Finland's 2026 Alcohol Act Reform — A Plain-English Guide
This reform marks a major turning point for Finland’s alcohol market, particularly for alcohol e-commerce operators and producers that want to sell directly to Finnish consumers. By creating a clearer legal framework for cross-border distance sales, home delivery, licensing and age-verification obligations, the new rules give online retailers and producers a practical roadmap for entering—or expanding in—the Finnish consumer market while preparing for the compliance requirements that will apply once the regime becomes fully operative.
For: Producers, foreign online retailers (distance sellers), delivery operators, and domestic retailers
Law: Laki alkoholilain muuttamisesta (amending Alkoholilaki 1102/2017)
Confirmed: 26 June 2026 by President Alexander Stubb
Enters into force: 3 July 2026 (staggered — see timeline below)
1. What is this reform, in one paragraph?
Finland is opening up two things that were previously restricted or legally unclear:
Home delivery ("toimitus") of alcohol from domestic retailers, Alko (the state alcohol monopoly), and licensed delivery operators directly to consumers.
Cross-border distance selling ("etämyynti") — foreign online shops based in the EU/EEA will, for the first time, have an explicit, clearly regulated legal right to sell and ship alcohol to consumers in Finland.
The reform also relaxes Alko's opening hours and lifts most restrictions on online marketing of spirits.
Importantly, cross-border distance selling into Finland was already found to be legal by Finland's Supreme Court (KKO) in a September 2025 ruling (KKO 2025:71), building on the EU Court of Justice's Visnapuu case. This law does not "invent" that right — it codifies, clarifies, and regulates it.
2. The three-stage timeline
The law does not enter into force all at once. Most provisions apply immediately, but the rules that build the actual delivery and cross-border sales infrastructure are staggered in two further steps. Think of it as: Stage 1 = legal foundation, Stage 2 = licensing framework, Stage 3 = go-live.
StageDate What it covers
Stage 1 — Immediate 3 July 2026 Most of the law. Technical/structural amendments, Alko's extended opening hours (Sundays/Saturday evenings), removal of most online marketing restrictions on spirits, penalty and enforcement framework updates.
Stage 2 — +4 months ≈ 3 November 2026 Legal definitions of delivery, cross-border distance selling, distance sellers and distance purchases; scope of the Act extended to EEA (not just EU) states; the new delivery licence ("toimituslupa") becomes available — operators can apply, but cannot yet deliver.
Stage 3 — +6 months ≈ 3 January 2027 The operative rules go live: the actual right to cross-border distance sell (§17b), delivery hours (9:00–21:00), age verification, delivery passes, prohibited delivery locations, penalties for breach, and the related supervision fees. This is when deliveries and regulated cross-border sales can actually begin.
Also on Stage 3(6 months): the old § 28(3) of the Alcohol Act is repealed.
Key takeaway: the right to distance-sell and to deliver already exists in principle (per Finnish and EU case law) even before Stage 3 — but the detailed rulebook (who may deliver, at what hours, with what licence, to whom, and under what penalties) only becomes legally operative at Stage 3. Businesses should treat 3 January 2027 as the real "go-live" date for compliant operations, even though the Act is formally in force from July 2026.
3. What changes for foreign online retailers (distance sellers)
If you are a webshop based in another EU or EEA country selling alcohol to Finnish consumers, here is what matters to you:
Your right to sell into Finland is now explicit in Finnish law (from Stage 3, ≈ Jan 2027), not just inferred from EU free-movement case law.
Strength limits will not apply allowing distance sales of alcohol from 2.8% up to 80% ABV.
You must mark deliveries as containing alcohol, and separately mark deliveries containing strong alcohol, once §17b is in force.
You cannot deliver directly to the customer yourself in the fully regulated regime — under the new framework, only a Finnish-licensed "alkoholijuoman toimittaja" (a delivery-licence holder with a personal delivery pass) may hand over the goods to the buyer or another recipient. In practice, this means partnering with, or becoming, a licensed Finnish delivery operator.
Excise duty obligations remain with you as the distance seller, governed by Finland's Excise Duty Act (valmisteverotuslaki), unchanged by this reform.
Marketing: Finnish-based businesses gain new freedom to market spirits online into other EEA countries — this is a reciprocal, competitiveness-driven part of the reform, not a right granted to foreign sellers marketing into Finland (domestic marketing rules for content, e.g. no targeting of minors, no health claims, etc., are unchanged and still apply broadly).
Before Stage 3 (until ≈ Jan 2027): you may continue operating in the legal grey zone recognised by KKO 2025:71 (buyer-initiated cross-border purchase), but you will have no domestic licence, no defined delivery mechanism, and no legal certainty about strength limits or marking obligations — these only crystallise at Stage 3.
4. What changes for producers (domestic and foreign)
New delivery licence (toimituslupa), from Stage 2 (≈ Nov 2026): producers and retailers who want to offer home delivery — including delivery from Alko, retail shops, kiosks, petrol stations and restaurants — must apply for this new licence type, alongside the existing retail/serving licences.
Self-control plan required: applicants must have a documented self-monitoring plan (omavalvontasuunnitelma) and show that anyone delivering on their behalf holds a delivery pass ("toimituspassi").
