Online Shopping from Finland
Introduction
Online shopping is brilliant for convenience, price and selection. For foreigners in Finland it also means access to 'products from home' that Finns have never heard of! However, you need to protect yourself against disappointment in the case of a badly chosen purchase, unexpected costs or worse still, fraudulent or criminal activity.
ALV / VAT and Customs Duty
Import taxes consist of value added tax (ALV / VAT) and customs duty on imported goods. Some products are also subject for example to excise duty.
Note: Restrictions and exceptions to the following rules apply. For example, new motor vehicles and excisable goods such as tobacco and alcohol are subject to different tax and import laws.
EU Retailers: If you make an online purchase from a Finnish retailer or from another EU member state, ALV / VAT will be included in the price under the EU VAT Agreement. These purchases will not be liable to additional sales tax or customs duties upon arrival in Finland.
Non-EU Retailers: From 1 July 2021, all parcels arriving from outside the EU must be declared, and VAT has to be paid for them.
Very briefly:
Purchases worth 150€ or less:
If the seller has an IOSS number, you will pay the Finnish VAT when you purchase the goods. The postal company will usually declare the consignment on your behalf, and you do not need to take action - you will not need to pay VAT in conjunction with the customs clearance.
If the seller does not have an IOSS number, you will have to submit a customs declaration and arrange payment of VAT.
Purchases worth over 150€:
You must arrange the customs declaration and payment of VAT yourself, though you can usually ask Posti or the transport company to submit the customs declaration on your behalf.
Always check Finnish Customs for updates and instructions.
Finnish Customs: Ordering Goods Online
Positive Online Shopping
Making the most of online shopping is mostly a matter of common sense and taking your time.
- As in real life, shop around and take advantage of sales
- Deal only with known, trusted sites: Even dealing with reputable companies is not a guarantee of security. Like you and me, those companies are under threat from hackers and online criminals, but they are likely to have strong security in place
- If you do intend to deal with a retailer you're not familiar with, make certain they are legitimate and have a good reputation. Check their contact details i.e. phone number, physical address etc and search for positive independent customer reviews from a variety of sources
- When registering at an online retailer's site, make sure you thoroughly understand everything you're electronically 'signing'
- Check the Privacy Policy in case the retailer intends to share your information with partners
- If you're buying a product you're not familiar with, check for independent customer reviews - the more reviews the better! Photos provide little indication of the suitability of the product. If the product is a significant purchase and is also available in a Finnish store, check it out 'in real life' at the store and then buy it online
- Make sure the retailer you deal with employs SSL encryption for credit card transactions
- Use strong passwords, and usernames if possible, for example with upper and lower case letters, symbols and numbers
- Check the retailer's Return Policy, and check other customers' experiences with returning products
- Full Cost at Checkout
Charges such as shipping are often not visible until the final step in the checkout process. Choose your delivery method carefully or your 'bargain' can become very expensive, particularly in the case of cross-border purchases. - Full Cost in Finland
Make sure you're aware of any taxes or duties which may be due when your purchase arrives in Finland.
Registration at Finnish Retail Sites
You generally cannot register at a Finnish online shop while it is open in Google Translate.
Registration does work if you're using Chrome browser, translated to your language How?
If you need to use a different browser and Google Translate see how
Shopping Directory: Online Retailers
The following retailers are all well established. All EU retailers operate under the EU VAT Agreement, so your purchase will not be liable to customs duty or ALV / VAT upon arrival in Finland.
Some sites are in Finnish only. Many are part of the retail groups discussed on the Loyalty Cards page, so you can use your loyalty cards for further benefits when making purchases. You generally need to register to make an online purchase.
'International Superstores'
Tip: Thoroughly check the Customer Reviews and Product Details for any purchase you're not familiar with to minimise your chances of disappointment!
- aliexpress.com AliExpress has a similar variety of products to Amazon, low prices and high customer satisfaction.
- Products are primarily from 'no-name' Chinese manufacturers, but some brand names are available. Overall quality seems good - 'you get what you pay for'.
