bought a car, now car insurance

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 8:15 am

Ok, bought a car, a feat in itself here in finland. Now I have to get car insurance.
My question is this.
Can I put the car in my name even though I dont have a finnish social securiity number? Can I get car insurance even though I dont have a finnish driivers license? I have a license from the USA but will eventually apply for a finnish one, in time of course.
Thanks in advance.

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UKupNorth · Post by **UKupNorth** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:22 am

Pohjola. i use them and i dont have a Finnish DL. I also find that there prices are as good or cheaper.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:12 pm

fastinjun wrote: Can I put the car in my name even though I dont have a finnish social securiity number?

Well... ummm... I actually called AKE and asked. You need to have an address for the car tax slips (which if you dont pay yoyr car is detagged and you're in deep doodoo). But proving your address requires you being in the computer... But then again, as the insurance companies want your credit reference so they want the number. So it might be you need to pay everything up front, as you do not exist. And you have to register within 7 days, so I'd start running around the different offices. So its the previous owners car still, taxes, insurance....

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:01 pm

yes, if you dont register the car within 7 days, then, AKE automagically takes the care out of their system and then you need to start from scratch on applying for number plates, owner registration (omistaja, rekeristeeritodistus), technical specification registration(tekniininentodistus) etc etc..
and Here's the catch-22. Before you register with AKE/autokatsastus, you need to have at least basic Insurance (Liikennnevakuutus).
The insurance companies (IF; pohjola, Tapiola, Fennia, etc ) will only provide you with insurance if the car is in their system and is legally registered (previously)..
Before they can find the car in their system, they need to find you => Finnish Social Security number!
( At this point, they dont need to look at your DL as its a legal issue of Driving the car... SO You can have the insurance and car in your name but you can only DRIVE it if and and only if you have a Valid Driver's license..and with a US license, you can drive for 90 days before you change to a Finnish one )
So For Finnish Social security Number => From Maistratti ( Address and social security) But Maistraatti wants the Resident permit papers from the Police department..

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:12 am

Like everyone here is saying you should hurry to get your car registered and get the insurance but I wanted to give some info about the drivers license part

You have 1 year from your time of officially moving to Finland where you can drive legally with your US DL. You cannot get a Finnish DL until you can prove that you have been driving in Finland for at least 6 months. But in your case that should be easy after you tell when you bought your car, and have been the insured driver for the car. After you have been living here 1 year you are not able to drive anymore but you will then have 6 months time after that to change to a Finnish license. Anyway I speak from experience when I say don't procrastinate... after you have been driving 6 months go to the police station and apply for your Finnish DL. You don't want to get caught driving without a valid license, they aren't to happy if they catch you doing that. Oh, and it's a heck of a lot easier to exchange the licenses when you do it on time. They are going to want to keep your US DL but just report to your state that you lost your US one and they'll send you a copy.

More info about the drivers license stuff can be found here:

http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/ ... endocument
and
http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf/ ... endocument

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:03 am

Jas,

thanks for the license info. So according to that link I can exchange my US license for a Finnish??? Did the US sign these agreements? I couldnt find info on that on the page.
thanks again

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:12 am

Just checked with wikipedia, according to them the US was a participant.
I have been trying to get my Finnish SS card but its been one obstacle after the other. I need active work to get one. ANyone have shortcuts with this?
THanks again for all the good info.

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:18 am

fastinjun wrote:Jas,

thanks for the license info. So according to that link I can exchange my US license for a Finnish??? Did the US sign these agreements? I couldnt find info on that on the page.
thanks again

Yes the US has signed the agreement for the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. After 6 month's driving here, just go to your local Police station and tell them you want to apply for a Finnish DL, they'll wanna see your US DL and then you gotta fill out a form and pay 40€ I think. They might have you go get a physical and an eye exam but that also might only be if you do like me and wait too long after the time frame for just trading in your license. Let's just say its WAY easier to do it on time than not.

So yes, you can just go there and exchange your US license.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:27 am

fastinjun wrote:Just checked with wikipedia, according to them the US was a participant.
I have been trying to get my Finnish SS card but its been one obstacle after the other. I need active work to get one. ANyone have shortcuts with this?
THanks again for all the good info.

You don't need a ss card, you need the NUMBER - whats your reason of being in Finland? As in what is your RP status if not work? Family? Or are you EU? In either case you stop being dense and go to the magistrate and get your number - they give you a number if you give them a reason. (Work is indeed an excellent reason). If you're here as a tourist, non-EU with no reason, then you're up the creek with no paddle.

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:33 am

I have dual citizenship, USA and Spain so I do have EU. I moved here to be with my Girlfriend. Ive applied for temp. Residency but keep hitting the wall as far as the social security number is concerned. The bank asked me that when I went to open an acct. with OP. I was able to open an acct. without on but everytime I see the guy there he asks me if I have one yet.
Its easier to get one in the states!
I worked in the film business back in the US and am applying with different production companies here but productions dont start until spring and summer so until then I cant get a contract in order to get my perm. residency.
Kind of a Catch 22

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:35 am

Pursuivant wrote:
fastinjun wrote:Just checked with wikipedia, according to them the US was a participant.
I have been trying to get my Finnish SS card but its been one obstacle after the other. I need active work to get one. ANyone have shortcuts with this?
THanks again for all the good info.
You don't need a ss card, you need the NUMBER - whats your reason of being in Finland? As in what is your RP status if not work? Family? Or are you EU? In either case you stop being dense and go to the magistrate and get your number - they give you a number if you give them a reason. (Work is indeed an excellent reason). If you're here as a tourist, non-EU with no reason, then you're up the creek with no paddle.

According to the person I spoke with at the office I cannot get perm residency until I get a work contract, same with SS number

jas_rho · Post by **jas_rho** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:53 am

Register the car in your girlfriends name then until you get all that worked out. Or actually you can still be the owner, but she would be the official person using it and therefore she would be the one to have the insurance and whatnot.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:01 pm

fastinjun wrote:I moved here to be with my Girlfriend. Ive applied for temp. Residency but keep hitting the wall as far as the social security number is concerned.

OK, so you're EU - have you been to the maistraatti. In person with the girlfriend? Like her saying Finnish words to another Finnish woman? Takes about 5 minutes if the right words are said in the right order. You can be registered into the database as temporary - the registrar at the magistrate needs to be convinced. Nobody is talking about permenents here - we talking about existance of numbers.

If that doesn't work - hopefully you didn't fill in anything except the sellers anem in the paper for the registration - you need to get the car registered in the gf's name. your 7 days is running out. so you need to get the seller to come with you to the katsastus and get a new registration paper and sign it and filled right.

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:38 am

Thanks for the good info and sarcasm....
I spoke to the insurance company and there is not a problem with registering the car or insuring. They do at some point want a social security number from me, so do a lot of other people...
Thanks again.

fastinjun · Post by **fastinjun** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:55 am

Now I need to tackle the social security number issue, any tips???

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