How to Ship from the US to Finland: Complete 2026 Guide

Finland is a small but affluent market with 5.6 million people who rank among the most digitally connected consumers in Europe. Finnish purchasing power is high, demand for American electronics, outdoor gear, and health products is strong, and the logistics infrastructure — from the Finnish postal system Posti to DHL's European network — is excellent. As an EU member state, Finland follows standardized customs procedures that make importing predictable.

Finland's geographic position also makes it an interesting gateway to the broader Nordic and Baltic markets. Goods that clear Finnish customs can move freely within the EU single market, which means a Helsinki warehouse can serve customers in Estonia, Sweden, and the rest of the Nordic region.

Carrier Options

DHL Express is the fastest option, delivering in three to four business days. DHL routes most Finland-bound packages through their European hub network (typically via Germany or the Netherlands), and their customs clearance process is efficient for Finnish imports. Express rates for a one-pound package run 50 to 75 dollars.

FedEx International Priority delivers in four to six business days, and UPS Worldwide Express takes a similar timeline. Both are reliable for Finnish deliveries. USPS Priority Mail Express International costs less — roughly 48 to 62 dollars for a one-pound package — with delivery in five to eight business days.

USPS Priority Mail International is the standard-speed option at 36 to 54 dollars for a one-pound package, delivering in 10 to 20 business days. Posti handles last-mile delivery within Finland, and their service is consistently reliable even to remote areas in northern Finland and Lapland.

Economy shipping via USPS First-Class Package International starts at 13 to 17 dollars for light packages, delivering in 15 to 30 business days. This budget option works for low-value, non-urgent shipments.

Customs and VAT

Finland follows EU customs rules. Shipments valued under EUR 150 are exempt from customs duties but subject to Finnish VAT at 25.5 percent — one of the highest rates in Europe. This means a 50-dollar product will have about 12.75 dollars in VAT added at delivery. Shipments over EUR 150 face both duties (rates follow the EU Common Customs Tariff) and VAT.

The high VAT rate makes IOSS registration particularly valuable for sellers shipping to Finland regularly. Collecting VAT at checkout so the customer pays the all-in price upfront prevents delivery surprises and reduces refused deliveries. Without IOSS, Finnish customs collects VAT through Posti, which adds a handling fee of a few euros on top of the VAT.

Commercial invoices need detailed item descriptions, quantities, declared values, HS tariff codes, and country of origin. Finnish customs is thorough but efficient — properly documented shipments clear quickly, while incomplete documentation causes delays.

Climate and Packaging Considerations

Finland experiences extreme temperatures. Winters are harsh — temperatures in Helsinki regularly drop to minus 10 to minus 20 degrees Celsius (14 to minus 4 Fahrenheit), and northern Finland gets even colder. Packages sitting in unheated delivery vehicles or postal facilities during winter face genuine freeze risk.

Temperature-sensitive products — liquids, cosmetics, batteries, any product that degrades in freezing conditions — should either be shipped with insulated packaging during winter months or only shipped between April and October when temperatures are moderate.

Finnish addresses are straightforward: street address, postal code, and city, all in Finnish or Swedish (Finland has two official languages). Helsinki addresses may include apartment building information in a specific Finnish format. Include the address exactly as the recipient provides it and include a phone number — Finnish delivery services use SMS notifications for delivery coordination.

Prohibited Items

Standard EU prohibitions apply. Finland has additional restrictions on snus (moist tobacco) — while legal in neighboring Sweden, snus imports to Finland are limited to personal quantities. E-cigarette liquid with nicotine requires proper labeling under the EU Tobacco Products Directive. Medications should be limited to personal quantities with a prescription.

Platforms like atoship simplify Finland shipments by comparing carrier rates and generating EU-compliant customs documentation automatically.