Question 1

What are some of the most important shipment ports in Finland, and where can I expect my car shipment from the USA to arrive in the country?

Accepted Answer

Finland’s coast is dotted with ports and shipment centers, so many that not all of them can be discussed in detail here, but we have listed some of the most important ones, and most likely, your shipment will arrive at one of these:

Hamina-Kotka Port: This seaport is present in the northern region of the Gulf of Finland and is a merger of the two eponymous ports. It is one of the biggest ports in Finland and handles huge traffic of container ships for all types of cargo including liquid, gas, and dry products. Container shipments of cars and roll-on, roll-off shipments are also entertained. The port is managed by a coalition company named HaminaKotka Satama Oy. An estimate on the port’s annual cargo tonnage puts it at around 13 million tons!

Helsinki Port: This is among the most traffic-dense ports of the world and entertains a huge influx of both passenger influx and cargo import/export. The port fills the role of the busiest and most important cargo port of the country with about 14.7 million tons of cargo shipped annually by one estimate. It is owned and operated by the city which nestles it, i.e. Helsinki.

Rauma Port: This seaport is located in Rauma, a city present in the southern region of the Gulf of Bothnia. By some estimates, the port can handle about 5.8 million tons of cargo every year which does not compare to the two aforementioned ports but is impressive nonetheless. Though most of its shipments are exports, it can and does handle import shipments too.

Naantali Port: Considering the passenger and cargo density that this port sees every year, it is considered one of the busiest ports in the country. The port is divided into three subsections for easy management which are the main harbor, Luonnonmaa harbor, and oil harbor, all of which are managed under the umbrella of the port. It is capable of managing both passenger ferrying and cargo shipment operations in bulk and has a 120 km entrance channel. With a 7.8 million ton annual cargo tonnage, the port is important for both import and export operations.

Question 2

What is the cost of importing a car from the USA to Finland, and how can I minimize the expenses?

Accepted Answer

Since it is impossible to give an exact number for the cost of shipping a car because the overall expenses depend largely on your choices, whether or not you get a tax exemption, and so on, it is more practical to keep a price range in mind. In our experience, clients usually have to pay between $1,800 and $3,900 for such shipments.

The aforementioned range has been calculated for container shipments, of course, you can save money by opting for roll-on, roll-off shipment. Then there is the shipment route, the shorter the route, the less the expenses.

In short, just analyze the costs smartly and find out where you can save up through your choices.

Question 3

What is the time frame for car shipments from the USA to Finland; can I expect to get my car within a month?

Accepted Answer

The biggest variable in shipment schedules is the overseas travel time, which of course, depends on the route being traveled. But this is not easy to manipulate, after all, the departure port selection will be based on the original location of your car.

For instance, if you ship your car from the California port to Kotka, then the overseas travel for the cargo will take 44 days. However, if the departure port is New York, then the travel to Kotka will take about 21 days, half as much as the other route.

Of course, you also need to factor in the overland transport, documents processing before shipping, import processing, customs clearance, and other expected and unexpected delays (i.e. COVID-19 can slow things down).

As for the second part of the question, while it is possible to get your car in Finland within a month considering you take the second route, you’ll still have to spend a couple of more days for the legal processing, customs clearance, registration, and so on.

This is, of course, if all goes well, i.e. there are no errors in your documents.

Question 4

How should I prepare my car for shipment from the USA to Finland?

Accepted Answer

Preparing the car for shipment is important if you want to avoid getting your vehicle on hold. You’ll first have to clean both the interior and the exterior of the vehicle, making sure that none of your personal belongings (including important documents) are inside the vehicle, especially if you plan on using the roll-on, roll-off transport mechanism.

Also, you'll have to steam clean the undercarriage to rid the vehicle of any foreign soil because this contamination can transport unwanted/invasive cysts, spores, or seeds to the recipient country whose ecosystem might not be ready for the invasion. For open-air shipment, you'll also have to fill up the fuel tank to a quarter of its full capacity but not more than that.

You’ll also have to do a quick research to ensure that your vehicle complies with the import regulations in Finland, just in case.

Of course, you can avoid putting yourself through all of this and instead contact A1 Auto Transport to handle everything for you while you plan your move.

Question 5

What are the various shipment options for regular cars, and which one will be more appropriate in my case, i.e. for shipping my car from the USA to Finland?

Accepted Answer

There are two major shipment methods for transporting cars overseas, and both of them have different requirements and merits.

The first is container shipping, also dubbed as closed-air shipment, in which the car is sealed inside a container and then shipped as such. This method affords a greater level of security for the vehicle, plus you can have your personal effects inside the car during the shipment process. This added security comes with a bigger price tag though, but for non-runner vehicles, this option is better suited and more practical.

In contrast, the open-air shipment option or roll-on, roll-off shipment involves cars being driven onboard and transported without sealing them inside containers. This way, runner vehicles can easily be transported overseas, and the cost is also minimal, but you can't have your belongings inside the car for this option.

For most people shipping their vehicles from the USA to Finland, this method is more preferable, especially when it comes to runner vehicles.

Question 6

What documents do I need to ship my car to Finland from the USA?

