Alcohol regulations in Åland Islands

Licences needed

Alcoholic beverage production licence (Tillverkningstillstånd för alkoholdrycker) and approval of a tax warehouse from the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto); plus food premises registration.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV, formerly Valvira) and Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto)

Documents

Application via the Allu e-service, Business ID (FO-nummer), self-monitoring plan (egenkontrollplan) under the Alcohol Act and Food Act, proof of financial reliability and suitability, floor plans and descriptions of production and storage premises and equipment, and food premises notification.

Fees

Application decision fee set by Government Decree (not confirmed for standard non-organic production; organic registration decision fee is EUR 550 plus EUR 285 inspection fee). Annual supervision base fee is EUR 390 per licence holder (plus EUR 190 per additional site) and a volume surcharge of EUR 2.80 per 1,000 litres of 100% alcohol, capped at EUR 18,000.

Time to obtain

Average processing time is approximately 3 months (includes a preliminary premises inspection if needed).

Who can import

Holders of an alcohol wholesale licence (or production licence), the state retail monopoly Alko, or holders of a retail/serving licence who submit an import notification for their own retail/serving purposes.

Licences or registrations

Wholesale licence for alcoholic beverages (Partihandelstillstånd), or an Import Notification for retail sale purposes, plus registration as a commercial importer/registered consignee with the Finnish Tax Administration and Customs (Tulli) due to the Åland tax border.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV), Finnish Customs (Tulli), and Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto)

Documents

Application via the Allu e-service, Business ID, self-monitoring plan, storage premises details, and financial suitability documentation.

Fees

Import notification processing fee for retail sale purposes is EUR 400. Wholesale licence decision fee is set by Government Decree; annual supervision fees apply based on sales volume.

Time to obtain

Approximately 3 months for a full wholesale licence; approximately 14 days for an import notification.

Required

yes

Process

Before placing an alcoholic beverage on the market, manufacturers and importing wholesalers must register the product via a product notification to the Finnish Supervisory Agency's Alcohol Trade Register (Allu). There is no US COLA-style pre-approval certificate, but product details and compliance are monitored via the register.

Authority

Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV)

Documents and samples

Electronic product notification via the Allu register specifying product name, ABV, package size, category, and organic status (if applicable). Samples are not routinely required upfront unless requested for supervision.

Fees

not confirmed

Renewal

Not required (valid until product details change or product is discontinued, though sales must be reported monthly).

Time to obtain

Immediate upon electronic submission to the product register.

Åland is part of the EU Customs Union but is outside the EU VAT and excise territory (separated by a tax border). Consequently, all alcohol shipments into Åland from mainland Finland, other EU states, or non-EU countries require customs clearance and a tax border declaration (or standard customs import declaration) via Finnish Customs (Tulli), and payment of excise duty and VAT. No physical fiscal/excise strip stamps are required on bottles. Third-country imports of certain wines and organic spirits require batch-specific inspection certificates/VI-1 documents where applicable under EU rules.

0% for most distilled spirits under HS 2208 (EU Common Customs Tariff applies; Most Favoured Nation duty is zero for whisky, vodka, gin, brandy, liqueurs, and most spirits, while certain rums and undenatured ethyl alcohol carry specific EUR/hl duties unless covered by a Free Trade Agreement). Zero customs duty on movements from mainland Finland or other EU Member States (though tax border customs clearance applies).

• Finnish national excise duties and VAT apply on Åland:
• - Excise duty on ethyl alcohol / spirits (HS 2208) in 2026: Over 10% ABV is 56.28 cents per centilitre of pure ethyl alcohol (EUR 56.28 per litre of 100% alcohol, or ~EUR 15.76 per 700ml bottle at 40% ABV). For 2.8% to 10% ABV, the rate is 55.57 cents/cl of pure alcohol; for 1.2% to 2.8% ABV, 31.33 cents/cl of pure alcohol.
• - Beverage container tax: EUR 0.51 per litre unless the packaging is part of an approved deposit-based return system (on Åland, Ålands Retursystem / PALPA) or made of liquid packaging board.
• - Standard VAT rate: 25.5%.
• - Duty-free exception: Tax-free sales of spirits are permitted to passengers aboard ferries calling at Åland ports because of Åland's special EU fiscal exemption.

Off-premise retail sale of distilled spirits (>5.5% ABV) and fermented beverages (>8.0% ABV) is a state monopoly operated by Alko. Private grocery stores, kiosks, and service stations licensed by the State Department of Åland (Statens ämbetsverk på Åland) may sell fermented beverages up to 8.0% ABV and other alcoholic beverages (including distilled/ethyl alcohol-based RTDs) up to 5.5% ABV. Retail sale hours are 09:00 to 21:00. Following the July 2026 Alcohol Act reform, Alko stores are permitted to open on Sundays as well as Monday–Saturday between 09:00 and 21:00. On-premise sale in bars, restaurants, and aboard Åland-registered vessels is licensed and supervised by the Åland Environment and Health Protection Authority (ÅMHM).

