Cars with Russian license plates must leave Finland: checkpoints are closed

Finnish border guard/DW

Cars registered in Russia will not be allowed on the territory of Finland from March 16. The new rules do not apply to the cars of students and people who are officially working in the country.

Cars registered in Russia and located in Finland must be exported from the territory of the European Union no later than March 15, 2024. year This is stated in the message of the Customs Service of Finland.

As of Saturday, March 16, drivers of cars with Russian registration must prove to the control authorities their right to use cars in Finland. They must have special documents with them so that, if necessary, they can certify their right to use a car with Russian license plates.

The right to legally use a car cannot be determined by license plates, the Russian warned. director of the Control and Law Enforcement Department of the Customs of Finland, Sami Rakshit.

If a Russian-registered car that does not have the right to be in Finland is spotted on the roads, the Customs Service will impound the car and consider the possibility of taxing it.

According to the customs officials, the consequences of illegal use of the car may be, for example, the collection of customs duties and value added tax, as well as taking the car out of the EU. If tax must be paid for the car, the Customs will refer the matter to the Tax Administration.

Cars with Russian license plates/unsplash

The situation for citizens of the aggressor country is complicated by the fact that it is currently impossible to leave Finland through the Finnish-Russian border. as the checkpoints are closed until April 14, 2024. Car owners themselves are responsible for the decisions regarding the removal of their vehicles from the territory of the EU.