Alcohol regulations in Finland

Licences needed

Production licence for alcoholic beverages/spirits, tax warehouse authorization (veroton varasto) from the Tax Administration, and food establishment registration.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto - LVV) and Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto)

Documents

Application via Allu e-services, corporate registration records, statutory self-monitoring plan (omavalvontasuunnitelma) per the Alcohol Act and Food Act, premises and equipment blueprints, food hygiene assessment documentation, and tax compliance certificates.

Fees

€3,500 decision fee for spirits production licence (valid until end of 2026); plus annual control fee (€390 base fee + €190 per extra site + €2.80 per 1,000 litres of 100% alcohol produced, capped at €18,000).

Time to obtain

Approximately 3 months on average

Who can import

Licensed wholesalers, licensed producers, licensed on-premise venues (for serving purposes after notification), and the state retail monopoly Alko Oy.

Licences or registrations

Wholesale licence for alcoholic beverages / spirits (tukkumyyntilupa), registered consignee or tax warehousekeeper status with Verohallinto, and an EU EORI number for customs clearance.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) for licence; Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) for excise; Finnish Customs (Tulli) for border import clearance.

Documents

Application via Allu portal, company trade register extract, self-monitoring plan, description of storage facility, proof of tax warehousekeeper/registered recipient registration, and EORI registration.

Fees

€1,500 decision fee for spirit import and wholesale licence; €150 food operations registration fee; plus annual wholesale supervision fees.

Time to obtain

Approximately 3 months on average

Required

no

Process

No pre-market label approval or product brand registration (such as US COLA) is required by Finnish state authorities. Conformity with EU and Finnish food and spirit labelling laws is managed via post-market compliance and operator self-monitoring. However, commercial listing in the state monopoly Alko requires product submission, sensory evaluation, lab analysis, and label compliance checks through Alko's tender system.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) for statutory market surveillance; Alko Oy for monopoly retail listings.

Documents and samples

Statutory: none for standard wholesale. Monopoly: commercial tender dossier, product technical analysis, and bottle samples if competing for an Alko listing.

Fees

None for statutory registration; Alko listing/sample processing fees apply if tendering.

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

Not applicable for statutory market access; 4 to 6 months for Alko tender cycles.

Commercial import requires an EORI number, standard customs clearance (customs declaration via Tulli), and use of the EMCS (Excise Movement and Control System) for duty-suspended movements within the EU. Importers must file monthly volume and sales reports with LVV. No physical fiscal tax stamps or strip stamps are required in Finland. Non-EU imports require commercial invoices, transport documents, and proof of origin.

0% (customs duty-free) under the EU Common Customs Tariff (TARIC) for most distilled spirits under HS heading 2208 (e.g., whisky, vodka, gin, rum, liqueurs) imported from third countries.

Excise duty on ethyl alcohol / spirits (>10% ABV) is €56.28 per centilitre of pure alcohol (€5,628 per hectolitre of absolute alcohol; equivalent to approx. €15.76 in excise per 70 cl bottle at 40% ABV). Standard VAT is 25.5%. Beverage container tax of €0.51/litre applies if the packaging is not affiliated with an approved deposit-return system (Palpa).

The state-owned enterprise Alko Oy holds an exclusive statutory monopoly over retail sales of beverages above 8% ABV and all non-fermented drinks above 5.5% ABV (covering all spirits). Supermarkets and private retail stores may only sell fermented beverages up to 8% ABV and other drinks up to 5.5% ABV. Retail sales are legally restricted to 09:00–21:00. Licensed bars and restaurants may sell spirits for on-premise consumption from 09:00 until 01:30 (extendable up to 04:00 with prior notification).

Restricted. Under reforms enacted in 2026, licensed home delivery is permitted between 09:00 and 21:00; grocery stores may deliver permitted low-alcohol beverages (fermented up to 8% ABV), whereas spirit delivery to consumers is restricted to Alko orders. Couriers require a delivery passport, strong digital age verification is mandatory, and cross-border distance sellers from the EU must hold/use a licensed Finnish delivery operator and ensure excise tax settlement.

Must adhere to EU Regulation 2019/787 and EU Regulation 1169/2011: legal sales denomination, nominal volume, alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), lot number ('L'), EU producer or importer address, and mandatory allergen warnings. Allergen statements must appear in both national languages: Finnish and Swedish. Finland does not mandate national health warning logos or tax strip stamps.

Advertising and sales promotion of strong alcoholic beverages (>22% ABV) is prohibited across mass media, billboards, public places, digital media, and social networks (with narrow exemptions for B2B trade press, printed lists inside venues, and strictly restricted producer websites). Advertising of mild alcohol (≤22% ABV) is allowed subject to heavy limits (watershed ban on TV/radio between 07:00 and 22:00, prohibition of outdoor advertising in public venues, and bans on content encouraging excessive drinking or appealing to minors).

Regulated under EU Regulation 2019/787: Whisky/Whiskey (min 40% ABV, distilled from cereal mash, aged min 3 years in wooden casks); Rum (min 37.5% ABV, distilled from sugarcane products); Vodka (min 37.5% ABV, from agricultural ethanol); Gin (min 37.5% ABV, flavoured with juniper berries); Brandy (min 36% ABV, aged in oak); Neutral ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (min 96% ABV).

None (no dry zones or dry municipalities exist in Finland; the autonomous region of Åland enforces equivalent licensing and alcohol rules through its regional provincial government).

• In June 2024, the retail grocery limit was raised from 5.5% to 8% ABV for fermented alcoholic beverages, while distilled spirits remained exclusive to Alko.
• On 1 September 2024, Finland's general value-added tax (VAT) was increased from 24% to 25.5%.
• On 1 January 2026, the new national Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) was launched, consolidating all alcohol licensing, product monitoring, and enforcement previously handled by Valvira and the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVIs).
• In mid-2026, amendments to the Alcohol Act authorized Alko stores to open on Sundays and public holidays (09:00–21:00), formalized a delivery-licence framework for direct-to-consumer home deliveries, and regulated cross-border distance selling.
• Excise duty on spirits was adjusted under phased multi-year tax revisions, reaching €56.28 per centilitre of pure ethyl alcohol in 2026.

The primary commercial channel for foreign spirits brands is securing an Alko monopoly listing or partnering with licensed Finnish wholesalers supplying the HoReCa hospitality sector. Demand remains solid for super-premium, organic, and craft spirits, though high excise taxes and the 25.5% VAT elevate final retail prices.

• Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto - LVV)
• Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto)
• Finnish Customs (Tulli)
• Alko Oy

1. Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) - Applying for a Production or Import and Wholesale Licence for Spirits
2. Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) - Excise Duty Table for Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages
3. Finnish Government - Licensing and Supervision Transfer to the Finnish Supervisory Agency
4. Alcohol Act (Alkoholilaki 1102/2017) - Finlex Data Bank
5. Finnish Customs (Tulli) - Tariffs and Import Clearance