Sitting on the docks at Helsinki...

[Cod]

..when the car rolls off the ferry in Helsinki..I reckon heres the process..(as part of 'importation of removal goods' when immigrating)

i) Tulli have a look at our VAT paid certificate, and checks our insurance doc's to make sure we were out of the country for six months

ii) then we go to the MOT (equivalent) garage and get the 'once over' by a bloke in overalls with a pen in the top pocket (need only to show purchase invoice and Certificate of Compliance)... then

iii) off to the car registration office (AKA?) who give me the new plates for the car (need to show Tulli certificate, MOT certificate and credit card)

..does that sound about right to you guys?

[Hank W.]

II and III are the same place.

[paulrenn]

i) Tulli have a look at our VAT paid certificate, and checks our insurance doc's to make sure we were out of the country for six months

You should have the invoice from when you bought the car, plus certificate of insurance, plus the registration document of course. Did you buy a new car, or secondhand? At least I hope you bought LHD...! If it is quite new and originally registered in EU then process should be very straightforward. You will also (probably) be asked for "proof" that you have been outside of Finland for a year (you said only 6 months though...?) My wife had to produce a letter from her employer stating that she had been working abroad during the time stated - a contract was not sufficient, or at least they were reluctant to accept it. You need to have been abroad one year, and owned the car for at least 6 months of that time.

ii) then we go to the MOT (equivalent) garage and get the 'once over' by a bloke in overalls with a pen in the top pocket (need only to show purchase invoice and Certificate of Compliance)... then

iii) off to the car registration office (AKA?) who give me the new plates for the car (need to show Tulli certificate, MOT certificate and credit card)

That'll be the Autokatsastus. There are many around. I am surprised to even find them seemingly in the middle of nowhere when driving between cities At katsastus you will need to show the docs from the Tulli. After inspection and pain of extracting your money, I think you need to go back to Tulli again and show that the car passed the inspection. Then they stamp your docs, then go back to katsastus to get the plates made up. I don't know if it is true for every office, but at least here in Oulu I could get the number plates made up at the autokatsastus itself. BTW if you want a "personalised" numberplate it will cost you a couple thousand euro so I suggest get the randomly generated number!

It is well worth getting a car or two in as part of "removal goods", so make sure you get all the relevant docs ready.

Hope this helps, just going from memory.

[sinikala]

[At katsastus you will need to show the docs from the Tulli. After inspection and pain of extracting your money, I think you need to go back to Tulli again and show that the car passed the inspection. Then they stamp your docs, then go back to katsastus to get the plates made up. I don't know if it is true for every office, but at least here in Oulu I could get the number plates made up at the autokatsastus itself.

When importing a car and paying tax I think it went like this...

Tulli tax inspection
Autokatsastus inspection
Tulli tax bill comes, pay it
Show tax reciept to Autokatsastus
Autokatsastus issues plates

There was one form that had to be stamped at each stage, but I think that was related mostly to Autokatsastus checking that you had paid your taxes before issuing plates, not that Tulli were interested in the roadworthiness of the car?

It must surely be even easier if there is no tax to pay.

You are right also about the 12 months outside Finland, old pay slips should be enough to prove that... and you must have owned the car for 6 months (I was caught out on the last part, I had owned my car for only 3 months )

[Cod]

..nuts eh, should have bought another car! Didn't realise that you could bring in a couple...

..it was bought as a new Finnish car and we are well clear of the 12month and 6 month rules...

..got a parking ticket the otherday...wonder if they're going to chase me all the way to Finland

thanks for the tips!

[Rosamunda]

..got a parking ticket the otherday...wonder if they're going to chase me all the way to Finland

Probably will..... or nab you at the airport the next time you fly home. There was a funny story in the papers a few months ago about a Swede (living in Sweden) who received a speeding fine from the UK.... for his TRACTOR!!! which had never been more than 5kms from his farm.... bug in the Newport computer...???

[kmboll]

You should have the invoice from when you bought the car, plus certificate of insurance, plus the registration document of course.

When do you have to show that it is insured in Finland? Do I need to have insurance on it before it leaves the dock even if it's a motorcycle that I'm taking away on a trailer?

[Cod]

..would have thought you could take anything on a trailer as long as the trailer is big enough..thats how you get rally cars around etc...they aren't road legal so its just down to your risk if it gets nicked!

..but you may want to ask a local

[Cod]

..interesting about the parking ticket..it will go to court..but only after the '28 day grace period has expired' certificate comes through the post to 'the owner of the vehicle'...but our car's running Finnish export plates...

..now if Hackney council is cosy (by means of a bunch of euro bounty hunters) with Finnish DVLA...then we're busted...but as a matter of course, we cant budge till that penalty certificate turns up in the post..and I read recently that France, Germany...Sweden are all tied up...but not (but I'll let you know)...Finland

..snort..

PS The ticket was completely unfair and we'd wipe the floor with them in the appeals ajudication anyhow....

[paulrenn]

..nuts eh, should have bought another car! Didn't realise that you could bring in a couple...

Well, one for you, and one for Minna I reckon I can sell our cars in 2008 and get back 120% of the price I originally paid. Then I will have to go back to Europe for another year and do it all over again

got a parking ticket the otherday...wonder if they're going to chase me all the way to Finland

About a week after I brought my car from UK, I got a speeding ticket. Didn't pay it of course, since car was still on UK plates and it was never chased up through the UK (this was in 2000). Unfortunately, the Poliisi never forget, and when I came to import the same car to Finland (i.e. get the Finnish plates) lo and behold, out pops a bill with a year's worth of interest. Bugger!

thanks for the tips!

You're welcome!

[Cod]

...that was interesting...got stuck on the 'prove you've lived in London for the last 12 months' question...they really took some convincing..

..sorted now...our underpowered whale now has Finnish plates...