Shopping in Alko's storesWho can buy?

Who can buy at Alko?

Alko acts responsibly by ensuring that the legal age limits for buying alcohol are observed. We require all young people to prove their age when shopping at Alko. Thank you for showing us your ID.

Age limits for buying alcohol

Alko acts responsibly by ensuring that the legal age limits for buying alcohol are observed. We require all young people to prove their age when shopping at Alko.

  • 18-year-old can buy alcoholic beverages with a max. 22% alcohol content.

  • 20-year-old can buy all alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol is not sold to minors or someone who acts in a disorderly manner or is cleary intoxicated. Also we do not sell products to customers who are accompanied by an intoxicated person, if there is reason to suspect that they are buying alcohol for the person in question.

Proving you age: which ID's are accepted?

We accept only the following, valid documents in impeccable condition in which the photograph matches your current appearance:

Passport

  • Finnish or any other passport
  • Seaman's, alien's or diplomatic passport, refugee travel document or recidence permit

Driver's licence

  • Driver's licence (not digital) of EU, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, the United States of America or Ukraine
  • Motorcycle, tractor, moped or moped car/quadricycle driving licence

Identity card

  • Photo identity card or temporary photo identity card of EU, Schengen, Ukraine or United Kingdom
  • Identity card for minor

Other

  • Norwegian or Swedish bank card with photograph (not digital)

Social insurance cards with photo, student cards and military IDs are not accepted.

*) Authorization services of the authorities have been severely congested in some places due to e.g. on the need to renew identity cards expired during the corona period. For this reason, the identity and age could temporarily be proved with a passport up to one year old or with another identity card accepted by Alko. The policy was based on the Police authentication practice and was valid until 31 August 2023.

We check the age of everyone in a group

  • Whether you are shopping alone or in a group, we will check the age of all customers who look younger than 30.

  • Any young people shopping as a group must be of legal age.

Don't buy for others

If Alko staff suspect that alcoholic beverages are being bought for minor, staff is legally obliged to refuse to sell, even if the buyer is of legal age. Suspicion of buying for others may arise e.g.:

  • One member of a group shopping is minor or cannot prove that they are of legal age.
  • A buyer of legal age leaves a group of minors.
  • A minor chooses a product and gives it to a person of legal age to buy.
  • Based on the nature and amount of products suspicion is raised, that a customer is not buying the products for their own use.
Please note also
  • You must be at least 18 years of age to be able to buy an Gift Card.
  • To minors, we only sell auxiliary products and soft drinks. We do not sell any completely non-alcoholic or low-alcohol products to under 18s. This decision is based on the shared policy agreed on by the retail industry and Valvira.
  • We require all customers to prove their age and identity when shopping at our online shop.
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