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Transport and Communications Agency

Give up your driving licence entirely

If you no longer want or are unable to drive, you can give up your driving licence. This page provides instructions for giving up a driving licence.

If you want to give up only some of the driving licence categories (lorries and buses) but keep your driving licence for passenger cars, for example, the instructions on this page do not apply. Instead, you must follow the instructions for downgrading your right to drive.

Do the following

  1. Step 1

    Book an appointment at an service point

    You can give up your driving licence by visiting an service point in person. If necessary, you can authorise another person to act on your behalf with a power of attorney.

    Book an appointment with the service provider of your choice.
  2. Step 2

    Bring your driving licence

    Bring your driving licence with you when visiting the service point.

  3. Step 3

    Fill in the notification of cancellation of right to drive

    You can receive the notification form from the service point.

    Alternatively, you can print and fill out the form in advance. The notification cannot be sent by post but must be delivered in person to a service point.

    Notification of cancellation of right to drive (in Finnish)

  4. Step 4

    Hand over your driving licence to service provider

    Hand over your driving licence to service provider when submitting the cancellation notification.

    Your right to drive expires as soon as you submit the notification. 

Frequently asked questions about giving up a driving licence

If you have voluntarily surrendered your driving licence, you can apply to have your right to drive restored. Whether you need to retake the driving examination depends on how long ago you surrendered your driving licence.

How to proceed

  1. Obtain a medical report on your fitness to drive.
  2. Book an appointment at a service point and apply for a driving licence permit.

Do I need to retake the driving examination?

You do not need to retake the driving examination if

  • you surrendered your Group 1 driving licence (e.g. for a passenger car or motorcycle) less than two years ago
  • you surrendered your Group 2 driving licence (for a lorry or bus) less than one year ago.

You must retake the driving examination if

  • you surrendered your Group 1 driving licence more than two years ago
  • you surrendered your Group 2 driving licence more than one year ago.

If you need to retake the driving examination, you only need to complete it in the highest driving licence category you are applying for.

You can take the driving examination once you have been granted a driving licence permit.

You can arrive at service point by car. However, please note that your right to drive expires immediately after you surrender your driving licence. In other words, you cannot drive the car on the return journey.

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