Ukrainian driving licences and vehicles

You can drive in Finland with a Ukrainian driving licence

You can drive in Finland with a Ukrainian driving licence. You do not need to show a translation or an international driving permit with your licence. For the time being, Finland also accepts driving licences that expired after 24 February 2022, because they cannot be renewed due to the war.

If your identity can be confirmed, your right to drive may also be accepted based on other reliable evidence. This could be, for example, a photo of your driving licence that shows your personal details and information on your right to drive clearly enough.

You can drive in Finland with a Ukrainian driving licence until you settle permanently in Finland and for two years after you become permanently resident in Finland.

You can apply for a Finnish driving licence based on your Ukrainian right to drive

If you live permanently in Finland, you can apply to exchange your Ukrainian driving licence for a Finnish driving licence. You can find more detailed instructions on the page “Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a Finnish driving licence”, under “Driving licence issued in a contracting state”.

If you are a Ukrainian granted temporary protection, you can also apply for a Finnish driving licence that corresponds to your Ukrainian driving licence if you do not have a permanent address in Finland and your valid driving licence was left in Ukraine, lost or destroyed when you fled the war. A Finnish driving licence also gives you the right to drive abroad. You do not need to have a permanent address in Finland or to take a driving test to be issued with the licence.

If you are issued a Finnish driving licence based on temporary protection, a special condition will be added to your licence. This condition shows that the licence is valid only until the end of your temporary protection. At present, temporary protection has been extended until 4 March 2027. 

You must apply for a Finnish driving licence in person at an Ajovarma service point.

You must attach the following documents to your application:

• a copy of the decision on temporary protection
• a medical report showing that you meet the fitness-to-drive requirements for the relevant licence group
• a facial photograph that meets the requirements for passport photos
• any available evidence of your Ukrainian driving licence, such as a photo of the driving licence or a driving licence extract showing the licence details, or information available through the DIIA application used in Ukraine.

To verify your identity, Ajovarma needs a document that proves your identity, such as a Ukrainian passport.

Using a Ukrainian vehicle in Finland

If you live permanently abroad, you may use a passenger car, van, trailer (maximum 3,500 kg), moped, motorcycle or similar vehicle category registered abroad that you have brought into Finland for your own use. You may use the vehicle in Finland for a maximum of one year from the date you entered the country.

However, if you take a passenger car, van, motorcycle, light quadri-mobile (moped car) or quadricycle into use in Finland, you must submit a declaration to the Finnish Tax Administration within six months of importing the vehicle. The Finnish Tax Administration may extend the six-month period of tax-exempt use by a maximum of one year if you apply for an extension.

If the Finnish Tax Administration has extended the tax-exempt use period, you may use the vehicle in Finland for 1.5 years without having to register it in Finland.

Conditions for use:

• the vehicle has the registration plates and nationality sign of the country where it is registered
• the vehicle inspection is valid
• the vehicle has valid motor vehicle liability insurance

If a vehicle is registered in Ukraine, its Ukrainian vehicle inspection must be valid when the vehicle is used in road traffic in Finland. You may use a vehicle inspected in Ukraine in traffic in Finland.  

A Finnish vehicle inspection station cannot inspect a vehicle registered in Ukraine.

A vehicle registered in Ukraine may be driven by the owner or holder named in the register. If someone else uses the vehicle in Finland, this may lead to tax consequences in Finland. The Finnish Tax Administration decides on tax consequences based on supervision observations made by the police and Finnish Customs. For more information about traffic supervision and related interpretations, such as how the police check registration data from non-EU countries during traffic supervision, contact the police directly.

Vehicle registration

Finland and Ukraine have different requirements for vehicle registration. Before paying car tax, make sure that the vehicle meets the Finnish requirements.

If you want to register a Ukrainian vehicle in Finland, you must take the vehicle to a vehicle inspection station for a registration inspection. During the inspection, the vehicle’s identification details and other information needed for registration will be checked. The registration inspection also checks that the vehicle meets the applicable rules and regulations and that it is in good condition. A vehicle registered in Ukraine must have an international certificate of roadworthiness for international traffic.

Mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance

To use a vehicle registered abroad in Finland, the vehicle must have valid motor vehicle liability insurance in Finland.

You can find more information about insurance on the websites of the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre and Finnish Customs.

Enquiries

Customer service for driving licences and other personal licences for road transport, tel. +358 29 534 5115

Customer service for vehicle registration, tel. +358 29 534 5100