Import of alcoholic beverages for retail sale purposes
The holder of a retail trade licence can import the alcoholic beverages they have the right to sell for their retail sale operations. A notification of the commencement of import must be submitted to the Finnish Supervisory Agency.
Prior to the commencement of import operations, the licence holder must submit a notification to the Finnish Supervisory Agency on acting as an importer. Import operations can be commenced once the Finnish Supervisory Agency has confirmed the receipt of the import notification.
Submit the import notification in the e-service of the alcohol trade register.
The processing time varies on a case-by-case basis, but the intention is to process notifications within 14 days of arrival. The processing fee is determined in accordance with the Finnish Government's and it is EUR 400.
Importer’s responsibilities for the product
The importer is responsible for the imported alcoholic beverages. The importer is responsible for the quality and composition of an alcoholic beverage it has released for consumption, and for the product, its packaging labels and other presentation complying with the relevant provisions and regulations.
The importer must report all products it has imported to the Finnish Supervisory Agency’s product register before the retail sales. The product notification must be submitted through the e-service of the alcohol trade register. As part of the supervision of alcoholic beverages, The Finnish Supervisory Agency maintains a product register of all alcoholic beverages sold in Finland. The product register contains basic information on the beverages on the market and the traders responsible for them.
Beverages imported from third countries (from outside the EU) must have a first analysis certificate of the composition and quality of the product, issued by an accredited laboratory. However, an analysis certificate is not required for beverages imported in a batch of less than 100 litres.
Import report
All imported batches must be reported to the Finnish Supervisory Agency monthly, no later than the 15th day of the month following the import. The reports must be submitted through the e-service of the alcohol trade register.
Excise duty
Excise duty must be paid for alcoholic beverages upon import. Importing alcoholic beverages is considered illegal if the excise duty has not been paid in Finland. Placing such a beverage on the market or failing to submit an import report may lead to the revocation of the retail trade licence. For more detailed instructions on excise duties, please contact the Finnish Tax Administration.
The processing time for a notification varies case by case. The average processing time for new notifications is approximately two weeks.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency charges a fee for the processing of a notification in accordance with the Decree on Fees. In 2026, the processing of a new notification concerning a ship or aircraft costs EUR 500, the processing of a new notification concerning an airport EUR 300 and a change to the notification EUR 225.
As a rule, retail sales of alcoholic beverages in international traffic must comply with the same regulations as retail sales of alcoholic beverages elsewhere do. However, licensing hours are freer: retail sale of alcohol is only prohibited between 4 am and 5:30 am.
Contact information
Customer service for health and social affairs
Service form
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: +358 295 256 930 (Monday–Friday 9:00–15:00)