I want to become a goods transport operator

If you have not set up a business yet, the business start-up wizard (External link) available on the Suomi.fi service is a great tool for setting one up. The service can be used by anyone to find out what you need to do and know when setting up a business. Based on the responses you give, the service will provide you with a checklist of matters that you need to consider.

Engaging in the professional transport of goods using a vehicle or vehicle combination with a total mass of over 3.5 tonnes requires a goods transport licence, with the following exceptions:

• Goods may be transported by tractor without a goods transport licence if the tractor has a maximum authorised speed of 60 kilometres per hour.
• A holder of a passenger transport licence may also transport goods by bus or coach.

Engaging in the professional transport of goods in mainland Finland using a vehicle or vehicle combination with a total mass of over 2.5 tonnes but no more than 3.5 tonnes requires the submission of a notification to Traficom.

Submitting a notification regarding the transport of goods

• The notification is company-specific, not vehicle-specific.
• Transport licence holders are also required to submit a notification if they engage in the professional transport of goods in mainland Finland using a vehicle or vehicle combination with a total mass of over 2.5 tonnes but no more than 3.5 tonnes.

Engaging in the professional transport of goods in international road transport using a vehicle or vehicle combination with a total mass of over 2.5 tonnes but no more than 3.5 tonnes requires a light goods transport licence.

Engaging in the professional transport of goods using a vehicle or vehicle combination with a total mass of 2 tonnes or less does not require a transport licence or the submission of a notification.

Before applying for a licence, it is recommended to register the applying business or undertaking in the Trade Register and the necessary Tax Administration registers.

The licence conditions include professional competence, Business ID, legal capacity, good repute, being based in Finland and being able to demonstrate your financial standing and the appropriate fulfillment of obligations.

Traficom does not assess in advance whether the conditions are met, nor does it issue preliminary decisions. The fulfillment of the conditions is only assessed during the processing of the licence application.

The applicant or the applicant’s transport manager must be professionally competent. Professional competence is achieved by completing the goods transport operator examination. Read more: Road transport operator examination  (in Finnish)

The holder of a transport licence must at all times be able to meet their financial obligations in the course of the financial year. To this end, the applicant must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources for the operations that they intend to engage in based on the licence, i.e. the applicant must demonstrate their financial standing.

The applicant for a goods transport licence must submit proof of having financial resources that amount at minimum to EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle and at minimum EUR 5,000 for the following vehicles.

The applicant for a light goods transport licence must submit proof of having financial resources that amount at minimum to EUR 1,800 for the first vehicle and at minimum EUR 900 for the following vehicles when the application only concerns a light goods transport licence and the applicant does not already hold any other transport licences.  If a company is applying for a light goods transport licence and it already holds a 'full' goods transport licence and/or a passenger transport licence, the guarantee amount required is EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle (lorry or bus/coach), EUR 5,000 for the following vehicles (lorry or bus/coach) and EUR 900 for the light goods transport licence applied for.

Financial standing must be demonstrated taking into account all of the applicant’s transport licences, excluding taxi transport licences. In other words, the applicant must demonstrate that they have the necessary financial resources for all the goods and passenger transport licences that they currently posses and are applying for. The guarantee amount of EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle applies only once, not separately for both types of licences.

Financial standing can be demonstrated with a certificate of the applicant’s financial resources issued by an authorised, meaning KHT, HT or JHT, auditor and/or a surety obligation (bank guarantee) issued by a credit, financing or insurance institution or a bank deposit (pledge account).

For more detailed instructions and templates, please see the links below.

The licence is granted on the basis of an application. The licence is granted either to a natural person who operates as a private trader (sole trader) or a legal person, such as a limited company or limited partnership.

If the applicant is a legal person, they must have a transport manager. The transport manager must meet the licence conditions of good repute and professional competence and have a connection to the applying company.

The application for a new licence, renewing an existing licence or additional licences must include a report on the applicant’s financial standing as an attachment. As regards the other licence conditions, the applicant must provide supplements or other evidence upon request. The application should be filled as thoroughly as possible, as requests for supplementary information will delay the granting of the licence.

Applications will be processed in the order of arrival within approximately two weeks of the commencement of proceedings.

Apply for a goods transport licence (External link)

The applicant is granted a goods transport licence and at least one copy of the goods transport licence. The vehicle-specific copy of the goods transport licence must always be carried inside the vehicle whenever the vehicle is used for transport operations. The original licence must be stored at the licence holder’s place of business. The goods transport licence is granted for 10 years.

In some cases, a domestic goods transport licence can be granted to the applicant instead of a goods transport licence. A domestic goods transport licence can only be granted if the applicant has at least one valid domestic goods transport licence when the application is instituted, and the applicant or the applicant’s transport manager only has a professional competence that entitles them to domestic transport, i.e. if the applicant has the professional competence required by a goods transport licence, the licence is always granted as a goods transport licence.

Domestic goods transport licences will expire by 1 July 2028 at the latest.

Only the party marked as the licence holder on the licence document can engage in transport operations based on the licence. If the licence holder is a natural person, only the person in question may engage in transport operations based on the licence, and they do so as a private trader (sole trader). If the licence holder is a community, only the community in question, such as a limited company or limited partnership, may engage in transport operations based on the licence.

Transport licences cannot be transferred or forwarded to another party. For example, a licence granted to a natural person cannot be transferred to a company owned by the person; instead, the company must apply for a transport licence of their own.

Vehicle-specific copies always expire at the same time with the original licence.

You can update your telephone number and email address via My e-Services (My e-Services/Front page/My details). You can log in with your online banking credentials, mobile certificate or certificate card.

You do not need to report a change of name or address to Traficom. Name or address changes for natural persons are reported to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and name or address changes for legal persons are reported to the Finnish Trade Register.