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Insuring an imported car

Instructions for insuring an imported car

1. A vehicle imported from an EU or EEA country

1.1 A vehicle legally registered and insured in an EU or EEA country
If an imported vehicle has number plates legally granted and valid in the country of origin, it will principally also have valid motor liability insurance granted by an insurance company in the concerned country of origin. Therefore, in regard to insurance, there is no impediment to use a vehicle insured in this way.
A vehicle for sale abroad, for example in Germany, has probably been removed from the register. In order to import a car into Finland by driving, temporary German number plates and local motor liability insurance will have to be applied for.
When buying a car or taking out motor liability insurance in the country of origin, it should be ensured that the insurance will be valid throughout the period of temporary use of the vehicle in Finland without car tax. 
A driver importing a vehicle should always establish his/her own insurance cover.
Motor liability insurance granted abroad is not usually as comprehensive as the Finnish statutory motor liability insurance because it does not include so-called driver’s position protection. In an accident situation, the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident may fail to receive compensation for his/her personal injury unless s/he has voluntary insurance cover as supplementary insurance. 

1.2 Overseas registration of a vehicle terminates during the time when the vehicle is used temporarily without car tax
A transit permit must be applied for at the motor vehicle inspection office when the temporary registration of the vehicle or the validity of number plates terminate before the vehicle is registered in Finland. In such a case, an insurance policy attached to the transit permit shall be taken out with an insurance company or at the motor vehicle inspection office.

1.3 Overseas registration of a vehicle is not valid
If the registration is not valid when the vehicle is imported, a transit permit and Finnish compulsory motor liability insurance must be taken out for the vehicle before it is taken into use. Procedure as in Section 2.
It is possible to take out continuous motor liability insurance at the same time when organising the transit permit at Customs or to agree on the matter with the insurance company in advance before embarking on the journey to collect the vehicle. Continuous motor liability insurance taken out at Customs is entered on the driving permit form by adding the insurance company given by the customer as the insurer.  The date of signature on the Customs driving permit is entered as the starting date for the insurance.

1.4 The customer applies for a transit permit for a vehicle registered in an EU or EEA country
On request, the Customs may grant a transit permit also for a vehicle registered in an EU or EEA country. It may be necessary to take out Finnish motor vehicle insurance, for example, in order to ensure driver’s accidental damage cover. Granting motor vehicle insurance requires that the vehicle has a valid Finnish transit permit. Procedure as in Section 2.

2. A vehicle imported from outside the EEA

When a vehicle is imported into Finland, Customs shall grant a driving permit, on the basis of which the imported vehicle can be used on the road on certain conditions before the taxes must be paid (see Customs instructions at www.tulli.fi).  In addition to the driving permit, a valid transit permit and motor liability insurance are also required in order to use the vehicle on the road. If the vehicle is not taken into constant use, a transit permit shall be taken out for 1–7 days, in connection of which vehicle-in-transit insurance is taken out for the corresponding period. 
Alternatively, a transit permit can also be granted for 3 months. Only the Customs may grant this extended transit permit to a person who has already been granted the above-mentioned driving permit, and when applying for a transit permit the customer may take out continuous motor liability insurance instead of vehicle-in-transit insurance. The Customs driving permit may also be granted for a vehcile that has previously been imported into Finland and the taxation of which is pending in Customs. The procedure is the same as above, i.e. a new driving permit and the related transit permit are applied for from Customs for a maximum of 3 months while a motor liability insurance policy can be taken out at the same time, as described above.  However, Customs require that the registration inspection of the vehicle has already commenced. 
Thus, the insurance required by the transit permit may be either a vehicle-in-transit insurance for 1–7 days or motor liability insurance granted by a Finnish motor liability insurance company. Motor liability insurance taken out abroad and granted for temporary overseas number plates cannot be used even if still valid. This is due to the fact that the registration of a vehicle in Finland (Finnish transit markings) also requires Finnish motor liability insurance.

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