🚫 Gifts that may be seized by customs: what is dangerous to bring from Finland in 2025–2026

❄️ Why it is important to think not only about "beauty" but also about the rules

Imagine this: you're leaving Helsinki-Vantaa, your suitcase smells of smoked fish, you've got a bar of chocolate hidden in your hand luggage, and in your side pocket is that wooden knife for hikers that seemed like the perfect gift.

And then — stop. Border control. Two questions. A polite request to open your bag.
And your whole "perfect gift set" turns into a little winter drama.

Finnish souvenirs are not only what you can buy in Finland, but also what you can take home without breaking your country's rules.
Each has its own restrictions: the EU, the CIS, the Caucasus, Asia, the Middle East.

This article is your anti-failure guide.
Let's go through the points.

🥫 Food that cannot be imported into most countries

Finnish food is a top gift.
But it is also the most frequently banned.

🥩 Not allowed: meat, sausages, pâtés, smoked meats

European customs + CIS countries prohibit almost everywhere:

• raw meat
  • ready-made sausages and frankfurters
  • pâtés
  • smoked fish and meat
  • products without industrial packaging

Why?
Risk of animal diseases + lack of clear standards for imported products.

What can be substituted:
✔️ chocolate
✔️ biscuits
✔️ coffee
✔️ nuts
✔️ factory-packaged berries

🧀 Dairy products are almost always prohibited

Cheese, cottage cheese, cream, sour cream, butter — almost everything is prohibited from being imported outside the EU.

If you are travelling to a country with strict rules (e.g. Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan),
don't take any chances. Customs will simply confiscate them.

🐟 Fish — a separate case

Only the following are permitted:
• factory-canned fish
• vacuum-packed with clear labelling, if the country allows it

You cannot bring:
• smoked
• dried
• semi-prepared

🍫 What is always allowed (and safe):

Fazer chocolate,
Paulig coffee,
berries in syrup,
chips, snacks, biscuits, tea.

🍾 Alcohol: the most common reason for losing gifts

Even Finns constantly run into restrictions — not to mention tourists.

📌 General rule:

You can bring YOUR own amount of alcohol into each country.
It is not Finland that decides — the rules of your country decide.

Examples:

— In the CIS, you usually cannot bring in more than 1–3 litres.
— In the EU, the rules are slightly more lenient: up to 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine.
— In the UAE, many things are prohibited.

And most importantly:

❗ If you are flying with a transfer, alcohol >100 ml in your hand luggage will be confiscated at the transfer airport.

Even if you bought it at duty free.
This is the main trap for tourists.

What you can take instead:
✔️ small travel sets (<100 ml each)
✔️ coffee
✔️ premium teas
✔️ stylish designer bottles (empty!)

🔪 Knives and "dangerous items"

Finland Shop, Marttiini and Lapland Store sell fancy knives: tourist, souvenir and hunting knives.
A Finnish knife is a cult gift, but...

⚠️ Problem:

Many countries equate tourist knives with cold weapons.

It is usually prohibited to:
• knives with fixed blades
• blades longer than 6 cm
• any knife in hand luggage

The following are permitted:
• souvenir knives in checked baggage
• Kitchen knives in packaging
• small folding versions

Tip:
Check the term "prohibited weapons" on your country's customs website.

🐾 Fur, hides, animal products

This is where it gets interesting.

Souvenirs featuring deer can be:
✔️ legal (if made by a farm or official brand)
❌ illegal (if the product is related to hunting or endangered species)

Prohibited:
— skins and furs without certificates
— products made from the antlers of rare species
— untreated bones/fangs
— souvenirs related to hunting

Permitted:
✔️ products from Lapland Arctic Farms brands
✔️ Processed fur with documentation
✔️ Certified accessories

💄 Cosmetics and liquids

It's simple:

The following items are not allowed in hand luggage:
• liquids >100 ml
• aerosols
• oils in large bottles

Almost anything is allowed in checked baggage if:
— factory packaging
— safety markers
— no alcohol >70%

📦 How to check your gifts using official sources

Finnish sources:

🔗 Tulli (Finnish Customs)

🔗 Finnair — hand luggage rules

Sources for your country:
in the search bar, type "customs + country + restrictions".

📄 Official Tulli Documents 2025

For those who want to be fully confident about import and export regulations, it is recommended to consult the latest Finnish Customs documents for 2025. These guides compile all restrictions on food, alcohol, cosmetics, animals, weapons, souvenirs, and other goods. It is advisable to download the PDF files and keep them handy when traveling.

Key documents 2025:

• Tullin rajoituskäsikirja — general rules and restrictions handbook
• Ampuma-aseet, aseen osat, patruunat ja erityisen vaaralliset ammukset
• Eläinperäisten elintarvikkeiden ja muiden tavaroiden virallinen valvonta rajatarkastusasemalla — official control of animal-based food products and other goods at border inspection posts
• Eläinten hyvinvointilain mukaiset tuontikiellot
• CITES-rajoitukset — restrictions on importing/exporting endangered animals, plants, and products derived from them
• Kulttuuriesineet — rules for importing/exporting cultural and historical objects
• Puolustustarvikkeet
• Rehut

🧊 Insert — mini checklist before packing your suitcase

🧊 Alternatives to "dngerous" gifts

To avoid disappointment at the border, take something that is safe and that everyone likes:

✔️ Fazer chocolate
✔️ Paulig coffee
✔️ Marimekko textiles
✔️ Design District posters
✔️ candles, candlesticks, ceramics
✔️ jewellery by local artisans
✔️ Lumene cosmetics (<100 ml) in travel size
✔️ Muumi gifts
✔️ Iittala tableware (in luggage)

Gifts are emotions.
And nothing spoils emotions like the phrase at customs:
"Sorry, this is not allowed."

Now you know what you can and can't do, and what to swap out for "dangerous" gifts so your suitcase gets there safe and sound, and people get a warm piece of Finland — no problems at the border.

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