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Start-up notification of private trader

As a private trader (often referred to as ‘toiminimiyrittäjä’, ‘toiminimi’, ‘t:mi’ in colloquial Finnish), you can file a start-up notification with the Finnish Trade Register if.

  • you are at least 18 years old;
  • you are not bankrupt and your legal competency has not been restricted.

Once your company is in the Finnish Trade Register, you get protection for your company name and can apply for an enterprise mortgage as a security for a loan.

Take special care of personal identity codes and home addresses

Do not give any personal identity code and home address unless specifically requested. When you send notifications, do not include any documents that contain personal identity codes, home addresses, or sensitive details, such as health details.

Learn more about how to protect yourself and your business from scams.

Who must register at the Finnish Trade Register?

According to Finnish law, you must register as a private trader at the Finnish Trade Register if

Do you live permanently outside Finland?

If you have no permanent place of residence within the European Economic Area (EEA), you need a permit from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) to operate as a private trader in Finland. Read more about our permits to persons living abroad.

Please note that if you are from Ukraine, you do not need a permit if you have received a decision on temporary protection from the Finnish Immigration Service. You can register as a business operator at the Finnish Tax Administration free of charge. When you register as a business operator at the Finnish Trade Register, registration is subject to a fee. For the registration you need the Finnish personal identity code given in the Finnish Immigration Service’s decision.

Before filing your start-up notification

Choose your company name carefully. After you have filed your notification, we at the Finnish Trade Register examine if there are any obstacles to registering the name. Make sure you do not print your company name on advertising signs or the like before we have approved the name. We recommend that you check names in advance using our name checking service for companies. Go to our Name checking service for companies.Open link in a new tab

It is also important that you define your line of business. The line of business specifies your business operations. A well-defined line of business makes it clear what field the company operates in or is planning to operate in. If a business license is required in your line of business, consult the licensing authority about how to indicate your line of business.

How to file a start-up notification online

You can file your notification online using the service at ytj.fi (available in Finnish and in Swedish), if

  • you are at least 18 years old;
  • you have a Finnish personal identity code; and
  • you have your own personal internet banking codes or a mobile certificate or an electronic identity card (HST card).

Provide the following information (in Finnish or in Swedish):

  • Personal details of the trader;
  • Your proposal for the company name, and a maximum of two alternative names;
  • Address and contact details of the company;

You must report the mailing address or street address of the company to the Finnish Trade Register. If you wish, you can also give other details, like your phone number or website and email addresses.

Please note that all address and contact details of the company reported to the Finnish Trade Register are public details and available to anyone for example in the company search at ytj.fi. Read more about the public nature of the Trade Register in Finnish.

  • Registered office, or municipality where the company is managed;
  • Line of business.
Please note that the line of business to be entered in the PRH’s Trade Register can be more extensive than the general line of business to be registered at the Finnish Tax Administration.

Please provide the information in Finnish or in Swedish.

Video to help with filing online

We've released a video in English with instructions on how to file the start-up notification online. Go to our YouTube channel to watch the video.Open link in a new tab

Do you already have a Finnish Business ID?

If you already have a Finnish Business ID, in other words, you have run a business in Finland previously, or if you for instance want to notify the Finnish Trade Register about a company only registered at the Finnish Tax Administration, the service at ytj.fi will help you fill in a notification of changes after you have logged in. So in this case you use a notification of changes to notify the Finnish Trade Register about your company.

What does it cost to file online?

The online filing fee is 70 euros. You pay the fee after signing the notification.

The fee for filing an auxiliary company name online is 70 euros per name. Use a notification of changes to file your auxiliary company name. Read more about auxiliary company names.

Go to ytj.fi to file your notification.Open link in a new tab Please note that the online service is only available in Finnish and in Swedish.

If you file your start-up notification using paper forms, the processing time will be longer than when filing online. Go to our instructions about paper forms.

Monitor the progress of your notification online

Monitor the progress of your notification using the notification search in the Virre Information Service. Search by using the Business ID or the record number. Go to the notification search in the Virre Information Service.Open link in a new tab

Printable version Latest update 15.01.2024