Accepted Answer

Make sure you have all of the following paperwork with accurate information and no omissions:

Vehicle registration certificate
53s, 72s & 27As forms
Bill/invoice of sales detailing the specs of the car and its cost
A valid passport
Valid insurance documents
A valid driver’s license
Certificate of conformity (showing that the vehicle meets the legal import requirements to be shipped to Finland)
Documented proof of employment, i.e. if you relocated to Finland for your job

Question 7

Besides preparing my car for shipment and getting the aforementioned documents in order, do I need to worry about other requirements to import my car successfully from the USA to Finland?

Accepted Answer

You’ll also need the following:

Certificate of title for the car, original
Bill of lading for your car shipment
Export authorization letter from the lienholder if there is a lien on your vehicle
For winter shipping, the car must be winterized

Question 8

Can you give me a breakdown of the entire car shipment process from the USA to Finland so that I can have a better understanding of the whole thing?

Accepted Answer

Here’s how the whole process works:

Research – you start by digging up all the facts about importing cars to Finland, and here’s how it works:
Legal import requirements of the country
How much your car complies/can be made to comply with those regulations
The time frame for the shipment
Overland and overseas traveling distance
And so on…
Documents – next, you need to create a checklist of all the documents and other things you need to import your car, these include:
Vehicle registration documents
53s, 72s & 27As forms
Invoice of sales
Passport
Driver’s license
Certificate of conformity
Proof of employment
The original title of the car
Bill of lading
Freighting bill
Export authorization letter for vehicles with a lien on them
Analyze the cost – then you need to move on to the costs of shipping your car and figure out a pocket-friendly approach for the whole thing:
Freighting costs
Insurance costs
Storage (wharves) charges
Transport and delivery dues
Customs duties
Import taxes
Import processing fees
Car preparation fees
Vehicle registration fees in Finland
Insurance coverage charges in Finland
Customs broker’s fees
Logistics service provider’s fee
Pre-shipping preparations – you also need to handle a couple of things before you can ship your car:
Cleaning the vehicle
Steam cleaning the undercarriage
Checking for the vehicle’s compliance with Finnish regulations
Filling the tank up to a quarter with gas (for open-air shipment)
Selecting the departure and destination port
Choose a car shipping company – next, you need to find a transport company such as A1 Auto Transport, which offers:
Reliable shipping
International car import/export service
Document processing services
Car preparation services
Assistance with customs clearance
Assistance with vehicle registration
And so on…
Shipping the vehicle
Arrival at the destination port
Import processing
Customs clearance
Vehicle registration
Putting on the number plates

Question 9

How can I declare my car to the customs department once the shipment arrives from the USA to Finland?

Accepted Answer

Once your shipment arrives in Finland, you’ll have to seek clearance from the customs department. Their job is to ensure that all the details provided are accurate so that the car can be taxed accordingly.

Here’s what you need to provide them:

Sales invoice detailing all the specs of the car and its cost
Declaration of use
Documents declaring tax payments for the car
Vehicle registration documents
Certificate of registration inspection

Just be sure to check out their website beforehand to stay up to date about their requirements.

Question 10

What are the import regulations that cars shipped to Finland are subjected to?

Accepted Answer

There are no strict import regulations for cars coming to Finland. However, there is one important area where compliance is a must: CO₂ emissions. If your car complies with the exhaust standards of the USA and EU, then there won’t be any problem whatsoever.

Otherwise, your car will be held onto by the customs department, and you'll have to pay for the necessary modifications. However, your car will most likely comply with these standards if it has been manufactured in the USA.

Question 11

Can I import my car from the USA to Finland, tax-free?

Accepted Answer

You can import your own vehicle to Finland tax-free if you had owned and used it for at least six months before you relocated.

This only applies to one vehicle per person.

Plus, there is a value limit for this to apply, i.e. if your car’s value exceeds a certain threshold (more information can be sought from the Finnish customs), then you’ll have to pay a tax determined by the customs department.

Question 12

How much import taxes and customs duties are usually extracted from cars shipments coming from the USA to Finland?

Accepted Answer

If your car import does not get an exemption on the import taxes and customs duties, then it will be taxed by the Finnish authorities as follows:

A 24% value-added tax (VAT) for the vehicle; this is the same in all cases
Customs duties – 10% for cars & 6% for motorcycles

Also, note that cars exceeding 30 years in age will not be subject to customs duties.

The exact amount will, of course, depend on the actual value of the car itself, and this is why the customs department demands that all the documents provided be completely accurate to avoid any problems.

These taxes are calculated separately (i.e. they are not fixed sums) for every import since the market values are subject to change.

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To/From	Ground	Ocean	Days
San Jose, CA to (California port) to City Limits	$200	$3,300	5+44
Los Angeles to (California port) to Local Area	$350	$3,300	5+44
Las Vegas, NV to (California port) to Kotka	$450	$3,300	5+44
Portland, OR to (California port) to Local Delivery	$475	$2,500	6+44
Phoenix, AZ to (California port) to City Limits	$550	$2,500	6+44
Columbus, OH to (New York port) to Kotka	$550	$2,500	5+21
Charlotte, NC to (New York port) to Local Area	$575	$2,500	6+21
Chicago, IL to (New York port) to Local Delivery	$675	$2,500	6+21
Miami, FL to (New York port) to Kotka	$675	$2,500	7+21
Memphis, TN to (New York port) to City Limits	$800	$2,500	6+21

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