Green card for travel to Finland

Safety is the main condition for a comfortable journey abroad with your own car. The “Green Card” will help to provide it; Finland will also have to take out driver's civil liability insurance. In addition, without this document, you will not be able to enter the country by private vehicle.

Do all drivers need insurance to enter Finland

Green Card is an international level insurance policy for car owners. The Green Card Agreement was signed by 44 states, including the Russian Federation.

At the same time, Russian motorists can take out insurance that is relevant:

• in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Belarus;
• In all countries.

To cross the Finnish border, you will need a second option for international insurance. Therefore, the answer to the question whether you need travel insurance to travel to Finland is yes.

To rent a vehicle (TC) on the territory of a foreign state, you do not need to issue a Green Card in advance.

The presence of the policy is checked when crossing the border - both on the Russian and on the Finnish side.

In the absence of insurance, a fine is imposed. In the event of an accident, you will also be obliged to independently cover all insurance payments, including damage to the injured party. In the future, such a violation may become a reason for refusing a Schengen visa. So it is better not to risk it and buy insurance in advance.

The procedure for issuing a Green Card to Finland

Green Card for foreign drivers is an official document, the appearance and issuance of which is controlled by authorized state bodies. When working with intermediaries, make sure they are accredited to issue a Green Card to Finland.

Required package of documents

Any car enthusiast who wants to get a Green Card must provide:

• identity document (for an individual);
• registration certificate (for a legal entity);
• vehicle passport (PTS), vehicle registration certificate (STS);
• an application for the conclusion of an insurance contract with a specific organization.

All papers must be valid: with the current validity period, reliable information and no damage.

The cost of registration and the period of validity of the policy

The costs of issuing a Green Card for citizens of the Russian Federation directly depend on:

• processing time;
• type of vehicle (TC);
• exchange rate of the euro against the ruble.

At the same time, the policy of the insurer does not affect the pricing - according to the current legislation, the tariffs are the same for all companies on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Thus, in order to calculate the cost of insurance, you should buy insurance for a period that is guaranteed to cover the duration of your stay in the country.

The policy can be issued for 15 days, 1 month, several months or 1 year. For example, to determine how much a Green Card costs to Finland for 2 weeks, you need to focus on a period of 15 days.

Where can I get a Green Card for citizens of the Russian Federation?

There are the following ways of purchasing a “Green Card” for foreign drivers who decide to drive their car to Finland:

1. At the office of the insurance company. This can be done in advance at the place of residence or on the way to the checkpoints at the border. If you are interested in a RESO Green Card or an insurance product from any other well-known company, you should contact the insurer directly before starting your trip. By purchasing insurance on the way to the border, you run the risk of becoming a victim of unscrupulous intermediaries selling counterfeits. In addition, when buying a Green Card from mobile insurance points, often equipped in minibuses near the road, there is a risk of receiving a document with errors, which will turn out to be invalid.
2. Online, on the official websites of insurers. If you do not know where to issue a Green Card at your place of residence or there are no representative offices of the company you are interested in, you can order the document online with delivery. When deciding to take out insurance online, observe the following rules:
   • order the policy only on the official website of the insurer, through your personal account;
   • carefully indicate your personal information and vehicle data;
   • keep receipts for company services.
3. On the territory of Finland. Many tourists decide to buy a Green Card in Finland on the way, as representatives of insurers at the border often offer their product relatively cheaply. If you forgot to buy insurance or decided to travel by private car at the last moment, you will have the opportunity to buy a policy when you go through the document check. But it is better to search for an insurer in advance, before entering the checkpoint.

Once you enter the country, you will no longer be able to purchase a Green Card, as it is issued only for vehicles registered directly in Finland.

However, without insurance, you are unlikely to be allowed across the border in your own car.

How insurance payments are made in the event of an accident

A “Green Card” issued by a foreign driver to Finland for 15 days or longer is a guarantee of his security in the event of any road traffic accident. To receive the stipulated payments, you must first contact the insurance company that issued the policy.

The following payments are provided for this type of insurance:

• property damage, including causing harm to a third party, received during a road traffic accident;
• bodily injuries sustained during an accident.

Buying a Green Card does not protect against:

• criminal liability;
• other risks, including property losses related to the vehicle.

Insurance payments are always made in favor of the party injured in the accident.

What to look for when issuing a policy

When purchasing insurance for a foreign driver to Finland, pay attention to the following nuances:

• you can entrust the driving of the car to another person, since the document is drawn up not for the driver, but for his vehicle;
• it is allowed to issue a document a maximum of 30 days before the date of entry into the country;
• the validity period of the "Green Card" is calculated not by the number of days of stay in the country, but by calendar days from the date of its registration;
• if you find yourself on the territory of the country without a valid “Green Card”, you can purchase an analogue of OSAGO in Finland at a price of about 100 €;
• the fine for the absence of an insurance policy for a foreign driver in Finland is 200 €;
• when ordering a document online, consider the delivery time to your region;
• the issued document, in addition to Finland, is valid on the territory of another 44 states and can be used on other trips within the validity period.

Summarizing

For any foreign driver who decides to travel on the roads of Finland in their own car or motorcycle, international car owner liability insurance is compulsory.

If you need a Green Card to Finland for 3 days, you will need to draw up a document for the minimum allowable period - 15 days. International legislation does not provide otherwise.

The cost of the policy in insurance companies is fixed, it depends on the type of vehicle and the validity period of the document. Discounts can be provided by intermediaries or official representatives of insurers at the border. If mistakes are made during registration, the document is invalidated, and a fine is imposed on the driver and the obligation to purchase local insurance.

The “Green Card” can be ordered only in the territory of the country in which the vehicle is registered. Your last chance to get your policy is when you cross the border. Having decided to buy insurance for a car in Helsinki, you will already purchase a local analogue of OSAGO at a price of 100 €.