Check that you can upgrade your driving licence using the e-Services
Read this page to check if you can renew your driving licence in the Apply for a driving licence permit to upgrade your driving licence service.
Use this service to add new categories to your valid driving licence by taking a driving examination.
A driving licence permit remains valid for three years. During this period, you must take the theory and driving tests of the driving examination, and the possible handling test.
Please note that you can only hold one valid driving licence permit at a time. A permit that you obtained earlier will expire when you apply for a new one. This is why you should be careful when selecting the driving licence categories in the e-Services.
Before submitting your application, read more on this page about the requirements related to your age and fitness to drive that apply to upgrading your driving licence.
If your driving licence is about to expire and you would like to both renew and upgrade it, please visit an Ajovarma service point.
To upgrade your motorcycle driving licence to a higher category, see the page Upgrading a motorcycle driving licence category. Check if you can use this service or if you should to visit an Ajovarma service point.
How to upgrade the category of your motorcycle driving licence
When can you use the e-Services to upgrade your driving licence?
You can use the Apply for a driving licence permit to upgrade your driving licence service if
- your driving licence is valid and you have not been banned from driving.
- you do not hold a driving licence issued in another EU or EEA country. By using this service, you consent to this information being verified against records in other EU and EEA member states.
- your permanent address is in mainland Finland. Your driving licence will be sent to your address in Finland recorded in the Population Information System. When you take a driving examination, you also need to have a permanent address in mainland Finland.
- you have previously submitted your facial photograph and signature to the authorities, for example for a passport.
- you do not have special condition 95 indicating professional competence in your driving licence.
- you are not under the obligation to use an alcohol interlock when driving.
- you can log into the service using online banking identifiers or a mobile certificate.
You cannot use the service if
- your driving licence is about to expire within the next six months and you would like to renew it in addition to upgrading it.
- you are upgrading your driving licence to category B96.
- you are upgrading your driving licence using an examination certificate issued by the Defence Forces.
- you are upgrading a category A1 or A2 driving licence to a higher category A by taking driving instruction or by completing a category A handling and driving test.
- you are upgrading your driving licence based on a vocational upper secondary qualification certificate for bus drivers (exemption from the age requirement for a category D driving licence; age requirement 18 years)
- you are applying for a driving licence based on special condition 131 (exemption from the minimum age requirements for categories C and/or D; the licence may be issued based on a freely worded report provided by an authority or employer for driving related to fire-fighting or rescue sector operations, operations of the Defence Forces or the Border Guard, or for driving required for maintenance and repair shop activities).
Do the following
Log into the service and complete the online application
Apply for a driving licence permit to upgrade your driving licence in Traficom’s My e-Services. You can find the application form in this service under the heading Driving licence.
When you log into the service, you can see your facial photograph and signature obtained from the passport photo register of the police. When you renew your driving licence in the e-Services, you accept the use of the photo and the signature on your driving licence.
If the system does not contain your photograph or signature or you do not want to use them on your driving licence, you cannot upgrade your driving licence using the e-Services.
3. If necessary, retrieve your fitness to drive information from Kanta services
In certain cases, a medical report is required for upgrading your driving licence. See Requirements related to fitness to drive below on this page for cases in which a medical report is mandatory.
If you have seen a doctor and the doctor has recorded a medical report on your fitness to drive (F122) in Kanta services, you can retrieve the information on your fitness to drive using the service.
Pay for the application
Pay for your order in the e-Services. Submitting your application for a driving licence permit in the e-Services costs EUR 24.
Participate in driving instruction and complete a driving examination
Take the theory and/or driving lessons required for your driving licence category and complete the tests included in the driving examination.
The driving licence will be sent to your home address
Once you have completed the required studies and tests acceptably, your driving licence will be posted to your home address in around 2 weeks.
An automated decision-making procedure is used in the e-Services. Read more about automated decisions at Traficom.
If you cannot use the e-Services, you can apply for a driving licence permit to upgrade your driving licence at Ajovarma. Fill in the driving licence permit application at the service point. Also read the Driving licence permit page in advance and check which attachments you may need for your application.
Read more about the driving licence permit and the attachments required for the application
Book an appointment with Ajovarma (External link)