Finnish driver licence

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danita
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Finnish driver licence

Post by danita » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:23 am

Probably you already know this, but it is anyway worth the comment.
I heard from someone that if you already had your home country driver licence, and you were planning to stay in finland for a longer period of time, then it is possile to change your own driver licence to a finnish one at the local police station.
All it takes is 40 euros, a paper issued by a doctor from terveyskeskus, 2 photos, need to complete some forms and prove you have been driving for 6 months at least in finland ( by the signature of two witnesses)and you also have to hand in your driver licence.
If by any reasson, you go back to your country, then you can ask for your card back and hand in the finnish one. (only if you are planning not to live in finland anymore)
I have just done it and it is actually that quick. Once you did everything it takes only one month to get the finnish licence.

I hope this information as usefull for someone as it was for me.


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Finnish driver licence

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greenhorn
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Post by greenhorn » Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:10 am

But this license is valid only for a year. If you are in Finland for more than a year then you need to appear at the test and get proper Finnish driving license.

bess2
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Post by bess2 » Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:46 am

greenhorn wrote:But this license is valid only for a year. If you are in Finland for more than a year then you need to appear at the test and get proper Finnish driving license.
this is not true, i changed my driving license last year and it is valid till i turn 70. after that, i have to do a medical examination on the basis of which they decide if i'm still allowed to drive. this is a standard procedure for every Finn.
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greenhorn
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Post by greenhorn » Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:21 pm

bess2 wrote: this is not true, i changed my driving license last year and it is valid till i turn 70. after that, i have to do a medical examination on the basis of which they decide if i'm still allowed to drive. this is a standard procedure for every Finn.
http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/ ... 37002D87F6

here it says
A person residing permanently in a country that has signed the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention and who holds a national or international driving licence or an official Finnish or Swedish translation of a national driving licence is entitled to drive motor vehicles equivalent to those indicated on the non-Finnish licence for up to a year following entry into Finland, provided that the person fulfils the Finnish age requirement to drive such vehicles
But I think for EU or EEA countries it is valid forever as you said. Your license was from EU so it is valid like normal Finnish driving license.

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simakun
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Post by simakun » Sat Nov 05, 2005 12:49 pm

they must have changed the rules very recently cos i traded in my non-eu licence about 2 years ago for a finnish one and it's valid until i'm 70 and the only test i took was for eyesight by a doc.
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mumboman
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Post by mumboman » Sat Nov 05, 2005 2:20 pm

Greenhorn is right on this one. I'm from Canada and was told that I would have to take the test within a year of being issued a temporary permit. I was originally told I had to take the test no matter what because my Canadian license had recently expired but when they found out all I do is pay 25 cdn a year for it they told me I could turn it in for a temporary one.( On a side note I just had a family member lay out the money in Canada and mail me my license) Since my Finnish license would be of no use to me in Canada if I'm here for more than three years. I just finished going through driving school even though I can drive here with my Canadian license. I'm pretty sure I'm here for about 5 years and I really don't feel the need to go back to driving school in Canada to take another license again. Set to take the Finnish exam right away. Personally I think if you have a license in one country it should be good in another but soon I'll have 2, Seems like kind of a waste of money to me but what the he** it could be worse.

chriscross
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Post by chriscross » Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:39 pm

if you lived in a EU country you can swap your licence for a finnish licence,,,and its valid the same amount of years as your original licence,,,

eg untill your 65 or 70

i swaped my uk licence for a finnish licence and its valid until im 65

mumboman
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Post by mumboman » Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:15 pm

which explains why a canadian that has to renew his license yearly would have to retake the exams

chriscross
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Post by chriscross » Sat Nov 05, 2005 5:17 pm

mumboman wrote:which explains why a canadian that has to renew his license yearly would have to retake the exams
awwww what a shame :oops: :cry: :lol:

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dave071061
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Post by dave071061 » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:08 am

chriscross wrote:if you lived in a EU country you can swap your licence for a finnish licence,,,and its valid the same amount of years as your original licence,,,

eg untill your 65 or 70

i swaped my uk licence for a finnish licence and its valid until im 65
But be careful because if you've had your UK license for a while then you will lose some vehicle groups when you switch to a finnish license.

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peteh
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Post by peteh » Sun Nov 06, 2005 10:22 am

But be careful because if you've had your UK license for a while then you will lose some vehicle groups when you switch to a finnish license.[/quote]

when I swapped my license the policeman actually asked me if I wanted to keep my vehicle groups or just have a basic car (b) license.
Of course I opted for all my groups.
Most of my finnish friends are a little jealous as I manage to get a a,b,c,d1 groups.

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Dan
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Post by Dan » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:10 pm

Greenhorn is confused and I think mumboman has been smoking too much weed. You're allowed to drive in Finland on a foreign drivers license for up to 12 months. After that it must be changed to a Finnish one. It can't be done straight away either as you must have driven in Finland for 6 months.

Your new license will be valid until you're 70 years old. The problem with mumboman is that his drivers licence had expired which is why he had to go through so many hoops. The way danita described it is exactly how it works.
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karen
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Post by karen » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:15 pm

The way Dan and Danita described it is the way it happened for me 7 years ago. Except I paid in FIM :D

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Dan
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Post by Dan » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:17 pm

Yes I think the fee used to be 200,- ;)
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mossman
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Post by mossman » Sun Nov 06, 2005 1:20 pm

Similar experience here, decided to swap old english paper driving license for new finnish plastic one as was told it would serve as a personal ID and save having to carry passport everywhere, amazed at speed , two weeks, bright shiny (evil photo aside) valid to when 70 yrs young. Police said they had "expert" check it out, as I queried all the vehicles allowed to drive, A, B,C1,D1,BE,C1E,D1E, was also told that as it complies with EU that it's valid within same.
As a matter of interest are the driving categories above equivalent to those here as I've never taken any test other than the standard english ones i.e. M'bike and car.
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