Terms of Purchase and Cancellation

This policy has been last updated on 5 December 2022.

The following terms appear in the purchasing and cancellation policy:

Customer refers to the person who places the order, for example buys a permit. The Customer may purchase and reserve products for themselves and/or for other persons. The Customer is responsible for the order they have made, the information they have provided and the fees related to the order.
The permit user (the holder of the permit) is the person entitled to use the permit. The name of the user is marked on the permit. The Customer must provide the information of the permit user in connection with the order. The permit user and the Customer may also be the same person.
Permit refers to Metsähallitus's fishing, hunting and natural products permits in section A. In section B, the permit refers to all permits available in the Eräluvat online store. The conditions concerning the fisheries management fee in particular are discussed in section C, Metsähallitus off-road traffic permits in sections D-F and huts in section G.

Metsähallitus's hunting, fishing and off-road traffic permits are administrative decisions. Any person who is dissatisfied with a decision may may seek rectification from Metsähallitus within 30 days of being informed of the decision. Requests for rectification may be filed at Metsähallitus offices, by calling the Metsähallitus Eräluvat customer service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424 or via email at eraluvat(a)metsa.fi.

As a rule, Metsähallitus is not responsible for providing information on hunting and fishing seasons. Instead, the customer is obliged to check the times on official information channels, i.e. on the website of the Finnish Wildlife Agency www.riista.fi or on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry www.mmm.fi.

A. GENERAL PERMIT TERMS

B. ONLINE STORE AND MOBILE APP

C. FISHERIES MANAGEMENT FEES

D. TRACK PERMITS

E. OFF-TRACK PERMITS

F. OFF-ROAD TRAFFIC PERMITS FOR COMPANIES AND GROUPS

G. HUTS

A. General permit terms

1. Cancelling, changing or transferring an unpaid permit

A permit that has yet to be paid can be cancelled before the due date without a separate processing fee.

The Customer can cancel an unpaid permit ordered from the online store through the customer account, by calling Metsähallitus's Eräluvat service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424 or by sending an email to eraluvat(a)metsa.fi.

A permit ordered through the customer service can only be cancelled through the customer service, as an invoice is sent for these permits. Failure to pay for the reservation is not considered a cancellation.

If the unpaid permit is changed or transferred to another person before the due date, processing fee of EUR 13 will be charged for the change.

An unpaid licence cannot be cancelled, changed or transferred to another person after the payment due date.

2. Cancelling, changing or transferring an unpaid permit

A paid permit cannot be cancelled, changed or transferred to another person without force majeure.

In certain situations, the Customer has the right to cancel the permit and receive a refund equal to the amount paid, minus a 13 euro processing fee. The minimum refundable amount is 20 euros.

A personal permit may be cancelled if the Customer, the user of the permit or a close relative of the Customer or the permit user falls seriously ill, is involved in a serious accident or dies. Close relatives include spouses, commonlaw partners, children, parents, parents-in-law, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents. The permit may also be cancelled if the Customer or the permit user is involved in another unexpected and serious incident. Other unexpected and serious events include situations such as residential fires that cause substantial property damage. A serious incident does not include, for example, the illness or death of a dog or a car breaking down.

The cancellation must be made before the start of the permit period. If a permit is cancelled for the above-mentioned reasons after the permit’s period of validity has already begun, the Customer will receive no refund and the permit may not be transferred to another person.

The Customer must notify Metsähallitus of the cancellation without delay to the Eräluvat service number +358 20 69 2424 or by email to eraluvat(a)metsa.fi. The Customer shall as soon as possible provide credible proof explaining why the permit cannot be used. The reason must be provided no later than two weeks after its occurrence, unless meeting said deadline would be unreasonably difficult for the Customer. Credible proof includes a medical certificate from a physician or nurse, record of a police investigation or a statement from an insurance company. The report must be submitted to Metsähallitus at Metsähallitus, Wildlife Service Finland, P.O. Box 81, 90101 OULU.

3. Cancelling or transferring an angling permit in special circumstances

If water temperature at a fishing site rises over 21°C, Metsähallitus may temporarily suspend permit sales in order to safeguard natural salmonid populations. The sale of permits is always suspended for a certain period of time, after which the situation is reassessed.

If the angling permit has already been obtained for the period in question, the Customer may

transfer the angling permit to another free period within the fishing season of the current year if there is still permit quota left for that period. No separate fee is charged for the transfer. The transfer must be performed before the validity of the permit begins.
completely cancel the paid permit and get a refund. A processing fee of EUR 13 is charged for a cancellation. The cancellation must be performed before the validity of the permit begins.
fish with the permit they have paid for if they so wish. However, this is not recommended. Metsähallitus cannot unilaterally change or cancel a fishing permit without the consent of the Customer.

4. Collection of charges

Failure to pay for the reservation is not considered a cancellation. Outstanding claims are recoverable and enforceable.

