The car buyer’s checklist

Buy the car only from the registered owner and ensure that vehicle taxes have been paid. This way you can avoid problems with ownership, vehicle insurance and vehicle tax. 

You can verify the vehicle information in Traficom's service for public vehicle data (available in Finnish and Swedish)Opens in a new window..

In the same place, you can check if the vehicle has been inspected and is in traffic use, as you cannot drive a decommissioned vehicle before registering it for traffic use. Remember that even if the car has registration plates attached, the vehicle may still be decommissioned. Driving a decommissioned vehicle always results in an additional tax of at least EUR 1000.

You can use the bill of sale to prove the time and object of the sale to Traficom if any issues arise between the seller and you. You can use for example Traficom's deed of transfer form as a bill of sale (in Finnish).Opens in a new window.

Ensure that 

• the seller submits a digital notification of transfer to you or
• that you receive a valid digital certificate or 
• that you receive part II of the registration certificate from the seller.

The easiest way to update the registration information of a car is for the seller to submit a notification of transfer of the car to you in connection with the sale in Traficom's electronic services. To submit a notification of transfer, the seller needs your name, personal identification numbers and date of transfer, i.e., the date on which the seller and you have agreed upon the transfer of ownership.

Traficom's service for public vehicle data (available in Finnish and Swedish).Opens in a new window.

Remember to insure your vehicle immediately. Tip: if you buy an insurance from an insurance company's online services, you can also register your car in the insurance company's services if you wish.

After the notification of transfer and the purchase of an insurance, you can easily register your vehicle under your name in Traficom's electronic servicesOpens in a new window.. 

The vehicle will appear in the service under your own vehicle information, and you can transfer it under your ownership by making a change of ownership. As the new owner of the car, you have seven days to register the vehicle under your name. 

It is also possible for the seller to create and provide you with a valid digital certificate or the notification section of a completed registration certificate to register the change of ownership. The certificate allows you to register the vehicle electronically in the electronic services of Traficom or your insurance company. If you receive part II of the registration certificate from the seller, the registration must be done at a registration site and it is more expensive than using the electronic services.

Once you have purchased a car and registered it, you must start paying vehicle tax. Traficom will automatically send you a vehicle tax fee. It is a good idea to immediately make the tax invoice an e-invoice. If the vehicle tax goes unpaid, the car will be banned from use and the police may fine you.

Also make sure that your vehicle is always in a safe condition technically and that the vehicle inspection is valid. 

Remember that you can view your car’s information in Traficom's electronic services any time you want. In the service, you can check the next vehicle inspection date for your car, the tax information and pay a tax that is already due or will soon be due.

We wish you a safe journey.