Hunting trip to Finland?

Hunting in Finland requires that four things are taken care of in good time before the planned hunting trip. For this reason, planning should start well ahead of the trip. A couple of thousand hunters from abroad visit Finland every year. In particular, hunting for white-tailed deer, moose and grouse attracts hunters to Finland. Getting a hunting card “Foreign citizens can get a Finnish hunting card for one season at a time, if they have the right to hunt in their own country. Similarly, a certificate of equivalence for a shooting test can be obtained if the person has the right to hunt ‘similar-sized game’ in their own country”, says Paula Laukkanen, Executive Director of the Helsinki Game Management Association. “Both the hunting card and the certificate of equivalence for a shooting test cost the same for a foreigner as for a Finn.” The application for a hunting card is addressed to the executive director of the relevant game management association, whose contact details can be found on the Riista.fi website. “The application must be accompanied by a copy of the hunting card, or equivalent proof of the person’s right to hunt in their own country, as well as an account of citizenship. If a certificate of equivalence for a shooting test is required, a certificate of a shooting test and/or proof of the right to hunt ‘similar-sized game’ in the person’s own country is also attached.” Other permits and certificates A foreign hunter must also have a hunting permit for a particular area. Hunting permits are sold or issued by hunting rights holders, such as landowners, hunting associations and, on state-owned land, Metsähallitus. The shooting test certificate can be obtained at the same time as the order is placed for a Finnish hunting card. The executive director of a game management association is given a valid certificate of a shooting test approved in another country, including the necessary translations, or proof of the guest’s right to hunt game animals of similar size in their own country. A hunter who does not have a shooting test certificate, or is unable to provide acceptable documentation, must take a Finnish shooting test in accordance with the regulations in force. Shooting tests are organized by game management associations, especially in summer and early autumn. INFO Foreign citizens are allowed to hunt if they have the following permits and documents: • a Finnish hunting card • a hunting right or a hunting permit granted by the landowner or a holder of hunting right • the right to possess a firearm Attention must be paid to hunting periods and, in the case of certain game animals, also to the hunting licence or exemption.