How do you import household goods to Finland in 2026?

If you move from within the EU customs and fiscal territory, you usually do not clear household effects through Finnish Customs and you usually pay no duty or tax on ordinary personal goods. If you move from outside that territory, you must declare the removal goods. Customs relief from VAT and duty generally needs continuous normal residence outside the EU for at least 12 months, possession and household use of the goods for at least six months before the move, personal (not commercial) property, the same use in Finland, and a declaration within 12 months of moving. A Migri residence permit issued for at least one year is required when you need a permit; study-based permits do not qualify for that relief path. You can declare via the Customs Clearance Service, form 1161, a customs office, or a forwarder.

Have a Finnish address ready before the container sails: How to rent a home or Temporary housing. Lawful stay still sits upstream: Apply for a residence permit and Register address. Keep a valued packing list for the mover, insurer, and Customs desk.

Private cars are not “just another box.” Non-EU vehicle imports need Customs clearance, then Tax Administration car-tax and Traficom registration steps: Register a vehicle. Pets follow Ruokavirasto animal-health rules, not furniture relief: Bring pets. Alcohol, tobacco, and commercial vehicles always need import taxes. After duty-free clearance, a 12-month transfer restriction blocks selling, lending, or hiring those goods without paying the taxes Customs would have charged. Licence exchange is a separate Traficom calendar: Convert driving licence. Fold the shipment into Paperwork after moving so Customs and Migri folders stay aligned.