In accordance with section 15 of the Act on Metsähallitus (234/2016) and section 11 of the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State (150/1992), the charge for a performance made by Metsähallitus under public law may be collected in the order specified in the Act on the Collection of Taxes and Charges in Execution Proceedings (367/61), without requiring a judgement or decision.

5. Registration, processing and disclosure of personal data

You can read the privacy statement for the Eräluvat services at verkkokauppa.eraluvat.fi/en/page/997/privacy-statement or request it by calling the Eräluvat service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424.

6. Reporting hunts

The permit user is obliged to report the amount of the catch immediately after the hunt has ended (section 46 of the Hunting Act). The catch information is reported online at saalispalaute.eraluvat.fi or using the form sent with the permit. The catch report from fishing activities is given as described in the permit terms of the permit area.

B. Online store and mobile application

The Customer is responsible for ensuring that before using the Eräluvat online store or mobile application, they have read the

documents and terms related to the permit itself,
the terms of use and privacy statement of the Eräluvat service and
these terms of purchase and cancellation.

When acquiring permits from the Eräluvat online store or mobile application, the Customer accepts all of these terms and conditions. If the Customer does not accept the above-mentioned terms and conditions, it is not possible to obtain permits through an online shop or mobile application.

The Customer accepts the terms by checking the box "I accept the terms of purchase” and then confirming the order (step 2). In step 3, the Customer pays for the order. The Customer accepts the permit and confirms that it is a binding purchase by paying for the order.

If the order differs from the explanation given above, the Customer shall call Metsähallitus Eräluvat customer service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424. The Customer shall be charged for unpaid permits even in cases in which the payment transaction was interrupted and the Customer failed to contact Metsähallitus despite this.

Metsähallitus does not guarantee that the Customer's order will be successful. The order may fail if the permit product in question runs out due to another order taking place at the same time. A system overload can also cause a malfunction that causes the order to fail. If a limited amount of the permit product requested by the Customer is available, Metsähallitus does not guarantee that the Customer will be granted a permit for the area and period for which they originally tried to purchase the permit.

Metsähallitus is not responsible for damages resulting from problems with use, service interruptions or other technical faults that impede the proper use of the online store or mobile app. The payment transaction and returning to the online store or mobile application takes place in a third-party service, the activities of which are not the responsibility of Metsähallitus. Metsähallitus is also not responsible for any indirect damage caused by the failure of the order.

In connection with the order, the Customer is personally responsible for obtaining the permit, permit terms, permit area description and map from the online store or mobile application. The system sends a confirmation email after a successful order to the email address that the Customer provided when registering or ordering. This confirmation is not required for a binding purchase, but rather the purchase and its payment obligation have already been made when the Customer accepts and confirms the order.

Metsähallitus personnel do not send invoices, confirmations or other similar information about an order made through an online store or mobile application to the Customer. The Customer shall be responsible for ensuring the payment for any permit in the online store whose status is "Awaiting payment". If the order awaiting online payment is not paid for by the due date, the order shall be automatically cancelled.

Paytrail Plc (2122839-7) works in cooperation with Finnish banks and credit institutions as the provider of the payment brokerage service for the online store and mobile application. For payments made with a Visa, Visa Electron or MasterCard, Paytrail Plc appears as the payment recipient on the card statement and transfers the payment to the permit provider, Metsähallitus. Paytrail Plc is a licensed payment institution.

C. Fisheries management fees

The general permit terms specified in section A shall apply to fisheries management fees, with the exception that no processing fee is charged for changes to fisheries management fees.

As stated in section 81 of the Fishing Act, Metsähallitus is not obliged to provide a new proof of the payment of the fisheries management fee to replace a lost one or to refund an erroneously paid fisheries management fee without special reason.

If the Customer has paid the annual fisheries management fee twice, the additional fee may be transferred to a person indicated by the Customer. If it is not possible to transfer the fisheries management fee to another person, the extra payment may be refunded.

If the short-term fisheries management fee has been paid twice, the fee may be transferred to another person or to another time period. The change must be made before the permit period begins.

D. Track permitS

Permits issued by Metsähallitus for off-road traffic on state-owned land are administrative decisions made in accordance with the Act on Metsähallitus (234/2016) and Off-Road Traffic Act (22.12.1995/1710). Any person who is dissatisfied with a decision may seek rectification from Metsähallitus within 30 days of being informed of the decision. Requests for rectification may be filed at Metsähallitus offices, by calling the Metsähallitus Eräluvat customer service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424) or via email ateraluvat(a)metsa.fi.

1. Cancelling an unpaid track permit

An unpaid personal track permit or family track permit may be cancelled before the permit period of validity begins without incurring any cancellation charges.

Failure to pay is not considered a cancellation.

