What is the Alcohol Passport?

Everything you need to know about the Alcohol Passport and how to obtain it.

The alcohol passport is an official certificate proving that you understand the key rules, guidelines, and legislation related to the serving of alcoholic beverages.

It is mandatory if you work as the person in charge of licensed premises or as their deputy. These responsible persons ensure that Finnish alcohol legislation is followed at the premises. The alcohol passport is especially important if your expertise comes from work experience rather than formal education in the field.

While not compulsory for all hospitality workers, obtaining the alcohol passport demonstrates professionalism and can give you a competitive edge in job applications or when moving into more responsible roles. To receive the passport, you must pass the alcohol passport test.

Does the alcohol passport expire?

The alcohol passport is valid indefinitely and does not expire. However, there is no central register of issued passports, so it’s important to keep it safe. If your passport is lost, you can request a duplicate from the educational institution where you completed the test. A service fee may apply.

How to obtain the alcohol passport

There are two ways to obtain the alcohol passport:

With a qualifying degree: If your degree includes the subject areas covered by the alcohol passport test, you do not need to take the test separately. In this case, your diploma serves as the alcohol passport. Accepted qualifications include:
- Vocational qualification in the hospitality sector
- Further and specialist vocational qualifications in the hospitality sector
- Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, tourism, and catering
By taking the alcohol passport test: If you do not hold a qualifying degree, you must take the test organized by a hospitality education provider.

What is the alcohol passport test like?

The test is organized by hospitality institutions. While the exact format may vary, the content always follows Valvira’s official material Serving of Alcoholic Beverages.

Structure: At least 30 questions. To pass, you must answer at least 80% correctly.
Question types: Multiple-choice, true/false statements, or open-ended questions
Duration: Usually 45–60 minutes.
Format: Depending on the organizer, the test can be paper-based or computer-based. All necessary equipment (e.g., a computer) is provided on-site. You only need to bring valid photo ID.
The test is always based on Valvira’s material Serving of Alcoholic Beverages, available free of charge in Finnish, English, and Swedish on Valvira’s website. For the test, you only need to study chapters 1–3.

Main subject areas of the test

Alcohol legislation and licensing requirements
Opening hours and serving times
Serving sizes and measurement guidelines
Serving alcohol on credit and issuing receipts
Alcohol accounting and record-keeping
Responsibilities of staff and the person in charge
Self-monitoring and official supervision
Rules on customer selection (minors, intoxicated persons)
Ensuring order and a pleasant environment at licensed premises

Preparing for the test with the Trainify app

With the Trainify mobile app, you can study alcohol service theory and test your knowledge with a comprehensive question bank. You can practice by topic or take full-length mock tests mixing questions from all areas. Each question includes explanations to support learning.

Includes 3 courses and 20 lessons
600+ practice questions
Study anytime, anywhere
Materials available in Finnish and English

Learn more about Trainify here!

What you need for the test

You must prove your identity with an official, valid photo ID. The examiner will check your ID when you return your test.

Accepted IDs include:

Finnish ID card
Finnish passport
Finnish driving licence or moped licence
Finnish photo Kela card
Foreign ID card or passport
Alien’s passport (if it does not state “identity not verified”)
Refugee travel document (if it does not state “identity not verified”)
Finnish residence permit card

Not accepted:

Expired IDs
Foreign driving licences or moped licences
Non-photo Kela cards
Finnish military ID
Copies of IDs
Student cards, bus cards, library cards, or similar, even with a photo

You can also take the test with a foreign passport.

After the alcohol passport test

The delivery time of the alcohol passport depends on the test organizer. Details are provided during the test, in the confirmation email, or in your results notification.

Electronic delivery: Sent as an encrypted email. Save it immediately and consider storing it in a cloud service (e.g., OneDrive, Google Drive).

Postal delivery: Mailed to your given address within a few weeks.

If you do not receive your alcohol passport within 2–4 weeks (in Helsinki) or 6–8 weeks (elsewhere), please contact the test organizer’s customer service. In some cases, issuing a replacement may involve a service fee.

Alcohol passport tests with Alcoholpassport.fi

Alcoholpassport.fi offers the widest selection of alcohol passport tests in cooperation with partner institutions, available in multiple languages and locations.

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