Private import

Provisions concerning private imports of medicinal products are given in the Government Decree (1088/2002) on the imports of medicinal products to Finland for private use (in Finnish).

Allowed:

Travellers arriving to Finland may bring legally acquired veterinary medicinal products intended for pets in the maximum amount corresponding to one month’s use. Veterinary medicinal products must be imported concurrently with the animal to be treated.

Not allowed:

• Travellers may not bring to Finland medicines intended for the treatment of food-producing animals.
• Food-producing animals include horses and other solipeds, bovine animals, pigs, reindeer, sheep, goats and poultry. Wild mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibia and snails, fish in farms and other aquatic organisms cultivated for food and bees used for the production of honey are also considered as food-producing animals.
• The veterinary medicines imported to Finland must not contain narcotic substances.
• No veterinary vaccines or other immunological medicinal products may be imported to Finland. This is of crucial importance in terms of our animal health situation.
• Importing veterinary medicines by post is prohibited.

Products that frequently give rise to ambiguities include vitamins, liniments and different types of tonicums. The line between a medicinal and non-medicinal product is often drawn based on the concentrations of active substances. Drawing this distinction often causes more trouble and costs to the person importing the product than the purchase of a similar product in Finland.

Veterinarian’s right to import veterinary medicines

Provisions concerning veterinary products imported by a veterinarian are given in sections 7 and 8 of the Government Decree 1088/2002.