• Allowed under a strict newly reformed framework (Law amending the Alcohol Act, effective 3 July 2026 in three stages):
• - Cross-border distance sales: Following Finland's Supreme Court ruling (KKO 2025:71) and the 2026 legislative reform, foreign EU/EEA online retailers have a codified right to sell alcoholic beverages (including spirits up to 80% ABV) directly to consumers.
• - Home delivery: Domestic retailers may apply for a delivery licence (toimituslupa) from 3 November 2026, with deliveries commencing 3 January 2027. Domestic supermarkets/restaurants may only deliver beverages up to 8.0% (fermented) / 5.5% (other) ABV; spirits above 5.5% ABV may only be delivered domestically by Alko or via licensed cross-border distance sales.
• - Conditions: Couriers must hold an alcohol delivery passport, deliveries are restricted to 09:00–21:00, and mandatory age and sobriety verification is required at handover. All shipments crossing into Åland must clear the tax border and pay excise duty and VAT.

EU food and spirit drink labelling rules (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 and Regulation (EU) 2019/787) and Finnish national decrees apply. Because Åland is monolingually Swedish by constitutional statute, mandatory consumer labelling on products sold on Åland MUST be in Swedish (mainland Finland requires both Finnish and Swedish). Mandatory items include: legal product name, net quantity, actual alcoholic strength by volume (% vol) for drinks >1.2% ABV, allergen declarations, name and address of the food business operator/importer, country of origin where required, lot number, and nutrition/ingredient info where applicable. Health warnings and fiscal stamps are not mandatory.

Governed by the Alcohol Act (1102/2017, applied on Åland via Provincial Act 2021:140) and supervised locally by the State Department of Åland (Statens ämbetsverk på Åland) and nationally by LVV. Advertising of strong alcoholic beverages (>22% ABV, i.e., most distilled spirits) is generally prohibited in television, radio, cinema, print media, and outdoor public spaces. Exceptions allow marketing at points of sale/serving venues, in trade publications, and—following the July 2026 reform—domestic producers are permitted to market spirits online on their own websites and social media channels (including toward other EEA states), provided it does not target minors, use consumer-generated content/games, or depict intoxication.

• European Union Spirit Drinks Regulation (EU) 2019/787 applies directly. Key minimum ABV thresholds and definitions include:
• - Whisky / Whiskey: minimum 40% ABV, distilled from mash of malted cereals, matured for at least 3 years in wooden casks not exceeding 700 litres.
• - Rum: minimum 37.5% ABV, produced exclusively by fermentation and distillation of molasses, syrup, or juice from sugar cane.
• - Vodka: minimum 37.5% ABV, produced from ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (rectified so organoleptic characteristics of raw materials are selectively reduced).
• - Gin / Distilled Gin / London Gin: minimum 37.5% ABV, flavoured with juniper berries.
• - Brandy / Weinbrand: minimum 36% ABV, produced from wine spirit and aged in oak receptacles.
• - Ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin (neutral spirit): minimum 96.0% ABV.

None (no dry municipalities exist on Åland, though alcohol deliveries and consumption are restricted in specific premises such as schools, healthcare facilities, and social care institutions).

• June 2024: The maximum ABV permitted in regular grocery stores and supermarkets was raised from 5.5% to 8.0% for fermented alcoholic beverages (beers, ciders, and low-alcohol wines), while distilled/ethyl alcohol-based beverages in grocery stores remained capped at 5.5% ABV.
• September 2024: The standard VAT rate applicable to alcoholic beverages increased from 24% to 25.5%.
• September 2025: The Supreme Court of Finland (ruling KKO 2025:71) affirmed the legality of cross-border distance selling of alcohol from other EU Member States directly to consumers.
• January 2026: Valvira merged into the new national Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto / Tillstånds- och tillsynsverket, LVV), and alcohol excise duties were indexed upward (spirits >10% ABV set at 56.28 cents/cl of pure ethyl alcohol).
• July 2026: Major reform of the Alcohol Act (effective 3 July 2026 in three stages through 3 January 2027) allowed Alko stores to open on Sundays, liberalised online marketing of spirits for producers, introduced a domestic alcohol home-delivery licence (toimituslupa) and delivery passport, and established clear legal rules for cross-border distance selling from EU/EEA online retailers.

Åland's special EU fiscal status makes its maritime ferry traffic between Finland and Sweden one of Europe's largest tax-free retail markets for distilled spirits. Additionally, the July 2026 Alcohol Act reform codifies a clear, licensed route for EU/EEA e-commerce operators and producers to sell and ship spirits directly to consumers alongside traditional Alko monopoly tenders and local hospitality wholesalers.

• Ålands miljö- och hälsoskyddsmyndighet (ÅMHM - Åland Environment and Health Protection Authority)
• Statens ämbetsverk på Åland (State Department of Åland)
• Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV - Lupa- ja valvontavirasto / Tillstånds- och tillsynsverket, formerly Valvira)
• Finnish Customs (Tulli / Tullen)
• Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto / Skatteförvaltningen)
• Alko Oy (National Alcohol Retail Monopoly)

1. Ålands landskapsregering – Alkohol (Tillstånd och lagstiftning)
2. Ålands miljö- och hälsoskyddsmyndighet (ÅMHM) – Alkohol och Serveringstillstånd
3. Statens ämbetsverk på Åland – Detaljhandelstillstånd för alkoholdrycker
4. Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV) – Production and wholesale of alcoholic beverages
5. Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) – Excise duty table for alcohol and alcoholic beverages 2026
6. Finnish Customs (Tulli) – The Åland tax border and declarations
7. Winepress.fi / Eduskunta – Finland Alcohol Act Reform (3 July 2026)