Car registration online

The easiest way to register your car or motorcycle and to report a change of ownership is to do it online using a digital certificate. Here are our instructions for both insuring and registering your vehicle at the same time.

Electronic registration of car

When a car or other vehicle changes owners between private persons, no paper registration certificate is required any longer. The registration of a car, motorcycle or other vehicle can be done with an electronic certificate at the same time as you buy insurance for the vehicle in our online shop. You will get the electronic certificate you need for the registration from the seller, who in turn will get it from Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s My e-Services.

Vehicle registration online is cheaper than at an inspection station. This means that you do not have to visit an inspection station at all, saving you both time and money.

If you buy a new car or a motorcycle through a dealer, the dealership takes care of registering the vehicle and getting you motor liability insurance on your behalf. Although you therefore do not need to worry about registration and motor liability insurance yourself, we recommend that you also take out comprehensive motor vehicle insurance for your new vehicle.

The ABC of electronic registration

The seller of a car, motorcycle or other vehicle can always create an electronic certificate for its sale on Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s website. An electronic certificate is valid for 14 days, and it can only be used once.

As the buyer, you can in turn check the vehicle’s details and the validity period of the electronic certificate in Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s website. Once you have bought the car, the seller will give you the electronic certificate with which you can register it.

The prerequisite for electronic registration of a car or other vehicle is that motor liability insurance, which is mandatory for all vehicles used in traffic, has been acquired first. Motor liability insurance can be bought in our online shop. We recommend that you also consider taking out more comprehensive, voluntary motor vehicle insurance.

When your car, motorcycle or other vehicle is properly insured, we will direct you to the electronic registration. The car or other vehicle registration uses many of the same details you gave when you bought motor liability insurance, making electronic registration quick and easy.

Vehicle registration – checklist for seller and buyer

Here is our checklist for registering a vehicle online and reporting a change of ownership.

The OP Smart Contracts service allows you to easily and securely conduct car sales between private individuals. You can file a transfer notification and register the car as part of the vehicle trade process.

Learn more about transfers of ownership and car registration in the OP Smart Contracts service

You as seller

  • Create an electronic certificate in Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s online service for the car you are selling. To create an electronic certificate, log in to Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s e-Services.
  • Print out two copies of the pre-filled deed of transfer from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s e-Services. When the car is sold, both parties sign the deed of transfer, which doubles as a deed of sale.
  • Once you have sold the vehicle, you need to file a transfer notification via the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s website. Make sure to record the date on which you have agreed to hand over the vehicle to the buyer in your transfer notification.
  • If, for some reason, the deal falls through and you have already given the digital certificate to the intended buyer, you can cancel the certificate by logging into the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s e-Services.

You as buyer

  • The seller will provide you with a vehicle-specific digital certificate that you can use to report the change of ownership. You can check the owner’s details and other records and verify the validity of the digital certificate on the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency’s website free of charge.
  • Sign both copies the deed of transfer you received from the seller. Give one copy for yourself, and give the other one to the seller. The deed of transfer also acts as a deed of sale.
  • Cover your car with suitable car insurance. All vehicles used in traffic in Finland must be covered by motor liability insurance, while additional coverage can be taken out by comprehensive motor vehicle insurance against vandalism, theft, windscreen damage etc. You can choose comprehensive motor vehicle insurance of various extent.
  • Once you have taken out the insurance that you want, register the vehicle. Once the insurance matters have been taken care of, our online shop will directly you automatically to the vehicle’s electronic registration. Please note that it is not possible to register a car without insurance.
  • Register your vehicle with an electronic certificate. The information you entered when you bought insurance will be used for the registration, making electronic registration quick and easy.