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    Why do hotels in Finland ask for your passport?

    What the law requires at check-in and what happens to your data.

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    Short answer

    Finnish law requires accommodation providers to complete a traveller registration form for each guest. It includes your full name, date of birth and nationality if you have no Finnish identity code, and the number of your travel document. Staff must check your identity from a travel document or in another reliable way. Nordic citizens and people living in Finland do not have to give a travel document number.

    Accommodation and lodging

    Why

    1. The Accommodation and Food Service Act requires the traveller registration form to include the traveller's full name and identity code, or date of birth and nationality.
    2. Section 6 of the Act requires the number of the traveller's travel document, except for Nordic citizens and residents of Finland.
    3. The Act says the forms are stored for one year from signing and then destroyed.

    Details

    The law also requires providers to send foreign nationals' traveller data to the local police without delay. The data is used for public order, security and statistics.

    Tip

    Have your passport or national ID card ready at check-in, even if you booked online and paid in advance.

    What may differ

    The Act applies to professional accommodation. For private short-term rentals, the host's practices can differ.

    Common misconception

    Hotels ask for your passport only to check that you are the person who booked.

    What actually happens

    The traveller registration form is a legal requirement for professional accommodation providers in Finland.

    People also ask

    • Do I need my passport to check in to a hotel in Finland?
    • Can Finnish hotels copy my passport?
    • Do Airbnb hosts in Finland need my passport?

    Sources

    This answer is for reference only. Check the Accommodation and Food Service Act on Finlex for the exact wording.

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