Product strength determines delivery channel (from Stage 3):
Up to 8.0% ABV (fermented) / 5.5% ABV (other): may be delivered from domestic retail licence holders (shops, kiosks, petrol stations, restaurants).
Stronger products (incl. wine and spirits above those limits): delivery only via Alko or via cross-border distance selling.
New annual supervision fee for delivery-licence holders (Stage 3): a fixed base fee of €100 plus a variable fee of €0.10 per delivery once annual deliveries exceed 1,000.
Online marketing of spirits is liberalised (Stage 1, immediate): Finnish producers can now market spirits online, including into other EEA states — previously restricted.
5. What changes for Alko (the state monopoly) and domestic retailers
Extended opening hours (Stage 1, immediate — already implemented from 4 July 2026): stores may open every day of the year, 9:00–21:00, at the retailer's discretion within that legal maximum. Alko rolled this out immediately in 108 stores, 35 of which now also open on Sundays.
Pickup points: retail licences (and Alko's store approvals) may now designate pickup points from which alcohol can be released for delivery.
Delivery becomes possible (fully operative Stage 3): domestic retailers, kiosks, petrol stations and restaurants can deliver beverages within their permitted strength range (8.0%/5.5%) directly to customers, subject to the new licence, delivery hours (9:00–21:00), age verification at handover, and a requirement that the recipient be present and not visibly intoxicated.
6. What changes for delivery operators / couriers
Anyone physically delivering alcohol on behalf of a licensed seller — including gig-economy courier platforms — must hold, from Stage 3, a personal delivery pass (toimituspassi) demonstrating knowledge of the delivery rules.
Deliveries are only allowed 09:00–21:00.
The recipient must prove their age and must be present to receive the delivery; delivery is prohibited to visibly intoxicated recipients and to certain locations (schools, healthcare facilities, childcare centres, substance-abuse treatment units, etc.).
Operators cannot penalise (financially or otherwise) a courier who refuses to hand over alcohol where the law requires refusal (e.g. suspected underage recipient).
7. Compliance checklist by stakeholder
Foreign online retailer (EU/EEA-based):
Confirm your product range fits within Finland's strength limits.
Identify a Finnish delivery-licence holder to act as your in-country deliverer, or establish that capability yourself.
Prepare delivery marking (alcohol content, strong-alcohol flag) processes ahead of ≈ Jan 2027.
Confirm excise registration/compliance under Finnish excise rules (unchanged by this law).
Do not assume the pre-2027 legal grey zone is permanent — build toward full compliance by Stage 3.
Producer / domestic retailer wanting to offer delivery:
From ≈ Nov 2026: apply for a delivery licence (toimituslupa).
Draft/update your self-monitoring plan (omavalvontasuunnitelma).
Ensure delivery staff obtain a delivery pass (toimituspassi) before Stage 3.
Budget for the new annual supervision fee.
Plan operations around the 9:00–21:00 delivery window and age-verification/presence requirements.
Delivery/courier platform:
Ensure all couriers handling alcohol hold a valid delivery pass by Stage 3.
Build age-verification and intoxication-screening steps into the handover process.
Map prohibited delivery addresses (schools, healthcare units, etc.) into routing/screening logic.
8. Quick reference — key new/changed provisions
Topic Section Stage
Scope extended to cover delivery & EEA cross-border sales §2 2 (+4 mo)
Definitions: delivery, distance sale, distance seller, distance purchase §3(11), (17)–(21) 2 (+4 mo)
Delivery licence created §17a 2 (+4 mo)
Delivery-licence issuing authority (Licensing and Supervisory Authority) §7 2 (+4 mo)
Cross-border distance selling permitted & regulated §17b 3 (+6 mo)
Retail sale point rules for >2.8% products §35 3 (+6 mo)
Delivery conduct rules (who may deliver what, to whom) §35a 3 (+6 mo)
Delivery/retail/serving prohibitions (minors, intoxicated persons, protected locations) extended to delivery §37 3 (+6 mo)
Staffing & delivery-pass requirement §38 3 (+6 mo)
Delivery hours: 09:00–21:00 §42a 3 (+6 mo)
Discount/bundling bans extended to delivery §51 3 (+6 mo)
Delivery-pass competence certification §57 3 (+6 mo)
Penalty fees for delivery/marking breaches §71 3 (+6 mo)
New delivery supervision fee §74, Annex 6a–7 3 (+6 mo)
Alko opening-hours restriction removed §42(2) (repealed) 1 (immediate)
Old §28(3) repealed §28(3) 3 (+6 mo)
9. Sources & further reading
Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health / Government press release on the reform (valtioneuvosto.fi)
Alko's own communications on extended opening hours (alko.fi)
Parliament (Eduskunta) legislative tracking page "Alkoholin etämyynti"
Supreme Court ruling KKO 2025:71 (cross-border distance selling)
CJEU Case C-198/14, Visnapuu
This guide is a plain-English summary for orientation purposes only and is not legal advice. Businesses should confirm final requirements with Finland's Licensing and Supervisory Authority (Valvira / Lupa- ja valvontavirasto) and, where relevant, qualified Finnish legal counsel before commencing operations.