the light over the back plate is not working”. With our old car, this meant ending up paying around 300 euros every year.

Can you bring your car from another country?

Yes, you can. It’s quite straightforward to move a car from another EU country and you have to follow the instructions listed here. I asked around in the expat community and I was told it is an easy process. Cars from non-EU countries will need custom clearance and I am not familiar with that. Beware that the car may need some adjustments to survive Scandinavian winters (for example you can install a block heater – lohkolämmitin in Finnish – which should cost around 500 euros).

How to buy a used car in Finland?

I strongly advise to buy from a retailer, for many reasons: (a) you will be less vulnerable to fraud, (b) shops take care of a lot of bureaucracy (that would be all in Finnish, good luck), (c) in case you are also selling an old car, they often take it (one less problem!), (d) most dealers offer a warranty period. Polish your negotiating skills!
How to know if the price is fair? Again, you will need some research. You can check similar listings from the websites listed above, use the free service by Trafi or this service by Nettiauto.
If you are selling your old car, you can use the above services to know how to set your initial ask. To trace the details of your old car, search the VIN number (usually found on the front glass) and use a decoder.

The Finnish Transport Agency has plenty of additional information, including tips for car sales and checklists for buyer and seller. I hope this post will be a starting point as well as a source of useful information around having or trading a car in Finland. If you think I have left any valuable information out, please comment down here. I want to publicly thank my husband for helping me collect all infos and sharing his precious insights, and the expats who shared their experiences with me on the various Facebook groups.
If you have moved to Finland recently, don’t miss my most popular posts to settle down with no fuss.