Import for serving or retail sale purposes
The holder of a serving or retail trade licence can import the alcoholic beverages they have the right to serve or sell for their serving or retail sale operations. A notification of the commencement of import must be submitted to the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira).
Prior to the commencement of import operations, the licence holder must submit a notification to Valvira on acting as an importer. Import operations can be commenced once Valvira has confirmed the receipt of the import notification.
Submit the import notification in the e-service of the alcohol trade register Allu.
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 Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. For notifications submitted by 31 December 2025, it is EUR 400.
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 Valvira’s product register before the serving/retail sales. The product notification must be submitted through Allu e-service. As part of the supervision of alcoholic beverages, Valvira 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.
All imported batches must be reported to Valvira monthly, no later than the 18th day of the month following the import. The reports must be submitted via Allu e-service.
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 serving or retail trade licence. For more detailed instructions on excise duties, please contact the Finnish Tax Administration.