- Based in China, AliExpress does not operate under the EU VAT Agreement so purchases must be declared, and duties and taxes may be levied in Finland. These can often be more than offset by the low prices.
More information: ALV / VAT and Customs duty
Amazon
- Use a European Amazon site if you're shopping from Finland. Sales tax (ALV / VAT) will then be taken into account during the purchase process and you won't be liable to additional duty or tax when your goods arrive in Finland
Germany , France , Italy , Netherlands , Spain
From January 1st 2021, goods ordered from the UK must be declared, and taxes and possible customs duties must be paid. - You may be offered 2 delivery choices: Standard or Priority. Select the right one or delivery charges can be very high
By Product
*AliExpress purchases may be subject to tax / duty
Books in English
Books in Finland aren't cheap! If you still love paper, here are some online alternatives:
ebooks: Great for selection and convenience. www.ebooks.com has a massive selection of academic, professional and popular publications.
Second-hand Books: AbeBooks.com Good condition 2nd hand books from the U.K. at great prices. Numerous Booksellers operate through AbeBooks with varying selections, prices and shipping charges. Shop around and be wary of shipping costs! Some booksellers offer discount shipping for each additional book purchased, so it's often good to buy all the books in your shipment from one bookseller.
From January 1st 2021, goods ordered from the UK must be declared, and taxes and possible customs duties must be paid.
Clothes (many also sell shoes & accessories)
Naiset = Women's, Miehet = Men's, Lapset = Children's
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Amazon amazon.co.uk
Asos asos.com
Boohoo boohoo.com
Bubbleroom bubbleroom.fi
Cellbes cellbes.fi
Citymarket k-ruoka.fi/k-citymarket
Ellos ellos.fi
Ginatricot ginatricot.com
H&M hm.com/fi
Lindex lindex.com
Nelly nelly.com
Prisma prisma.fi
Sokos sokos.fi
Stockmann stockmann.com
Zalando zalando.fi
Department Stores
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Amazon amazon.co.uk
Clas Ohlson clasohlson.com/fi/
Ellos ellos.fi
Hobby Hall hobbyhall.fi
Sokos sokos.fi
Stockmann stockmann.com
Tokmanni Group tokmanni.fi
Electronics, Computers & Accessories, Home Appliances
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Citymarket k-ruoka.fi/k-citymarket
Clas Ohlson clasohlson.com/fi/
Euronics euronics.fi
Gigantti gigantti.fi
Hobby Hall hobbyhall.fi
Power power.fi
Prisma prisma.fi
Sokos sokos.fi
Stockmann stockmann.com
Verkkokauppa verkkokauppa.com
Eyewear & Opticians
AliExpress aliexpress.com Eyewear
Amazon amazon.co.uk Eyewear
Instrumentarium instru.fi
Silmäasema silmaasema.fi
Furniture & Interior
Ellos ellos.fi
Hobby Hall hobbyhall.fi
IKEA ikea.fi
Jysk jysk.fi
Unikulma unikulma.fi Beds & bedding
Groceries
K-Ruoka k-ruoka.fi
Hardware / DIY / Home Improvement
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Clas Ohlson clasohlson.com/fi/
Hankkija hankkija.fi
K-rauta k-rauta.fi
Prisma prisma.fi
Hypermarkets - combined supermarket / department stores
Amazon amazon.co.uk
Citymarket k-ruoka.fi/k-citymarket
Prisma prisma.fi
Shoes
Naiset = Women's, Miehet = Men's, Lapset = Children's
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Amazon amazon.co.uk
Citymarket k-ruoka.fi/k-citymarket
Ellos ellos.fi
Sokos sokos.fi
Stockmann stockmann.com
Sports Equipment / Accessories / Clothing
AliExpress aliexpress.com
Amazon amazon.co.uk
Budget Sport budgetsport.fi
Ellos ellos.fi
Hobby Hall hobbyhall.fi
Intersport intersport.fi
Luhta luhta.com
Partioaitta partioaitta.fi
Savotta savotta.fi Hiking / camping
Varusteleka varusteleka.com
XXL xxl.fi
Related Links
Links to other sites are direct to the relevant page, where possible
