Can I keep money I find in Finland?
Not directly — but honesty is rewarded by law. The Lost Property Act is clear: found money or goods must be returned to the owner or delivered to the police. Pocketing a banknote from the street is embezzlement of lost property. In exchange the finder gets rights: a 10% reward when the owner collects — and if no owner appears within three months, the find becomes yours entirely. Finds on premises (shops, buses) go to the staff without reward.
📋 The rules
- Lost property — cash included — must be returned to the owner or delivered to police without delay.
- Finders are entitled to a reward: 10% of the value when the owner retrieves the property.
- If the owner isn't reached within three months of delivery to police, the find passes to the finder.
- Premises finds (shops, public transport, offices) are handed to the operator — no reward, no transfer to the finder.
- Bank cards, IDs and the like always go to police or the bank — they're never 'finders keepers'.
🔓 Exceptions
- Worthless or trivial items (a faded mitten) fall outside the procedure in practice — reasonableness rules.
- Clearly abandoned property (left at a bin) isn't lost property — but abandonment must be evident.
⚠️ Penalties
Keeping a find is embezzlement: fines or up to 1.5 years (more when aggravated). In practice, cameras and card use get people caught — paying with a found card adds payment-instrument fraud.
📎 Sources
- Finlex · Lost Property Act 778/1988 →
- Police of Finland · Lost property →
- Finlex · Criminal Code ch. 28 — embezzlement →
❓ Frequently asked questions
I found €50 on the street — what does the law actually require?
Deliver it to police (an e-report works). If the owner turns up you get 10%; if not within three months, the whole sum is lawfully yours.
What about a wallet with cards?
Straight to police — cards and IDs make the return matter. The owner is usually traced in minutes.
Can I keep a tenner found on the bus?
No — transport and shop finds are premises finds, handed to staff.
Who gets treasure found in the woods?
Ancient artefacts belong to the Heritage Agency against redemption — ordinary hidden cash is handled as lost property.
🔎 What people search
Searches that lead to this question.
- “keep found money Finland”
- “finder's reward 10 percent Finland”
- “lost property police Finland”
- “found wallet what to do”