Financing a Car as an expat

[WadsyUK]

Apologies if this is an old topic, but I've had a look and couldn't find an exact answer.

I am moving to Turku in April with my employer for a new job. I have lived and worked in Finland before but was provided with a car. This time I am not. I have my British car, which is currently in Switzerland and I have been using for the last 3 years across France, Netherlands and now Switzerland. I've always been allowed to bring it with me as part of my removal goods. For Finland this appears harder as you have to pay tax on the vehicle to bring it in. So I will leave it in Switzerland.

I will be flying back and forth and therefore need a car in Finland to get to and from Helsinki airport.

So the question is, as an expat how difficult is it to lease a car or obtain finance to buy one? I will be a sole trader in Finland and paying all my taxes there as I will spend more than 183 days outside of Switzerland.

I am assuming I will have difficulty as I have no Finnish credit history although. Have any expats taken out a car lease or been granted finance to buy a vehicle in Finland?

Thanks

[tavastia]

You may not get a lease right away, as private person, can you try to get it thru your employer? It's not a cheap option but is one option. Getting a credit for buying the car is unlikely in first year in Finland but maybe is possible if you are paying a larger upfront money for the car. You need a car to travel to airport from Turku? Why don't you use the train? Turku -> Pasila -> Airport. Also there are every hour direct buses from Turku to HEL airport.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

I will be flying back and forth and therefore need a car in Finland to get to and from Helsinki airport.

If that's the only need then you definitely want to consider the public transportation options. You'd be paying hundreds of euros *) each month for having the car just sit around most of the time.

*) lease, or devaluation, annual tax, insurance, maintenance,.... and fuel

[Upphew]

I will be flying back and forth and therefore need a car in Finland to get to and from Helsinki airport.

If that's the only need then you definitely want to consider the public transportation options. You'd be paying hundreds of euros *) each month for having the car just sit around most of the time.

*) lease, or devaluation, annual tax, insurance, maintenance,.... and fuel

How much is it nowadays to park car at the airport? Free it ain't.

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

How much is it nowadays to park car at the airport? Free it ain't.

10€/day, give or take, some don't offer single day parking, and probably there are deals if using more frequently.

[Rick1]

Have you carefully checked if you have to pay taxes for a car that you already own and bring it as moving good? This used to be free of taxes, at least 6 months in foreign country and 1 or two years keeping it in Finland. And you can check how much taxes you need to pay if not free, if it is over three years it cannot be too much since Finns are importing them all the time, especially diesels that Germany and Sweden do not want anymore.

[tavastia]

Have you carefully checked if you have to pay taxes for a car that you already own and bring it as moving good? This used to be free of taxes, at least 6 months in foreign country and 1 or two years keeping it in Finland. And you can check how much taxes you need to pay if not free, if it is over three years it cannot be too much since Finns are importing them all the time, especially diesels that Germany and Sweden do not want anymore.

Yes, you need to pay the import tax. Tax could be somewhere between 20-30% of the value in Finland but it's based on emissions.
You could calculate it from there: https://asiointi.tulli.fi/mahtiinternet/