Legal Alcohol Only

In a bar or restaurant, you can only sell and serve alcohol that has been legally delivered to your establishment. The alcohol must be bought specifically for your venue using its licence number. You should purchase alcohol from a licensed producer, wholesaler, or retailer. You can also import alcohol yourself for serving, but it must be done legally.

Consequences for Illegal Alcohol

If you sell alcohol that wasn''t legally delivered to your venue, you or your staff can be fined or punished for illegal alcohol sales. Customers are not allowed to bring and drink their own alcohol in your establishment, even during private events like weddings. For example, guests can''t bring their own champagne; only alcohol that was legally bought for serving can be used.

Restrictions on Personal Alcohol

The law also prohibits drinking your own alcohol in places that don''t have a serving licence, like a café or other spots where food and drinks are sold to the public, or at public events.

Importing Alcohol

If you have a licence to serve alcohol, you can import alcohol yourself for that purpose, but you need to inform Valvira that you''re doing so. This notice is specific to each venue.

How to Report

You must fill out a form available on Valvira''s website to make this notification. There''s a fee for processing the notice, and you''ll receive a letter confirming that Valvira has received it. You''ll need to show this letter to customs when importing the alcohol.

Responsibilities

As the importer, you are responsible for the alcohol you bring into the country. Valvira oversees and ensures you meet these responsibilities. You also need to report your imports to Valvira every month.

Taxes

When importing alcohol, you must declare it for taxation. If you don''t pay alcohol tax in Finland, your import is considered illegal.

Reporting Sales and Operations

As a licence holder, you must regularly provide information to the authorities about your sales and other activities. This information is needed for monitoring and assessing the risks of your business.

Twice-Yearly Reporting

If you have a licence to serve alcohol, you need to report twice a year to the licensing authority. You must provide details about the value of the alcohol you''ve served, the number of staff you have, and the quantity and value (in euros) of any alcohol you''ve sold for customers to take away.

Submission Deadlines

The data for the first half of the year must be submitted by July 31st, and the data for the second half of the year by January 31st.

How to Report

You can submit the required information online at www.valvira.fi or by paper form from www.avi.fi. If you had no sales during the reporting period, you must still submit a report stating that no sales occurred.

Record Keeping

You must keep records of your sales in a way that allows you to provide the required information to the licensing authorities. You must be able to show that the alcohol you have on the premises was legally purchased.

Storage Rules

You can only store alcohol on your premises that was purchased under your establishment''s licence number. Any personal alcohol left by customers for safekeeping must be stored separately from the alcohol you serve, for example, in a coat rack or similar area.

Alcohol Accounting

You must keep records of your sales including details of wastage and other uses of alcoholic beverages. The storerooms for alcoholic beverages must be suitable for their purpose and comply with food legislation. They must be described in the self-monitoring plan.

Semi-Annual Reporting

Licence holders must submit a semi-annual report twice a year. Neglecting to submit the report may result in a fine. If you had no sales, you must still report this by the deadline. The report can be submitted electronically through the alcohol trade register.