Maritime transport cabotage permit

Providing maritime transport services in Finnish waters is the prerogative of Finnish vessels, with the exception of international trade. Moreover, vessels that are not Finnish vessels may not engage in cruise transport where the cruise vessel departs from and returns to the same Finnish port.

Under certain conditions, vessels flying the flag of a European Union member state have the right to engage in commercial maritime transport of goods and passengers in Finnish waters. Norwegian vessels are entitled to provide maritime transport services in Finnish waters insofar as the service provided consists of maritime cabotage.

Conditions for granting a cabotage permit

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency grants a foreign-flagged vessel permission to provide maritime transport services in cases where a vessel flying the Finnish flag what the flag of another EU Member State cannot reasonably be engaged, and either

1. the service in question concerns traffic between the Åland Islands and the mainland, or
2. there are special grounds for using a foreign-flagged vessel.

How to apply for a cabotage permit

Application for a maritime transport cabotage permit is made by sending a written, free-form application to Traficom. 

The application should give an account of why permission is required and what the special grounds are for the use of a foreign-flagged vessel in Finnish waters. The applicant shall give account of the ports or facilities in Finnish territorial waters that the vessel is intended to operate between. 

The application should also specify the vessel to be used and its dimensions, as well as including information on the vessel’s currently valid liability insurances. In addition, the application should state the shipowner and their domicile as well as providing information on their ability to take care of their financial responsibilities and duties.

You can write the application in finnish, english or swedish.

Handling time is normally about 15 working days.

More detailed instructions on applying for a cabotage permit and the accompanying documents required can be found in the instruction below.

Submitting the application to Traficom

The application can be submitted by email to: alusrekisteri@traficom.fi

Alternatively, the application may be submitted by post to:

Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom
Alusrekisteri
P.O. Box 320
FI-00059 TRAFICOM

More information