Parliament approved amendments to the Alcohol Act on 23 June 2026, which concern, among other things, the remote sales, delivery and marketing of alcoholic beverages. The amendments will enter into force in stages, the first ones on 3 July 2026. The President of the Republic is expected to ratify the Act on Friday, 26 June. Parliament approved amendments to the Alcohol Act on 23 June 2026, which concern, among other things, the remote sales, delivery and marketing of alcoholic beverages. The amendments will enter into force in stages, the first ones on 3 July 2026.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency will start preparing for the implementation of the act. The information system changes required for the implementation and the preparation of new procedures will begin once the decree amendments related to the reform have been completed. The Finnish Supervisory Agency is responsible for granting delivery permits to traders and supervising the delivery of alcoholic beverages, for example. The amendment includes transition periods during which the agency prepares for the implementation of the amendments.
The Finnish Supervisory Agency will update its guidelines to reflect the amendments
The Finnish Supervisory Agency will publish guidelines on the delivery of alcoholic beverages, which will serve as learning material for delivery pass tests, as well as guidelines for organising the tests for educational institutions.
In addition, the agency will update the guidelines on retail sales, serving and marketing to reflect the changed regulations, and they will be published as soon as they are ready.
“Amendments to the Alcohol Act will bring new supervision obligations for both traders and authorities. Our goal is to prepare clear guidelines in the initial phase for completing delivery passes and applying for delivery permits, so that operators can prepare for the changes in good time. We ask for the patience from traders during the preparation period and will inform them of the new guidelines as soon as they are ready,” says Kari Kunnas, Head of Unit.
The amendment will significantly change the operating environment for the sales of alcoholic beverages. In the future, alcoholic beverages may be sold and delivered in more places than before, which will introduce new demands on both the self-supervision of traders and supervision by the authorities. The agency will assess the impact of the amendment on supervision as part of the preparation of its implementation.
The delivery permit application process will begin later
Applications for delivery permits can be submitted no earlier than four months after the act enters into force, i.e. 3 November 2026. Traders will be informed separately in the autumn when the application process begins.
The delivery of alcoholic beverages based on the granted delivery permit can only commence after a six-month transition period, i.e., 3 January 2027.
Excerpt from the official page. The original is authoritative.