Buying a Holiday Home in Finland: What to Know

A holiday home in Finland is usually either real property (kiinteistö, a registered land parcel including its buildings), such as a mökki (cottage, often by a lake) with its own land, or a flat owned through shares in a taloyhtiö (housing company that owns the residential building). Whether buying it requires a permit depends on your citizenship and on the type of property, and Åland has its own rules. This article explains what owning a holiday home involves when you live abroad: the annual costs in Finland, the practical arrangements and how long you can stay in your own home.

Cottage or flat: what kind of holiday home you would own

In Finland, the type of holiday home decides what you actually own. Someone who buys a flat in a block of flats or a terraced house usually buys shares in a housing company. These shares (asunto-osake, shares giving the right to occupy a flat) entitle the owner to occupy a particular flat. The building itself is owned by the company, and its plot is either the company's own or leased.

Someone who buys a detached house or a mökki, on the other hand, usually buys real property: the land and the buildings on it. The form of the sale, the taxes and the registration differ between these two types of purchase. In practice, this is the first thing worth establishing about any holiday home you are considering, because the permit question, the transfer tax and the annual costs described below all depend on it.

The official building-use category for holiday homes in Finland is the leisure home (vapaa-ajan asunto). There are a great many of them: according to Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), Finland had 485,475 leisure residential buildings, in other words cottages, at the end of 2025.

Buying in brief: permits, Åland and transfer tax

The buying rules and the purchase process are explained step by step in our guide to buying property in Finland as a foreigner. Here is a short summary of what matters for a holiday home.

Permits. If you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country, you do not need a permit from the Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeriö). The law requires a Ministry of Defence permit when real property is acquired by a person without EU or EEA citizenship, or by a company or other entity in which a party from outside the EU and EEA holds at least 10% of the ownership or equivalent influence. The permit concerns real property, for example a detached house with its plot or a cottage property, not housing company shares. The application has to be made no later than two months after the purchase, and the fee in 2026 is €210 (about £180 / $240) (online payment) or €280 (about £240 / $320) (invoice) per property identifier. Holding a permanent residence permit does not remove the need for a permit. If the permit is not granted, the property has to be transferred to another party within six months of the decision becoming final. These rules concern mainland Finland; Åland has its own, described next.

Åland. The permit law does not apply in Åland, which has its own land acquisition legislation. There, acquiring real property, including a cottage property, usually requires a land acquisition permit from the Government of Åland (Ålands landskapsregering) if the buyer does not have the Åland right of domicile. According to the Government of Åland, buying housing company shares does not require a permit unless the company's own land acquisition permit requires it. The Åland rules differ from those of mainland Finland, and it is advisable to check them with the Government of Åland.

Russian and Belarusian citizens. Since 15 July 2025, the Ministry of Defence has not granted a permit to a person whose only citizenship is, or all of whose citizenships are, Russian or Belarusian, nor to entities domiciled in those countries or in which such parties hold a majority. The rule does not apply to a person who holds a valid permanent residence permit for Finland, or a permanent EU residence permit issued by Finland, both when the property is acquired and when the permit application is filed; the list of countries may change.

Transfer tax and registration. The buyer pays transfer tax (varainsiirtovero, tax paid by the buyer on transfer): 1.5% for housing company shares and 3% for real property. The buyer of real property is required to apply for lainhuuto (registration of title to real property) within six months of signing the deed of sale, and the transfer tax has to be paid before applying.

Buying from abroad. The electronic Property Transaction Service of the National Land Survey of Finland (Maanmittauslaitos) is accessed with Finnish strong electronic identification, and foreign identification methods cannot be used there. Without Finnish identification, a sale of real property is made in the presence of a public purchase witness (kaupanvahvistaja, official who witnesses real property sales) or through an authorised representative.

What a holiday home costs each year in Finland

The recurring costs in Finland depend on the type of holiday home.

Real property. The owner of real property, such as a mökki on its own land, pays the annual real estate tax (kiinteistövero). For 2026, the rates fall within the following ranges:

(Finnish Tax Administration, 2026)

The tax for the whole year is paid by whoever owns the property on 1 January. How the tax is paid is covered in the next section.

Housing company flat. The owner of a flat pays the housing company a monthly charge, the vastike. This article does not cover the amount of the vastike; it is advisable to ask for the housing company's current figures before buying.

Rental income. If you let the home, see the section on renting below for a summary of how rental income is taxed in Finland.

Tax rules in your country of residence may also apply; it is advisable to check with your own tax authority.

Owning a holiday home from abroad in practice

Owning a home in another country raises practical questions. Some of them have clear answers in Finnish rules; others are matters you plan for yourself.

Paying the real estate tax

A real estate tax of at least €170 (about £140 / $190) is automatically split into two instalments. The Finnish Tax Administration explains the due dates and payment details on its page Paying real estate tax.

