General Information

About roads, speed limits, mandatory car equipment, and some traffic rule requirements. In the sections below, you can read more details about toll roads, the cost of petrol, parking, speed limits, etc.

	no road tolls
	within populated areas – 50 km/h outside populated areas – 80 km/h motor road – 100 km/h highway – 120 km/h dipped headlights are mandatory
	maximum alcohol level 0.5 ‰ talking on the phone while driving is prohibited
	winter tires are mandatory from December 1 to March 1, chains are allowed if they do not damage the road surface, studded tires are allowed from December 1 to the first Monday after Easter
	mandatory equipment: emergency stop sign, reflective vest,
	seat belts are mandatory for all passengers child seats/boosters are mandatory for children up to 135 cm tall

Toll Roads

Finnish motorways are free for motorcycles, cars, and all vehicles with a maximum total weight exceeding 3.5 tons. There are no toll roads.

The Finnish police use automatic equipment to monitor traffic on busy roads and in cities. You will recognize that you are on one of these roads if you see a yellow road sign with a camera symbol.

Speed Limits

On main roads, speed limits are reduced during winter months (from October to April). They are designed to enhance road safety due to slippery surfaces and shorter daylight hours.

Standard speed limits in Finland (unless otherwise indicated by road signs).

Cars and motorcycles:

• in built-up areas – 50 km/h
• outside built-up areas – 80 km/h
• on a motor road in summer – 100 km/h
• on a motor road in winter – 80 km/h
• on a motorway in summer – 120 km/h
• on a motorway in winter – 100 km/h

Cars with trailers:

• in built-up areas – 50 km/h
• outside built-up areas – 80 km/h
• on a motor road – 80 km/h
• on a motorway – 100 km/h

The maximum speed for buses is 100 km/h.

Low Beam Light

Low beam light must be used 24 hours a day throughout the year.

Cost of Petrol in Finland

Parking in Finland

Street Parking in Helsinki

Most small towns in Finland offer free parking for cars, usually located near major landmarks and large supermarkets (Anttila, Citymarket, Prisma).

An exception is the capital city of Finland – Helsinki. Parking in central areas of Helsinki can cost up to €4 per hour. Parking time in Finland

Since June 1, 2020, indicating the start time of parking is possible by any "understandable method". In other words, the presence of parking discs is not mandatory. Paid parking lots are marked with a separate sign.

Parking Costs

• €4/hour in the city center (Zone 1)
• €2/hour in other city areas (Zone 2)

Parking in the city center is usually paid

• on weekdays from 9:00 to 21:00
• on Saturdays from 9:00 to 18:00.

Always check road signs to determine if parking is paid.

There are three ways to pay for parking in Helsinki.

Payment using a mobile application

With the help of mobile applications that can be used for parking in the Helsinki area: Taskuparkki (in Finnish), EasyPark, eParking.fi, Moovy, ParkMan
Each application will charge you a small service fee in addition to the required parking fee.

See price comparisons for different mobile parking apps

Payment via SMS

Only from Finnish phones. You can pay for one hour of parking via SMS. An additional €1 will be charged in addition to the required parking fee.

How to pay for parking via SMS:

1. Send an SMS to the number 16234 with your license plate number and the payment zone (e.g., ABC-123 1, remember the space).
2. After sending the text, you will receive a reply with detailed information about parking.
3. Confirm the payment by sending a capital letter A to the same number 16234.
4. After this, you will receive a reply confirming the start of the parking time.

Note! Your parking session starts immediately upon receiving the confirmation message.

Using Parking Machines

Parking ticket machines accept debit and credit cards (except American Express), contactless payment cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Some machines also accept coins.

How to pay for parking via the machine:

1. Press the yellow button labeled as number 1 (the second yellow button from the left) to purchase parking time.
2. Enter your car's license plate number and press the green button to confirm.
3. Use the yellow value buttons to select parking time (amount in euros) and confirm your choice by pressing the green button. The end time will be displayed on the screen.
4. At this point, you can do one of three things: insert a debit or credit card into the slot, hold the card to the wave-like symbol of the ticket machine (if your card has a contactless function), or use Apple Pay or Google Pay.
5. Wait a moment until the payment is accepted before removing the card. Take the ticket printed by the machine and place it on your car's dashboard where it can be easily seen.

Interactive map of paid street parking in Helsinki: kartta.hel.fi
Interactive map of free parking lots in Helsinki: kartta.hel.fi
Park & Ride parking map for free long-term parking: kartta.hel.fi

More details about parking conditions and tariffs on the Official website

Insurance

For traveling abroad, a Green Card insurance policy is mandatory. Policies are valid for 15 days, 1 month, 2 months, etc. monthly up to 1 year.
We also recommend having a medical insurance policy insurance abroad.
And to drive on the territory of Ukraine, you need to have a valid motor vehicle policy.

Calculation of insurance cost

Stay abroad:

15 days 1 month 2 months 3 months 6 months 9 months 12 months

Green Card Price:

1002 UAH

Order a policy

You can check the validity of the Green Card policy through the service of the Motor and Transport Bureau of Ukraine:
Checking the validity of the policy Green card

Mandatory equipment

Equipment that must be in the car:

	Emergency stop sign
	Reflective vest - everyone who gets out of the car in the dark must wear a reflective vest.

Winter tires, studded tires, chains

	The use of winter tires in Finland is mandatory from December 1 to March 1. Their use is recommended from November 1 to March 31 or when weather conditions require it. The tread depth should be no less than 3 mm.
	The use of chains is allowed only if the road is completely covered with snow or ice.
	The use of studded tires is allowed from November 1 to March 31. They must be installed on all wheels.