Shipping from the US to Finland: What You Should Know
You may be a US citizen who intends to relocate and stay in Finland for good, or at least indefinitely. If you are considering taking some of your household furniture or personal effects with you, consider available shipping services from the US to the country. There are customs regulations that you should not overlook to ensure a hassle-free shipment of your belongings.
It is always easy and certain if you know basic information. Shipping to Finland is no exception. Before moving to the country, be sure you have your own passport, your proof of employment, and a customs declaration. Come up with a personal effects or household goods inventory, which indicates the quantity of your packages with more detailed information about contents of each box or carton. Required documentations should be verified by the nearest Finland Embassy or Consulate to your US address.
The Finnish Customs office also requires an owner’s declaration. That document declares your ownership of the items. Thus, you could attach bill of sale to indicate tag prices, which in turn is significant for imposition of duties. Here are other regulations for shipping household goods and personal items from the US to Finland.
Duties and restrictions
Personal belongings and household goods could be exempt from government-imposed duty if those meet specific conditions. First, household goods should have been owned and at the same time used by the customer while in the US. You must agree that the items would not be re-sold to others when you get to Finland, or at least for the next six months after the relocation. Of course, the items should not in any way be of commercial purpose or use.
Duties are imposed on items like precious metal objects, food, fabrics, and business or professional equipment. For new personal belongings and household goods that are less than six months old, you would have to present their corresponding invoices.
Restrictions are set on specific goods. Firearms and ammunitions would of course be held by the Finnish Customs unless there are valid Firearm Certificates. Plugged and unusable collectors’ items may or may not be shipped. Meanwhile, it is possible to ship tobacco and alcoholic beverages, but those would have to be subjected to appropriate and usually expensive duties. Radios and walkie-talkies may be prohibited.
Prohibition is imposed on specific personal effects and household goods. Of course, Finland would not allow shipment from the US of pornographic materials, fireworks, explosives, deadly weapons and products that come from specific animals that are under the country’s own protected species regulations.
Motor vehicles
It is possible for you to ship your own car to Finland prior to or upon your relocation. Certain customs regulations also apply to vehicles. First, your automobile could be shipped without any duty if you have been using it in the US for at least six months. A duty-free value limitation of $34,000 is applied. That means if your car is entitled to an exception in duty, you would still be charged of applicable duty if the vehicle’s value exceeds the amount.
If the car does not qualify for tax exemption, the import duty would be equivalent to about 50% to 60% of the current retail price of the same vehicle type or model available locally in Finland. Lastly, the car must comply with European Union or US exhaust regulations. Of course, do not forget to prepare your registration documents, your driver’s license and your car insurance policy. You should already be in Finland by the time the shipment is received by the local Customs office.