A Finnish bank account

Under the Finnish Credit Institutions Act, a deposit bank is required to offer a payment account with basic features (a basic bank account with payment services) and electronic identification to a person who is legally resident in an EEA country. The law does not guarantee this right to someone who lives outside the EEA. What counts here is where you live, not your citizenship.

A Finnish personal identity code

The requirements for a foreign national to obtain a personal identity code (henkilötunnus, Finnish personal ID number) should be checked in the current guidance of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, DVV). Buying a home is not, as such, among the grounds DVV lists. If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, the Finnish Tax Administration's guidance states that you must register as a customer of the Tax Administration before the purchase and use the identifier you receive when filing your transfer tax return.

If your holiday home is a flat

From 1 October 2026, under an amendment to the Limited Liability Housing Companies Act (535/2026), a shareholder who allows someone else to use their flat is required to have the necessary information about the user and to give it to the company at the company's justified request. This applies to housing company flats, not to a cottage on its own land.

Looking after the home while you are away

When you live abroad, it is a good idea to think in advance about:

• who checks on the holiday home while you are away
• who has the keys
• where post and bills from Finland are sent, and how you pay them
• what kind of insurance cover suits the holiday home

It is advisable to check any local requirements with the municipality where the property is located.

Staying in your holiday home: how long?

Owning a holiday home does not settle how long you can stay in Finland. In the words of the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto, Migri): “Owning land, property, or shares in a housing company in Finland is not sufficient grounds for being granted a residence permit or a citizenship.”

How long you can stay depends on your citizenship.

Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland can stay in Finland for three months without registering. For a longer stay, the right of residence is registered with the Finnish Immigration Service, and the stay requires a basis, for example work, studies or sufficient funds. Citizens of the Nordic countries register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Third-country nationals, meaning citizens of countries other than the EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, can stay in the Schengen area for short periods, with or without a visa, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen area as a whole. Whether a visa is required depends on citizenship. The European Commission offers a short-stay calculator for counting the days.

It is advisable to check the current rules for your situation with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

Finland as a holiday home location: prices and summers in numbers

Holiday home prices in Finland (2025)

The National Land Survey of Finland's purchase price statistics give an idea of what built holiday properties on the shoreline sell for. In 2025, their national median price was €92,000 (about £78,000 / $100,000) in areas covered by a local master plan or a detailed shore plan, and €74,000 (about £62,000 / $83,000) in sparsely populated areas. For comparison, the median price of a built small residential property, a statistical category that is not the same as a detached house, was €150,000 (about £130,000 / $170,000) nationwide.

The median also varies by region. In the plan areas mentioned above, the 2025 median for built shoreline holiday properties was, for example:

(National Land Survey of Finland, purchase price statistics)

A few things are worth keeping in mind when reading these figures. The statistics cover only properties on their own plot, sold whole or as a portion of a property, not housing company flats. The regional figures concern built shoreline holiday properties of under two hectares. A median is a price per property, not per square metre, and the properties vary in size and condition.

If your holiday home would be a flat, Statistics Finland's figures for old flats in housing companies give a reference point. In 2025, the average price was €2,594 per square metre (about £2,200 / $2,900) nationwide, €4,270 per square metre (about £3,600 / $4,800) in the Helsinki capital region (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) and €1,860 per square metre (about £1,600 / $2,100) in the rest of Finland. These are averages, not medians, and they concern old flats only.

Summer in Finland in numbers

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (Ilmatieteen laitos), the average July temperature over the 1991–2020 reference period is 18.1 °C in Helsinki (Kaisaniemi), 16.7 °C in Jyväskylä and 15.6 °C in Rovaniemi. Other stations include Turku at 17.5 °C, Lahti at 17.2 °C, Savonlinna (Punkaharju) at 17.3 °C and Oulu at 16.7 °C. At stations in southern and central Finland, the daily maximum in July averages about 21–23 °C.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, around the summer solstice the day in Helsinki is almost 19 hours long. The limit of the midnight sun runs along the Arctic Circle at Rovaniemi, but the midnight sun is also experienced south of the Arctic Circle, along the Tornio–Kuusamo line.

According to the Finnish Environment Institute (Suomen ympäristökeskus, SYKE), Finland has about 57,000 lakes larger than one hectare, and considerably more smaller lakes and ponds. In the World Happiness Report 2026, published in March 2026, Finland ranked first for the ninth consecutive year; the ranking is based on a survey in which respondents rate their lives on a scale of 0 to 10.

Renting it out when you are not using it

For a person living abroad, rental income from a home in Finland is usually taxed in Finland as capital income. The tax rate on capital income is 30% on taxable capital income up to €30,000 (about £25,000 / $34,000) and 34% on the part exceeding it; the threshold applies to all of the year's capital income taken together. Rental income varies by location and season.

