Question about driving license

[rauginta_kojine]

Here is wisdom:

a) EU people do not have to exchange the licence as long as it is valid
b) any licence of Geneva/Vienna convention countries can be exchanged after 6 months of residence, which you must do before 18 months of residence.. (1)
c) you got an EU licence that expires in 2017...

Come 2017:

a) you don't have a valid EU licence, so thats not the Finnish Polices problem as its not a license they have given...
b) so you didn't exchange it before the 18 months that was 10 years ago, so thats not the Finnish Polices problem...
c) so you can't drive until you get your expired licence renewed wherever was issued (again not the Finnish polices problem) or then drive a Finnish licence (by 2017 costing a few megabazillion) which still...

But note - you did not *have* to do anything. You might *should* have done something you were told, but you didn't. Full freedom, and a local choice, just as the EU requires.

(1)Note if you decide to leave, say in 2010, you can exchange the old licence back, they keep them on file.

Is it normal to know what are you gonna do in 10years?

No, thats why you need to do it now as you are told because you know you cannot exchange it after that time and you don't know if you can renew it in 2017. "Finnish logic"... it makes perfect sense if you know its sense(lessness)

The more Ilive here, the more I hate Finnish system. Quite absurdical with those licences.... But I still want to live and stay here for a long time

OK, so now for exchanging my driver licence - what do I have to do exactly? Do I need those 2 persons who could tell the police I was driving etc?

In fact, my situation is a bit different. I have got my licence a month before leaving to Finland. I don't have a car here and was driving here only one time.How about that?
If I don't have a car, I hope this is not a problem for exchanging my driver licence?

Or is it, because I don't have a real proof of driving (except for those 2 persons I can find) in Finland.

I feel good that I have read this topic, otherwise I wouldn't know such things at all...

[hychamaz]

Thank you Hank and Interleukin for clearing up alot of issues. Heck, if I would have listened to the Jarvenpää police (not that I was but...) that my U.S. license is good for 2 years I would have been screwed. Just about every agencey has given us wrong information at one time or another. So I should have not taken that as set in stone.
Just one more question about my U.S. license. When I go next month to change to a Finnish license from my U.S. one what are they going to do with my New York State license. Hank, you say that they are going to keep it on file and I can get my NY one back if I want to exchange it. I dont plan on ever going back to the US permanently. Is Finalnd going to let anyone know that I have surrendered my NY license. I would doubt that they would let the New York State Dept. of Motor Vehicles know anything?
I ask this for several reasons.
#1. I don't know how it would work when I went to the States for vacations driving with a Finnish license.
#2. If we ever did move back to the US, I wouldnt want my NY one to expire and then I would have to take the whole driving test again after a certain amount of time has passed not having a valid one.
#3. Just like when my NY license expired last month, I had my folks send in the fee for renewal and they sent them my new license which they then forwarded on to me here. If the Finnish authorities took my U.S. license I could just have my folks send in $10 and NY will send them a new copy of my license for me. Would anyone know the better here or there?
Thanks (just trying to cover all of the bases)

[Hank W.]

Do you want to have me giving you illegal information regarding the stone-chipped rules and regulations of the holy land?
Sweet tapdancing jimmyhoffa.

#1You're supposed to surrender your Finnish one and drive abroad with your US one.... (you know if your kids are dual citizens they have to enter the US with the US passport?)
#2 and thats what like $25... (vs the €2500 here)
#3 YES exactly what you do and don't show it here and STFU holding it The conformity of purpose is satisfied by the mutual satisfaction of requirements

Same thing as with a bank account. Extremely useful having a checking account...

[Hank W.]

Just about every agencey has given us wrong information at one time or another.

Ok, FF choir... one, too, onetoothree "Welcome to Finland!"


sorry couldn't help it. I think you know now why this BB exists

[rauginta_kojine]

The more Ilive here, the more I hate Finnish system. Quite absurdical with those licences.... But I still want to live and stay here for a long time

OK, so now for exchanging my driver licence - what do I have to do exactly? Do I need those 2 persons who could tell the police I was driving etc?

In fact, my situation is a bit different. I have got my licence a month before leaving to Finland. I don't have a car here and was driving here only one time.How about that?
If I don't have a car, I hope this is not a problem for exchanging my driver licence?

Or is it, because I don't have a real proof of driving (except for those 2 persons I can find) in Finland.

I feel good that I have read this topic, otherwise I wouldn't know such things at all...

I still hope someone is going to reply me....

Thanks!..

[Hank W.]

You have to have the witnesses to sign a paper saying that you have been driving here for the past 6 months.

[rauginta_kojine]

You have to have the witnesses to sign a paper saying that you have been driving here for the past 6 months.

So do I HAVE TO have a car, like a proof too, or not? Or is it like that, that I can lie (nobody knows of course) and bring my two good finnish friends and they can say that. I am driving a car only when someone is able to borrow me his car. So only once through these 4 months I have been driving here. What to do in this case?

Also : 6months after registering as a permanent resident or 6months after arriving in Finland? (I mean about application starting date for exchanging driver licence)

[Hank W.]

Well you don't have to own a car to drive one

[rauginta_kojine]

Well you don't have to own a car to drive one

that's good. thanks Hank.

[hychamaz]

Thanks Hank.

[Hank W.]

But then the person who testifies you having driven (their) car might actually need to be owning one... for some odd reason

[rauginta_kojine]

But then the person who testifies you having driven (their) car might actually need to be owning one... for some odd reason

And if we were going with a rented car just for fun-travelling for several times with them? Do they have a right to sign for me? Neither them, nor me own a car, but we rented one. How would it work?

[MTB]

They might ask you for a proof (receipt) that you actually rented the car. It might be that driving 2 weeks in a six months period could not be considered enough, so if I were you, I would forget about the story with holidays and rented car. The whole system looks to be based on "without a reasonable doubt" paradigm. I personally think that they are resonable enough and we don't have to pass the second exam ("winter driving") like finns do. And belive me, from what I saw in the streets of my home country, some people shouldn't be allowed to drive in wintertime when the road is covered with snow and ice. After all, it is the traffic safety, and they cannot now in advance that you are a good experienced driver.

[rauginta_kojine]

They might ask you for a proof (receipt) that you actually rented the car. It might be that driving 2 weeks in a six months period could not be considered enough, so if I were you, I would forget about the story with holidays and rented car. The whole system looks to be based on "without a reasonable doubt" paradigm. I personally think that they are resonable enough and we don't have to pass the second exam ("winter driving") like finns do. And belive me, from what I saw in the streets of my home country, some people shouldn't be allowed to drive in wintertime when the road is covered with snow and ice. After all, it is the traffic safety, and they cannot now in advance that you are a good experienced driver.

I would say I am careful, but not experienced driver. I have got my drivers licence only in 2007, September.
But as far as I know, I have no other choice but to exchange my drivers licence SOMEHOW. I dont want my driver licence be expired and unexchangeable after those 10 years...
So then if the holidays with rented car wouldn't work. What would you suggest? Bring any 2 persons I know (not relatives) and ask them to lie?

I dont own any car and I driver very rarely.. thats the case. But I have the document and I want it to be working all the time without any problems....

[MTB]

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.