Frequently asked questions about vehicle inspections and statutory measuring

You must book a new appointment for your car for a periodic inspection. The emission measurement certificate obtained, also called the ‘inspection card’, from the previous inspection is valid for three months from the time of measuring. If the emissions have complied with the limit values and the certificate is still valid, the statutory measuring does not need to be repeated.

The period is one month from the date the vehicle first failed a periodic inspection.

If the statutory measuring has already been carried out during a maintenance event, for example, bring a certificate of the results with you to the inspection. In this case, measuring does not need to be carried out at the time of the inspection. Please remember that the certificate must not be older than 3 months and must be intended as a certificate to be presented for the inspection.

No. The post-inspection following a periodic inspection may also be carried out at an inspection station other than where the original inspection took place.

The facilities and practices of the stations vary, so you must agree on this with the inspection station staff in advance.

You can come and show the vehicle at times and get the list of faults shortened, but it is not possible to get an extension.

Both prepaid and unpaid appointments can be cancelled at any time before the appointment time. If you have paid for the appointment in advance, please contact our national appointment booking service to have the payment refunded to your account. If you fail to arrive at the scheduled time, the paid appointment will not be refunded.

Appointment booking and customer service

You can find service point-specific prices on the service point pages and by starting an appointment booking process. Prices vary by station and time, as well as during promotional periods, for example. There is also a limited number of cheaper vehicle inspection timeslots available online. They always require booking and paying in advance. You can recognise these timeslots by the orange colour.

Prices for vehicle inspection services

The price of a periodic inspection consists of the inspection and statutory measuring. Usually, the measuring is carried out at the inspection station, but it is possible that the measuring has been performed during a maintenance event, for example. If you have a valid certificate meant for vehicle inspection, measuring does not need to be carried out during the inspection.

A-Katsastus’ vehicle inspection for cars always includes a free check of the engine oil level and an assessment of the condition of the wiper blades.

Depends on the vehicle model and body type. For example, it is possible to change a station wagon to a van, but this usually requires reducing the number of seats. You should check with the inspector before making any modifications. The seat structures of the removed seats must be completely removed, and the seat anchorages cannot be readily accessible. After the modifications have been made, the vehicle must be brought for a modification inspection.

You can get the actual sales receipt at the service point when the service takes place. The appointment confirmation you get by email for a vehicle inspection is not a valid receipt for the tax authorities, for example.

As a contractual customer of certain leasing companies, you can come to the inspection and the invoice is sent directly to your leasing company. If you do not know whether the inspection is part of your leasing contract and the inspection is urgent, make an appointment at our service point or come without an appointment and pay for the inspection yourself. You can later check the payment policies and collect the amount back from your leasing company against a receipt, if the inspection is part of your contract.

The details inspected during a periodic inspection and the criteria for the assessment are set out in general terms in the Directive. On this basis, each EU country acts in accordance with its own legislation. You can check the assessment criteria of statutory measuring in Finlex-service, which is an Internet service on legal information, owned by the Finnish Ministry of Justice. It is a public service, available free of charge.

Vehicle inspection assessment criteria in Finnish (Finlex)