Question about driving license

[rauginta_kojine]

I would suggest buying some cheap (could be less than €500) car and driving it for 6 months. This way, it would probably be less expensive and less hasle than taking the tests again here, you don't have to convince your friends to lie for you, everything is 100% legal and you have 18 months to do that. You know what they used to say, when you're in Rome, you should live like romans.

That's an absurd! No, I don't need a car. And I am not gonna buy just to proove that I can drive. My gash...
I have a driver licence, why isnt it possible to to exchange? whahahaha... damn it.

Why would I have to take the tests again?

[jas_rho]

Does anyone know for sure what one has to do if they have lived in Finland longer than the amount of time where you can just switch over your foreign license?

I'm in that situation. I have a valid US license, and actually have lived here on a permanent residence permit less than a year but I don't think that matters. I came here to study so was here on temporary permits till I met a nice Finnish girl and got married. I know I should change to a Finnish license but since the time to just switch over has passed I haven't really found out what I should do. I don't have to go to the driving school do I? One person told me that the police station would just want me to take some test there and bring some paper from a doctor saying I'm healthy and can see. I am guessing this will then cost more than just switching the license over but does anyone know if this is true and what I really have to do?

[Hank W.]

Go to the police station and ask?

[jas_rho]

Go to the police station and ask?

Yeah thats one way to do it. Just thought someone here might know as well. Obviously I'll eventually have to go in order to do what I need to do. It'd be nice if I knew what to expect before I got there.

[Hank W.]

The thing is I've got a friend in the same situation, but he's in the state "procastrination"

[jas_rho]

The thing is I've got a friend in the same situation, but he's in the state "procastrination"

Hmmm yeah sounds kinda familiar But well, if your friend ever makes it there any time soon, and gets some answers, let me know. And maybe if I make it there first, I can let your friend know
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Ok I'll just update this a little... this was good motivation now after some talk about procrastination... I still haven't found our 100% everything but at least from the poliisi webpage (which wasn't working all morning) I read that "After 18 months, an applicant will be required to take a driving test." There isn't any other info about doing anything else extra. I guess the rest is the same. Oh but I'll probably have to pay more for the test. But won't that be exciting going for a drive with the cops.

[Tiwaz]

That's an absurd! No, I don't need a car. And I am not gonna buy just to proove that I can drive. My gash...
I have a driver licence, why isnt it possible to to exchange? whahahaha... damn it.

Why would I have to take the tests again?

Absurd? Perhaps, but as Hanky has told before... It is problem for you, not to the police. They don't care if you after expiration of your lisence are left without valid lisence.

And it just isn't possible to exchange. You can complain about it as much as you want but things will not change because it would be more convenient for you.

And you would have to take the tests again, because you would not possess valid driver's lisence when yours expired. You might not, since you have lived in Finland for long time and possibly got citizenship between today and 2017, get new lisence from your country of origin. If you end up in that situation, nobody gives you driver's lisence based on former lisence but you have to go through driving school from beginning to end to qualify for new lisence.


Just get banged up nissan for peanuts, drive around few months and get that new damn lisence. You can't beat the system, better just make sure you manage to deal with it with minimum trouble.

[rauginta_kojine]

Hey Tiwaz, Why do you think I couldn't get a new licence in my mother country after this one expires? Who would know I have lived for so long here in Finland?
Now, no one knows I am living here, no institution or office. Why the hell would there be problems for me to get a new licence in my country?

By the way, I should get my ass in this finnish police and ask their advice in my situation. I dont really need a car at this moment, but maybe I will buy one after 3 years, who knows?. But I just want to make sure nothing bad will happen in those years I am staying ere with my documents...

[Hank W.]

Hey Tiwaz, Why do you think I couldn't get a new licence in my mother country after this one expires? Who would know I have lived for so long here in Finland?
Now, no one knows I am living here, no institution or office. Why the hell would there be problems for me to get a new licence in my country?

Tiwaz thinks so, because in Finland we take for granted that "the computer knows everything"...

Just ask the Ministry of Correct Thinking.

[Tiwaz]

Hey Tiwaz, Why do you think I couldn't get a new licence in my mother country after this one expires? Who would know I have lived for so long here in Finland?
Now, no one knows I am living here, no institution or office. Why the hell would there be problems for me to get a new licence in my country?

By the way, I should get my ass in this finnish police and ask their advice in my situation. I dont really need a car at this moment, but maybe I will buy one after 3 years, who knows?. But I just want to make sure nothing bad will happen in those years I am staying ere with my documents...

I don't, I gave you worst case scenario. If you get lisence from your country of origin, go ahead and stick to old one and forget whole mess.

But then again, if things end up so that you do not get it from home, you are shafted come year 2017. It's not like things don't change. In fact, come 2017 we might all be citizens of Union of Europe and only have one type of lisence. Or not.

Either way, your call what to do.