Applying for a production or wholesale licence for alcoholic beverages
If you wish to start the production or wholesale of alcoholic beverages, you must apply for a licence from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). Valvira will grant the licence on application.
Apply for a licence in the e-service of the alcohol trade register (Allu).
The application should be submitted in due time before the start of the production or wholesale activity. The processing time varies on a case-by-case basis, but the average processing time is around three months. If necessary, Valvira may carry out a preliminary inspection of the production premises with a representative of the licence applicant. During the preliminary inspection, Valvira will assess whether the premises meets the requirements of the Alcohol Act and the Food Act. Matters related to legislation, self-monitoring and reporting will also be reviewed with the licence applicant.
Please note that the processing fee for the licence decision is determined in accordance with the Decree of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
| Fees for the production and wholesale of alcoholic beverages until 31 December 2025 | EUR |
|---|---|
| Production licence for alcoholic beverages | 3,500 |
| Wholesale licence for alcoholic beverages | 3,000 |
| Limited wholesale licence for alcoholic beverages for a fixed term of up to one month | 300 |
| Registration of food operations (new activity, substantial change of activity, change of operator) | 150 |
| Amendment of a licence, approval or licence condition | 225 |
| Amendment of a licence, approval or licence condition, including inspection | 600 |
General requirements for licences
Valvira may grant a production or wholesale licence to a legally competent organisation (e.g. a limited liability company, cooperative or incorporated partnership registered in the Trade Register) that has submitted a basic notification to the registration authorities, or to a person (sole trader) who is deemed to have the necessary qualifications and reliability for such activity.
Valvira can grant a licence to an applicant who is not bankrupt, who is, in terms of their assets, capable of taking care of the activities and fulfilling their statutory obligations, and who is known to be reliable and suitable for the task in terms of their personal characteristics. A licence cannot be issued if the applicant’s or person’s previous actions as a whole indicate the applicant or person to be plainly unsuitable to engage in business activities pursuant to legislation.
Valvira will assess the applicant’s reliability and suitability as a licence holder. Matters considered during the assessment include:
- Whether the applicant or a responsible person of the applicant has to a considerable extent or repeatedly neglected the payment of taxes or other public charges
- Whether the applicant has been deemed insolvent during execution proceedings, and the insolvency is not temporary
- Whether any licence under the Alcohol Act has been withdrawn in the last five years
- Whether the applicant has been sentenced in the last five years for an intentional offence related to business activities that may result in imprisonment
To qualify for a production or wholesale licence, you must prepare a self-monitoring plan, i.e. a written plan on how you will ensure the legality of your activity. The plan must be made available at the place of production or storage to the persons who will be implementing it. Attach the self-monitoring plan to the licence application. For more information on self-monitoring, see the Self-monitoring by manufacturers and wholesalers of alcoholic beverages page.
When you apply for a production or wholesale licence, you must provide evidence that you have the necessary competence to ensure product safety and the quality of the products concerned. In the case of a production licence application, you must also attach a report indicating that your production premises, equipment and methods are suitable for ensuring the control, product and food safety, and quality of the products concerned.
When you apply for a production licence, you must specify in the application the product groups to which the licence will apply. If your competence or the equipment you have are at your disposal are not suitable for producing all alcoholic beverages, Valvira may restrict the licence to certain alcoholic beverages only. A wholesale licence covers all product groups.
Alcoholic beverages may only be produced at a location where the production and storage of the products is organised to allow effective control of the activity. If necessary, Valvira will carry out a preliminary inspection of the production premises when processing a new production licence application. During the preliminary inspection, Valvira will assess whether the production premises and equipment meet the requirements set for adequate product safety and quality assurance.
According to the Food Act, all businesses that prepare, store, transport and sell food, including alcoholic beverages, must submit a notification on their food premises to the food control authority. As a manufacturer or wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, you must submit a food premises notification concerning the production and storage premises to Valvira before starting the activity. The notification is part of the production or wholesale licence application, and it must describe the nature, construction and location of the production/storage premises and other facilities where products will be stored, as well as include a floor plan of the production premises showing the locations of the manufacturing equipment. In this connection, you must also submit a written self-monitoring plan to Valvira. Pursuant to the Food Act, the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on Food Hygiene (Maa- ja metsätalousministeriön asetus elintarvikehygieniasta 318/2021) applies to the requirements for premises and equipment for the production of alcoholic beverages.
The production premises of alcoholic beverages also constitute a tax warehouse. An application for a tax warehouse must also be submitted to the Finnish Tax Administration. Valvira can only grant a production licence after the Finnish Tax Administration has approved the applicant as a keeper of a tax warehouse in accordance with the Excise Duty Act. If a wholesaler will store tax-free alcoholic beverages, an application for a tax warehouse must also be submitted to the Finnish Tax Administration.
If you wish to produce organic alcoholic beverages, you must register in Valvira’s control system for organic production before you start the production of organic products. You must also register in Valvira’s control system for organic production before the start of the activity as a wholesaler of organic products. For more information on organic production, see the Organic alcoholic beverages page.