Govt moves to allow home delivery, online sale of alcohol

The government proposed an amendment to the Alcohol Act with the provision for allowing the online sale and home delivery of alcoholic beverages, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health in a press release on Thursday.

The proposal is included in the 2025 Budget. The Act is scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2025.

However, it is proposed that the entry into force be staggered so that most of the provisions on the delivery licence would enter into force five months after the entry into force of the Act, on June 1, 2025.

As per the proposed amendment, alcohol could be ordered and delivered to customers from Alko and from shops, kiosks, petrol stations and restaurants that hold a retail sale licence.

It would also allow the delivery of alcoholic beverages from such producers of fruit wines containing up to 13 per cent alcohol and producers of craft beers containing up to 12 per cent alcohol that are currently licensed to sell their own products at the place of production.

“The reform is a moderate step towards a European alcohol culture and regulation. In future, alcoholic beverages could be delivered to customers, for example, in connection with customers having their grocery shopping and food orders from restaurants delivered to their homes. This is about making everyday life easier and deregulating provisions. However, the legislative amendment would ensure that alcohol deliveries are implemented responsibly. Deliveries of alcoholic beverages would be subject to a licence and to monitoring. Selling or delivering alcoholic beverages to minors or intoxicated people would not be permitted,” said Minister of Social Security Sanni Grahn-Laasonen.

Following the legislative amendment, the Alcohol Act would include a new type of licence for deliveries of alcoholic beverages alongside retail sale and serving licences.

In addition, all operators delivering alcoholic beverages would be required to have a separate delivery passport. The holders of a delivery licence would also be required to have a self-supervision plan.

Alcoholic beverages purchased from domestic retail outlets could be delivered to recipients only between 9.00 and 21.00, while beverages ordered from Alko could be delivered within Alko's opening hours.

Selling or distributing alcoholic beverages to minors or heavily intoxicated persons would still be prohibited. When ordering alcoholic beverages online, buyers would be obligated to prove their age using strong electronic identification. In addition, the age of recipients would always be checked in a verifiable manner when the beverages are delivered to them. The authorities would monitor compliance with age limits through test purchases.

The Act would also specify the places where alcohol could not be delivered. Such places would include units providing healthcare and social welfare services, early education centres, comprehensive schools or leisure facilities for children and young people.

The delivery ban would also apply to restaurants, serving areas, public events under the Assembly Act and those premises and areas for which the police have issued a prohibition on the consumption of alcoholic beverages for the purpose of maintaining public order.