Driving in Finland

Driving on traffic-free roads is a blissful experience, but if you’re planning a road trip to Finland, it’s essential you’re fully prepared ahead of time as driving there has many differences to the UK. 

To make your trip to northern Europe as safe and effortless as possible, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know before you go, from required documents to rules of the road.  

Driving a rented vehicle? Jump to the advice for driving a hire car in Finland section.

RAC European Breakdown Cover (Basic and Comprehensive) provides a wide range of benefits should you breakdown in Finland to ensure you stay safe, whether you travel to the area reguarly or are just heading there for a one-off trip. 

To supplement this, RAC also offers travel insurance. Cover will include medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings, among many other benefits.

Need short-term car insurance for your vehicle? Our temporary car cover is perfect if you're looking for flexible insurance for between 1 hour and 30 days.

• A valid, full UK driving licence (you must also be 18 or over)
• Your motor insurance certificate
• The V5 registration document for your own car or the hire car paperwork for a rental

Do I need a GB or UK sticker for driving in Finland?

From 28th September 2021, the distinguishing mark (or national identifier) displayed on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom that are driven abroad will change from GB to UK.  

This means that vehicles registered in the UK must display the letters “UK” when driven in Finland.   

The identifier can be incorporated in vehicle number plates (along with the Union Flag) or as a separate sticker. Note that vehicles featuring the letters GB together with the Council of Europe golden stars are no longer valid for driving abroad.

If your vehicle does not have the UK identifier within the number plate, you will require a UK sticker when driving in Finland. GB stickers will no longer be valid from the end of September.

Do I need an insurance green card?

From 2nd August 2021, drivers will no longer require an insurance green card for taking their vehicles to Finland.

Aside from the documents above, there are some legally-required items you must bring with you to drive in Finland.

Unless your headlights can be adjusted, it's a legal requirement to carry headlamp converters (stickers for your headlights when driving on the right, so your lights don't dazzle motorists coming the other way).

A warning triangle is also compulsory to carry in vehicles in case of a breakdown.

Winter tyres are compulsory if you're driving between 1 December and 28 February.

It's also recommended to have:

• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights
• A fire extinguisher 
• A first-aid kit
• A reflective jacket

You can pick up all the car kit you need from RAC Shop.

Is there anything that I shouldn’t take with me?

Be aware that you cannot take the following with you into Finland:

• meat or products containing meat
• milk or dairy products

You cannot take the following unless you pay to have them inspected before you leave and get a ‘phytosanitary certificate’:

• fresh fruit (apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• vegetables
• plants
• plant products

• Wear a crash helmet if you're riding a moped or motorcycle
• Use dipped headlights day and night, all year round
• In Finland, you drive on the right and overtake on the left. Vehicles from the right, trams and emergency vehicles have priority
• In built-up areas, horns should only be used in cases of immediate danger. On country roads, they can be used on bends, slopes and when visibility is poor
• Cars towing a caravan or trailer must be equipped with two side rear-view mirrors
• All main roads are kept open in winter, but secondary roads in the north of the country may become impassable between November and March
• Any accident involving an animal must be reported by phoning the emergency services on 112
• There are no toll roads in Finland
• If you're caught committing a motoring offence while driving through Finland, you could be given an on-the-spot fine of up to €200. The police can issue the fines, but they can’t collect them. Payment must be made at a bank within 2 weeks
• Seat belts should be worn in all seats where a belt is available
• Children less than 135cm in height must use an appropriate restraint or child seat. Children under the age of 3 cannot travel without a suitable restraint
• The drink-drive limit for all drivers is 0.05%. Both breath tests and blood tests can be carried out at random

The speed limit is 50km/h in built-up areas, reduced to 20km/h in residential zones. On open roads, the maximum speed allowed is 100km/h, while on motorways it’s 120km/h.

• Parking can be limited in built-up areas, with restricted zones signposted. Wheel clamps may be used if a car is parked illegally for more than 2 days. 
• Unleaded petrol and diesel are readily available, even in small towns and villages. However, there may be distances of up to 100km between filling stations in rural areas, particularly in Lapland in the north of the country

In an emergency

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting.

Operators can answer your call in their native language, English or French.

Breaking down in Finland

RAC offers great-value, flexible RAC European breakdown cover tailored to meet your needs. We also offer comprehensive travel insurance, including cover for medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings.

Not all of the information in the guide above will be relevant to those looking to rent a hire car in Finland.

Though it might be a good idea to read through everything anyway, here are the most important things to know for drivers of rental vehicles:

Rental information

• The minimum age to hire a car is 19
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term of 1 year
• Some companies require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Finland unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

Hire car driving tips

• Finns drive on the right and overtake on the left - the opposite to the UK
• The national speed limit on Finnish motorways is 120km/h (74mph). On a main road outside a built-up area it's 100 km/h. For built-up areas it’s 50km/h, reduced to 20km/h for residential areas
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.05%. That's lower than the 0.08% in England Wales and Northern Ireland, but the same as Scotland.

Fuel

Fuel prices in Finland can be found in our up-to-date European fuel prices page.

UK Government travel advice

See up-to-date travel advice