Thinking of opening a bar/club in Helsinki

[reindeer]

getting the licence to sell is not so bad, getting the licence to run the bar is the harder option, any old Joe can get the licence to sell, even non finnish speaking types!

Do you know what are requirements for getting the license to run the bar?

[reindeer]

Anyone pls?

[Hämeen Hitain]

You can start here:

http://www.valvira.fi/web/en/alcohol/serving-alcohol

http://www.valvira.fi/documents/18508/1 ... 6851f645fd

[TeppoKroatialainen]

did i got this right?

If i would have ''unlimited'' amount of starting seed money and i want open a bar , it would have to run few years as non-alcohol place before getting grantet the right to serve alcohol?

is it for the company to exist or that particular place?

[reindeer]

I just called to Valvira today and they said there is no requirements for the owner of the pub if the owner is not serving the alcohol himself. The ones who serve need to have alcohol license, that's all.

[Rosamunda]

I think Valvira misunderstood your question. Or maybe they only answered what you asked. Or maybe you only heard what you wanted to here

The alcohol pass to SERVE alcohol is one thing: the people serving the alcohol need a personal "alcohol pass" similar to the food hygiene certificate. So that's easy enough to deal with.

A licence to open a bar and SELL alcohol is something else (it's called a "Serving Licence" in the translated texts which is, IMO, very confusing). The licence can be granted to a private person or a business or an organisation based on the Articles of Association (ie business purpose). There are different categories of licence depending on the range of alcohol being served on the premises. So, it is easier to get a >4.7% licence than a full one. The licence also stipulates the time that alcohol can be served usually 9am to 1.30am. The licence is granted to the entrepreneur solely for that person's business. No other entrepreneur/company can operate on the same premises under the umbrella of the licence. A background check is made on the applicant with regard to his/her finances (not bankrupt) and criminal record. A manager must be nominated who has all the necessary qualifications (through education or experience). If the licence is to be granted to a company rather than a private person, the company must be registered before the application is made. The licence is fixed term, usually one year.

The document (same as above) https://www.haagaperho.fi/sites/default ... emises.pdf gives the necessary information - you need to read from p34 onwards (Granting a Serving Licence) but you really need to read all of it before you start investing:

The licence is applied for with a specific form which can be obtained from
the Regional State Administrative Agency or from the website
http://www.yrityssuomi.fi. The required documents are listed on the form. Every
applicant has to give the company's business identity code in the
application. The completed form with the attached documents is returned
to the Regional State Administrative Agency who asks for statements from
such parties as the police.

The application has to state:

1) the name of the applicant, business identity code or personal identity
code or date of birth and contact details;
2) the names, contact details and personal identity codes or dates of birth
for the people in the governing body of a legal person, the director, the
partners in a partnership and the accountable partners in a limited
partnership;
3) the name of the responsible manager and his/her substitutes, their
personal identity codes or dates of birth and contact details;
4) the serving hours, location and contact details of the licensed
premises.
The following have to be attached to the application:
1) a legal person’s articles of association, partnership agreement or
association rules as well as the latest confirmed profit and loss
account and balance;
2) the responsible manager’s and his/her substitute’s agreement to take
the post and the certificates proving their professional qualification;
3) a plan for the number of staff and their tasks;
4) a plan regarding the marking of the serving area including the
drawings for it;
5) other clarifications required by the licensing authority of the applicant’s
financial standing, organisation, staff, responsible managers, customer
seating capacity and the licensed premises and serving area.

[TeppoKroatialainen]

So did anyone actually open a bar in Helsinki and is alive to tell?