The drinking age in Finland is 18 for beer, cider, wine, and any beverage up to 22% alcohol by volume, and 20 for spirits and anything stronger than 22% ABV. That split applies to buying alcohol from a store. In licensed bars and restaurants the rule is simpler: once you turn 18, you can be served anything on the menu, spirits included. The framework comes from the Alcohol Act (1102/2017).
The 18 and 20 Split for Buying Alcohol
Finnish law sorts retail alcohol purchases by strength. At 18 you can buy any drink up to 22% ABV, which covers essentially all beer, cider, wine, and most ready-to-drink mixed beverages. At 20 the last category opens up: vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, and other spirits above 22%.
The distinction catches visitors out. A 19-year-old in Helsinki can order a whiskey at a bar legally, then walk to a shop and be refused the same bottle. Retailers who sell strong alcohol to someone under 20 can lose their license, and staff can confiscate the product at the counter.
Being Served in Bars and Restaurants
Licensed venues use a single age: 18 for anything they pour. The reasoning is that trained staff manage pace and setting in a way a take-home bottle does not allow.
Staff also have a legal duty to prevent underage drinking on the premises. If a group arrives and one person is under 18, servers must refuse alcohol to the whole group when they suspect the drinks will be shared. Venues that serve minors can face temporary closure or lose their license permanently.
Where You Can Actually Buy Each Drink
Alcohol retail in Finland is split between ordinary shops and Alko, the state-owned monopoly. Which store you need depends on what you want to buy.
Grocery Stores, Gas Stations, and Kiosks
Regular shops can sell fermented drinks up to 8% ABV and other alcoholic drinks up to 5.5% ABV. That covers standard beer, cider, and some stronger craft beers. Wine above 5.5% and all spirits are not stocked here.
Retail alcohol sales in these stores run only between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Self-checkout systems generally disable alcohol scanning outside that window.
Alko Stores
Anything above the grocery limits has to come from Alko. Alko carries the full range of wines, spirits, and specialty products. Opening hours vary by location, and every Alko store is closed on Sundays.1Alko. Opening Hours 2026 A Sunday dinner wine needs to be bought by Saturday.
ID You’ll Need to Show
Alko checks identification for anyone who looks under 30, not just borderline cases.2Alko. Who Can Buy at Alko? Grocery stores and bars follow similar practices. In a group, every person who looks young may be asked to show ID, and if anyone can’t prove their age or is underage, the whole sale can be refused.
Only physical, government-issued documents are accepted. Alko’s accepted list includes:2Alko. Who Can Buy at Alko?
- Passports, Finnish or foreign, including diplomatic passports, seaman’s passports, and refugee travel documents
- Physical driver’s licenses from EU countries, Norway, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, or Ukraine (digital licenses are not accepted)
- Photo ID cards from EU or Schengen states, Ukraine, or the United Kingdom
Digital wallet apps and photocopies will be turned away. Travelers from countries not on the driver’s license list should carry a passport.
Bringing Alcohol Into Finland
You can import alcohol duty-free, but the same age rules apply: 18 for drinks up to 22% ABV, 20 for anything stronger. The quantities depend on where you’re flying from.
Arriving from outside the EU, the duty-free allowances per person are 16 liters of beer, 4 liters of still wine, and either 1 liter of spirits over 22% or 2 liters of other alcoholic drinks at or below 22%. The stronger-alcohol allowance can be split proportionally.3Finnish Customs. Traveller Imports of Alcohol Allowances are per person and can’t be pooled with the people you’re traveling with.
From other EU countries the personal-use guideline quantities are much higher: up to 110 liters of beer, 90 liters of wine, 20 liters of intermediary products such as vermouth, and 10 liters of spirits.3Finnish Customs. Traveller Imports of Alcohol These are guidelines, and customs officers may ask questions if the volume looks commercial.
One current exception: arriving from Russia, importing strong alcohol over 22% ABV is prohibited outright, duty-free purchases included. Beer and fermented wines are still allowed in restricted personal amounts.3Finnish Customs. Traveller Imports of Alcohol
Drinking in Public
Being of legal age does not mean you can drink wherever you like. Finland’s Public Order Act prohibits consuming alcohol in public places within built-up areas, defined as densely built zones marked by the relevant traffic sign.4Finlex. Public Order Act
Parks and comparable spaces are treated differently. Drinking there is allowed as long as your behavior doesn’t stop others from using the area normally. A beer on a park bench on a summer evening is fine; sprawling across a playground with a case of beer is not. Violations carry a fine, and officers can confiscate and destroy open containers on the spot.4Finlex. Public Order Act
Drinking and Driving
Finland’s blood alcohol limit for driving is 0.5 grams per liter, roughly 0.05% BAC, and it applies to every driver with no reduced limit for novices or commercial drivers.5European Transport Safety Council. Drink-Driving in Finland Even below the limit, police can order you to wait on the roadside if they detect alcohol. Penalties run through Finland’s income-scaled day-fine system, with more serious offenses carrying up to six months in prison and aggravated cases going higher.