If the holiday home is a housing company flat, short-term letting has a further point to note: if it causes the company or other shareholders extra costs or disturbance beyond normal residential use, the general meeting may, under certain conditions, take control of the flat for up to three years.

The rules for letting are covered in more detail in our article on Airbnb rules and tax in Finland.

What comes next

Owning is one stage of the journey. Renting the home out and selling it later have their own rules, which we cover in a separate article. Home Of Homes aims to make buying, owning and renting out a home in Finland simpler – in one place, also when you live abroad.

FAQ

How do I look after a holiday home in Finland from abroad?

Much of it comes down to planning: deciding in advance who checks on the home and holds the keys, and where post and bills go. On the Finnish side, a person legally resident in an EEA country has a statutory right to a basic bank account with a Finnish deposit bank, and a flat owner who allows someone else to use the flat has to hold the necessary information about that person and provide it to the housing company at the company's justified request. The section on owning from abroad in practice goes through these points.

What yearly costs does a holiday home in Finland have?

For a cottage or other real property, the owner pays the annual real estate tax, for the whole year if they own the property on 1 January; in 2026 the rate range for land is 1.30–2.00%. For a flat, the owner pays the housing company a monthly vastike. The section on annual costs above has the full rate table.

How long can I stay in my Finnish holiday home?

That depends on your citizenship, not on owning the home, which according to the Finnish Immigration Service is not sufficient grounds for a residence permit. Citizens of EU and EEA countries and Switzerland can stay three months without registering, while third-country nationals can stay for short periods of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the whole Schengen area. The section on staying in your holiday home explains both, and Migri has the current rules.

Can I rent out my holiday home when I am not using it?

The main point on the Finnish side is how rental income is taxed: if you live abroad, income from letting a home in Finland is usually taxed in Finland as capital income. For a flat, the housing company's general meeting may, under certain conditions, take control of the flat for up to three years if short-term letting causes the company or other shareholders extra costs or disturbance beyond normal residential use. Short-term letting is covered in our article on Airbnb rules and tax in Finland.

Related articles

• Buying a summer cottage (mökki) in Finland
• Buying a cabin in Finnish Lapland
• Airbnb in Finland: rental rules and tax for owners
• Property taxes and costs of buying a home in Finland

How Home Of Homes works

1. 1

   Find and buy

   Tell us what you are looking for, and we will let you know when a matching property may be available.

2. 2

   Own

   Keep your property's documents, maintenance history and local service providers in one place, and follow everything from abroad.

3. 3

   Rent out

   Rent your home out when you are not using it.

4. 4

   Sell

   When you want to sell, the information is already in one place.

Start – 3 quick taps

Sources

• Finlex (legislation in Finnish or Swedish): Limited Liability Housing Companies Act 1599/2009, Act 470/2019, Act 328/2025, Government Decree 840/2025, Act 535/2026, Credit Institutions Act 610/2014
• National Land Survey of Finland: Apartments and Property Transaction Service
• Property transaction service help: Authentication and payment
• National Land Survey of Finland: Change to the law on permits for real property acquisitions from 15 July 2025 (in Finnish)
• Statistics Finland: Kesä tilastojen valossa (in Finnish) and StatFin table 15f7
• Statistics Finland: Prices of old dwellings in housing companies, table 13mw
• Ministry of Defence: Authorisation to non-EU and non-EEA buyers to buy real estate and Kiinteistönostajien luvat (in Finnish)
• Government of Åland: Jordförvärv på Åland and ÅFS 2024:68 (in Swedish)
• Finnish Tax Administration: Transfer tax, buyer of a flat and Transfer tax, buying real property
• Finnish Tax Administration: Real estate tax rates and Paying real estate tax
• Finnish Tax Administration: Taxation of income received by non-residents, Rental income and Tax bases
• Finnish Tax Administration: Buyers from outside Finland
• Digital and Population Data Services Agency: Foreigner registration and The registration information of a foreigner (PDF)
• Finnish Immigration Service: FAQ on residence permits, EU citizen and Registration of right of residence
• Finnish Border Guard: Frequently asked questions about travel
• European Commission: Short-stay calculator
• National Land Survey of Finland: Purchase price statistics 2025, press release 25 February 2026 (in Finnish)
• National Land Survey of Finland: Purchase price statistics service (REST), regional data 2025 and description of the service (in Finnish)
• Finnish Meteorological Institute: Climatological normals 1991–2020, Reports 2021:8 (PDF), Tähtitieteelliset vuodenajat and Aurinko ja kuu (in Finnish)
• Finnish Environment Institute: Kuinka paljon järvissä on vettä? (vesi.fi, in Finnish) and Vesistöjen perustietovaranto (in Finnish)
• World Happiness Report: worldhappiness.report

Information checked: October 2026. Rules and prices change; check current details from the sources above.

Currency conversions are approximate and based on the European Central Bank's reference rates of 16 October 2026.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Home Of Homes is a platform, not a real estate agent.