2. Cancelling a paid track permit

The Customer purchasing a personal or family track permit is entitled to cancel a paid permit and receive compensation for the permit fee paid under the following conditions:

If the permit is cancelled before the permit’s period of validity begins, the Customer will be reimbursed for the price of the permit, minus charges for processing the cancellation.
If the cancellation is made after the validity of the permit has already begun, the fee will not be refunded.

In accordance with section 7 of the Decree on the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the cancellation of the paid permit.

If the charges incurred by cancellation of the permit are equal to or greater than the price paid for the permit, no compensation shall be paid.

Metsähallitus will not pay any compensation for amounts less than 20 euros.

3. Changing or transferring a track permit to another person

A personal track permit or family track permit may only be changed or transferred to another person before the permit period of validity begins. In accordance with section 7 of the Decree on the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the changing or transfer of the permit.

E. Off-track permits

1. Cancelling an unprocessed off-track permit application

If the Customer has applied for an off-track permit, it may be cancelled if the Customer cancels the permit before Metsähallitus has made a decision on the application (positive or negative). In accordance with section 7 of the Decree on the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the cancellation of the paid permit.

2. Cancellation of an off-track permit processed by Metsähallitus due to force majeure

As a rule, an off-track permit decision issued by Metsähallitus cannot be cancelled.

However, a permit may be cancelled if the Customer, the user of the permit or a close relative of the Customer or the permit user falls seriously ill, is involved in a serious accident or dies. Close relatives include spouses, commonlaw partners, children, parents, parents-in-law, siblings, grandchildren and grandparents. The permit may also be cancelled if the Customer or the permit user is involved in another unexpected and serious incident. Other unexpected and serious events include situations such as residential fires that cause substantial property damage. A serious incident does not include, for example, the illness or death of a dog or a car breaking down.

The Customer (or a party acting on behalf of the Customer) must notify Metsähallitus of the cancellation without delay by calling the Eräluvat service number at +358 (0)20 69 2424 or by email to eraluvat(a)metsa.fi. The Customer shall as soon as possible provide credible proof explaining why the permit cannot be used. The reason must be provided no later than two weeks after its occurrence, unless meeting said deadline would be unreasonably difficult for the Customer. Credible proof includes a medical certificate from a physician or nurse, record of a police investigation or a statement from an insurance company. The report must be submitted to Metsähallitus at Metsähallitus, Wildlife Service Finland, Cancellations, P.O. Box 81, 90101 OULU. In addition to the report, the letter must mention the permit that the cancellation applies to (permit number).

For an acceptable reason, the price paid for the cancelled permit shall be reimbursed minus the cancellation costs. In accordance with section 7 of the Decree of the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the cancellation of the permit which is at least EUR 13. The minimum refundable amount is 20 euros. If a permit is cancelled for the above-mentioned reasons after the permit period of validity has already begun, the Customer will receive no refund and the permit may not be transferred to another person.

3. Cancellation of an off-track permit processed by Metsähallitus without special reason

It is not possible to cancel an off-track permit decision (positive or negative) issued by Metsähallitus without a special reason mentioned in section 2.

Failure to pay for the permit decision is not considered a cancellation.

4. Changing or transferring an off-track permit processed by Metsähallitus to another person without special reason

It is not possible to change an off-track permit decision (positive or negative) issued by Metsähallitus without a special reason mentioned in section 2. The permit also cannot be transferred to another person.

F. Off-road permits for companies and groups

1. Cancellation of an unprocessed company or group permit

A company or group permit can be cancelled if the Customer cancels the permit before Metsähallitus has made a decision on the application (positive or negative). In accordance with section 7 of the Decree on the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the cancellation of the paid permit.

A company running off-road safaris records safari-specific off-road permits independently. It is not possible to cancel a safari-specific off-road permit after the permit has been registered.

2. Cancellation of a company or group permit processed by Metsähallitus

It is not possible to cancel a company or group permit when Metsähallitus has issued a decision on an off-road permit (positive or negative).

Failure to pay for the permit decision is not considered a cancellation.

3. Changing or transferring a company or group permit processed by Metsähallitus to another person

As a rule, a company or group permit decision issued by Metsähallitus (i.e. off-road permit/permit) cannot be changed or transferred to another person's name.

However, in the case of an off-road permit issued to employees of a company (except off-road safari companies), a club, a community, a training or research institute or to participants in an event organised by these parties where the price of the off-road permit is determined by the number of vehicles in use, the list of drivers may be amended. In accordance with section 7 of the Decree on the Ministry of the Environment (1156/2021), charges based on the amount of work performed in relation to the fee paid shall be levied for processing the transferring of the paid permit.

It is not possible to change a safari-specific off-road permit after the permit has been registered.

G. Huts

You can find the booking terms and conditions of Metsähallitus reservable and rental huts at www.nationalparks.fi/huts/termsofreservation.