Can I get alcohol delivered to my door in Finland?
Yes — Parliament approved alcohol distance selling and home delivery in 2026. Finnish retailers may deliver to your door drinks that are fermented and at most 8% (beers, ciders, long drinks) and other alcoholic drinks up to 5.5%. Which leads to the part people refuse to believe: you cannot have wine delivered by a grocery store — domestic home delivery of wine and spirits belongs to Alko alone. The delivery window is 9:00–21:00, and the same clock applies to pick-up points. The recipient must be present in person, prove their age, and may not be clearly intoxicated. The same reform widened Alko's hours: longer Saturdays in 108 stores and Sunday opening in 35.
📋 The rules
- Domestic retailers may home-deliver fermented drinks up to 8% (beers, ciders, long drinks) and other alcoholic drinks up to 5.5%.
- Home delivery of wine and spirits within Finland is reserved for Alko.
- Deliveries are allowed between 9:00 and 21:00 — the same window applies to pick-up points.
- The recipient must prove their age, be present in person, and may not be clearly intoxicated.
- Alko's hours expanded in the same reform: longer Saturdays in 108 stores and Sunday opening in 35.
🔓 Exceptions
- Cross-border distance selling: you may order stronger drinks (up to spirits) home from another EU country, but you owe Finnish excise and VAT.
- Small producers gain a wider right to sell their products directly from the production site.
- Alko's own home delivery does cover wine and spirits — the monopoly doesn't stop bottles reaching your door, it decides who may bring them.
⚠️ Penalties
Policing the age limit and delivery hours falls on the shop and the courier: Alcohol Act sanctions and, at worst, loss of the retail licence hit the seller, not the customer. The buyer's risk sits elsewhere. On foreign distance orders the excise duty and VAT are the orderer's to pay, and unpaid excise is collected afterwards with surcharges — the cheap-looking case of wine gets expensive in one stroke. And if the recipient isn't present, can't prove their age or is clearly intoxicated, the delivery may not be handed over at all.
📎 Sources
- Yle · Parliament approves Alcohol Act changes — distance sales allowed →
- Finlex · Government bill HE 44/2026 amending the Alcohol Act →
- Parliament of Finland · Alcohol distance sales — legislative brief →
❓ Frequently asked questions
Can a grocery store deliver wine to my door?
No — domestic home delivery of wine and spirits is reserved for Alko alone. Shops may deliver fermented drinks up to 8% and other alcoholic drinks up to 5.5%, which leaves wine and spirits outside the range they are allowed to bring you.
What are the delivery hours?
9:00–21:00, and the window does not flex: the same limit covers doorstep deliveries and pick-up points alike. An order placed after nine in the evening therefore moves to the next day, even if the shop itself stays open longer.
Can I order spirits from abroad?
Yes — you may order stronger drinks, right up to spirits, from another EU country. The excise duty and VAT stay your responsibility, however, and unpaid excise is collected later with surcharges, so the final price can end up higher than buying at home.
Is ID checked at the door?
Yes. The recipient must be present in person and prove their age, and the delivery may not be handed to someone clearly intoxicated. The check is the courier's and the shop's responsibility, and failing it can cost the seller its licence.
Can the delivery be left at the door or with a neighbour?
No: the recipient has to be present and prove their age, so leaving it on the doormat is not allowed. The same goes for handing it to a neighbour or a friend — nobody can sign for the order on your behalf.
🔎 What people search
Searches that lead to this question.
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