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Permitra • Finland • 2026–2027
Waste transport permit in Finland – registration with LVV
Do you haul waste into, out of or within Finland? We explain what the Finnish waste management register is, who has to be entered in it, how long an entry remains valid, what happens if you operate without one and where the legislation leaves room for interpretation.
- Jätelaki 646/2011
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1157
The short answer
Yes, Irish and UK hauliers need a Finnish entry too
Transporting waste in Finland on a professional basis requires approval of the activity for entry in the waste management register (jätehuoltorekisteri, section 94 of the Finnish Waste Act). The register is kept by Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (LVV). Being established in another country does not exempt a carrier from this obligation, and the activity may not start before the entry is approved.
An Irish waste collection permit or a UK waste carrier registration does not replace the Finnish register entry.
Before you accept a job
Three separate questions
- Company: does it hold a current entry in Finland?
- Waste: is this type of waste covered by the entry?
- Shipment: Annex VII or notification?
The national system: entry in the waste management register
The legal basis is the Finnish Waste Act (jätelaki 646/2011). Anyone who intends to transport waste on a professional basis or to act as a waste broker must obtain approval of the activity for entry in the waste management register (section 94). Finland does not issue carriers a separate “permit” or “licence” in the sense used in many other countries. The authorisation consists of the decision approving the entry and the extract from the register.
| Item | Carrier entry in the jätehuoltorekisteri |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Sections 94–99 of jätelaki 646/2011 |
| Who it applies to | Professional waste carriers and brokers, including those established outside Finland |
| Authority | Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (LVV), the Finnish Supervisory Agency – a single authority for the whole country |
| Nature | A decision of the authority before the activity starts (section 96(1)) |
| Scope | The decision specifies the types (codes) of waste the company may transport (section 96(2)) |
| Requirements | Activity carried on in a professional manner, suitable vehicles, authorisation to carry goods for hire or reward, no flagrant breaches of waste legislation in recent years (section 95). A carrier established outside the EEA – which applies to UK-based hauliers, but not to Irish ones – must hold the authorisation for international road haulage required in Finland and must also meet an additional good repute requirement (section 95). |
The entry is therefore not a mere formality “for the company”. It relates to a specific activity and specific waste. In cross-border shipments, the type of waste carried should be listed in the register extract, as the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke) points out. That is why the waste the company intends to carry needs to be settled at the time of the entry.
The Act does not exclude hazardous waste from the register. However, the decision may limit the activity to specific types of waste, so for loads with an asterisked code the scope of the entry has to be checked separately.
How long an entry is valid
As a rule, entries granted to carriers have no expiry date. The Act allows a decision to be issued either indefinitely or for a fixed term (section 96(1)), but “indefinitely” does not mean “once and for all”. The entry has to be maintained.
Review every three years
In the year in which three years have passed since the entry or since the last change, LVV sends the register extract for checking. The carrier must reply within the set deadline and report any changes.
Lapse of the entry
If the carrier does not reply to the review request, LVV declares the entry lapsed and removes the company from the register, after giving it the opportunity to be heard.
Changes and revocation
Material changes to the activity must be reported without delay. LVV may amend the decision and, if the conditions are no longer met, false information was provided or breaches are repeated, revoke the entry.
In practice, the entry remains effective for as long as the company meets the conditions and responds to correspondence from LVV. The review request is sent to the carrier, so keeping contact details in the register up to date matters.
Cross-border shipments: Annex VII, notification and DIWASS
The jätehuoltorekisteri entry concerns the carrier. The procedure for a specific shipment is governed by Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, which has applied since 21 May 2026: for eligible waste destined for recovery this is Annex VII (Article 18); in other cases, prior written notification and consent. The competent authority for cross-border shipments in Finland is Syke, not LVV.
For notified shipments, the carrier must hold an entry in Finland and be named in the consents of all the countries concerned. The electronic movement document in DIWASS has been mandatory for notified shipments since 21 May 2026. For green-listed waste (Annex VII), the electronic format becomes mandatory from 1 January 2027.
Supervision and penalties
Compliance with the Waste Act is supervised by LVV and the municipal environmental protection authorities. Cross-border shipments are supervised by Syke, and Finnish Customs and the police also take part in inspections. The Act provides for several types of response, depending on the breach.
Transport without an entry
The company transports waste in Finland without an approved entry.
Consequence: a negligence fee (laiminlyöntimaksu), preceded by a request to remedy the breach (sections 131–133).
Waste outside the scope of the entry
The load contains a type of waste not covered by the decision approving the entry.
Consequence: a breach of the conditions of the decision. The authority may prohibit the transport from continuing (section 126), and breaching the conditions of the entry is an offence punishable by a fine (section 147).
Interim measures
The authority finds an irregularity during transport.
Consequence: measures including a ban on unloading and an order to return the waste to its place of origin or to store it properly (section 126).
Illegal shipment
The required consent is missing, or the shipment does not match the details in the Annex VII or notification documents.
Consequence: criminal liability for an offence under the Waste Act – a fine (section 147).
The indirect consequences can be more serious than the penalty itself. Flagrant or repeated breaches of waste legislation can close off access to an entry or lead to its revocation (sections 95 and 99).
Open questions to be settled for each company
- Merely driving through Finland. The Act ties the obligation to the professional transport of waste and makes no exception for transit, and Syke refers to all companies transporting waste in Finland. We have found no official interpretation covering transit without loading or unloading. What is required for such a route is assessed case by case.
- How broadly to describe the waste in the entry. Too narrow a scope blocks new jobs. Too broad a scope may require the company to demonstrate qualifications and vehicles for waste it does not actually carry.
- A new type of waste during an ongoing contract. The entry covers the waste specified in the decision. Whether a new code requires the decision to be amended or falls within the existing scope has to be assessed before the first load.
We cover the requirements in other countries along the route in our overview Waste transport across Europe in 2026/2027.
Frequently asked questions
Is an Irish or UK waste carrier authorisation enough to transport waste in Finland?
No. An Irish waste collection permit or a UK waste carrier registration is a national authorisation. Transporting waste in Finland on a professional basis requires an entry in the Finnish waste management register (jätehuoltorekisteri), kept by LVV.
Who keeps the register of waste carriers in Finland?
Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (LVV), the national permitting and supervisory authority. Syke is responsible for cross-border shipments of waste but does not handle carrier entries.
Is the Finnish entry valid indefinitely?
As a rule, yes – the decision has no expiry date. However, every three years LVV asks the carrier to review its details, and failing to reply leads to the entry lapsing.
Does the entry cover all types of waste?
No. The decision specifies the types (codes) of waste the company may transport, and in cross-border shipments the type of waste carried should appear in the register extract.
Do I need an entry if I am only driving through Finland?
The Act makes no exception for transit, but we have not found an official interpretation covering transit alone either. Such a route has to be assessed case by case.
What are the consequences of transporting without an entry?
The supervisory authority may impose a negligence fee, usually after a request to remedy the breach, and prohibit further transport. An illegal shipment of waste is an offence punishable by a fine.