Exchanging an expired US license into a Finnish one?

Osbi · Post by **Osbi** » Wed May 20, 2009 7:46 am

I think it would be nice to have a license here, although not immediately necessary, so there's no way I'd want to pay for the ultra-expensive driving lessons that Finns are required to. But, if I can somehow more easily acquire a new license based on the fact that I know how to drive and have done so for 12 years, that would be ideal.

But my situation is complicated. My license from the States has expired a couple of years ago, and there's no way I can get it un-expired, since it is also suspended. Bad me got caught driving without insurance a couple too many times, and unless I pay some large amount of fines, I'm not getting it back.

My question is, would the Finnish license issuing authorities find this out somehow if I were applying in this method detailed below, with the assumption of a lost license? Or is there a better way to go about this, maybe just taking a test without taking the lessons? Or am I totally screwed like I am in the States already?

>> Exchanging a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA country

A person who lives permanently in Finland or has been studying in Finland for at least six months can exchange a driving licence issued in an EU or EEA country for an equivalent Finnish driving licence without having to take a new driving test. A driving licence permit application must be submitted to the police in person.

When applying for a driving licence permit, the following must be submitted:

* 2 photographs (preferably black-and-white)
* confirmation that the applicant has been driving a car in Finland for at least six months
* driving licence issued in a country that has signed the Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention (if the driving licence has been lost, a written account of how it was lost)

**Sponsor:**

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:48 am

Your license isnt issued in the EU so you might have to go back to the driving school and about the Finnish authority knowing about your insurance issues, yes they might know if they want

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Wed May 20, 2009 8:54 am

There is no way Finns will exchange a expired non-EU driving licence for a Finn licence. They probably won't find out it is suspended because they won't bother to look further into it. That is lucky for you, since if they knew, you won't be able to get a new licence, even after passing the exam.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:09 am

As the OP has already told that she is banned from driving in the US, and has expressed an intention to obtain, by deception, a license to drive here in Finland, in the interest of prevention of a crime, I'm considering copying her post to

http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/ ... k?OpenForm

Informing the Police that they may soon receive a fraudulent application from a woman claiming to have a US driver's license. There are less than 1000 US citizens resident in Finland, I can't imagine they get more than 100 driving license applications per year, hopefully they will keep a particular eye out for this person.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:50 am

USA (United States of America) isnt EU (European Union) or EEA (European Economic Area) country, its part of Geneva or Vienna Road Traffic Convention and you need a valid driving licence. http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/ ... endocument

America

is not Europe

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:32 am

Nice one there ^ by onkko

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:45 am

rinso wrote:There is no way Finns will exchange a expired non-EU driving licence for a Finn licence. They probably won't find out it is suspended because they won't bother to look further into it. That is lucky for you, since if they knew, you won't be able to get a new licence, even after passing the exam.

Is that really so? I mean, if you’ve lost your license in a non-EU country due to unpaid insurance or fines or whatever, what does that really have to do with obtaining a new license in Finland the hard way – by going to a driving school, attending all the classes, paying for them, and passing the required tests?

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:57 am

That would be a different thing, you would be starting from zero and you have to go through all the exams and pay all the fees. Then you are not exchanging your licence from the US for a Finnish one, you are getting a Finnish one from scratch.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Wed May 20, 2009 12:21 pm

interleukin wrote:That would be a different thing, you would be starting from zero and you have to go through all the exams and pay all the fees. Then you are not exchanging your licence from the US for a Finnish one, you are getting a Finnish one from scratch.

That’s what I thought, but the post I was replying to seemed to imply that even “passing the exam” would not be good enough...

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:22 pm

I'm a gilt-arsed foreigner, can I exchange an expired lottery ticket to a Finnish drivers' licence?

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:25 pm

I don't know about non-Eu licences, but applying for one in Finland you must write an affidavit that you're not been banned from driving in any EEA country.

Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Wed May 20, 2009 1:31 pm

Pursuivant wrote:I don't know about non-Eu licences, but applying for one in Finland you must write an affidavit that you're not been banned from driving in any EEA country.

Shh! Are you trying to invite Onkko to give you a geography lesson..?

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:06 pm

Your first step in applying for a Finnish license is to go to the police station. So go there and ask. They will be able to answer your questions. The easiest you are going to get by with is taking first the theory exam, then you gotta rent a car from a driving school for the driving part of the exam and that will require one driving lesson from the school where you rent the car. Then after you pass the exams you'll get your license.
But like I said, that's gonna be the easiest. I think that because your US license has been expired for so long it might not work that way. Anyway, from the forum you're just gonna get advice from people about what they think, not fact, so just go to the police station and ask.
I just went through the whole process last year. Granted though... my US license was not expired nor did I have any bans on driving in the US.

JimmyBang · Post by **JimmyBang** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:19 pm

...so i'll ask this purley for "opinion"... does anyone "think" i can exchange my expired,(since coming here) license for a Finnish one WITHOUT the outrageously expensive driving lessons? (my license was valid and only expired due to not being in the states to redo it).

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:38 pm

Osbi wrote: Bad me got caught driving without insurance a couple too many times

Yes "bad you". I sincerely hope and pray that you do not somehow squeeze through the net, and manage to get a driving licence here in Finland.

For anyone else out there reading this who might think about driving without insurance, please spare a thought for those people who have been involved in an accident where an uninsured driver was at fault. Every year people are badly injured, and find they cannot claim damages and care costs from the other driver's insurance company, simply because someone was so selfish, self-centered and utterly dense to get themselves insured before they got behind the wheel.

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