A sales vehicle or trailer is for example a food truck, that is registered as a motor vehicle or trailer. A sales vehicle or trailer does not have a permanent sales spot. Instead, the sales are mobile in nature. Signing a mobile sales agreement gives you permission to sell at designated sales spots and in the City of Helsinki's public areas, provided that you comply with the rules set for the activities.
Sign a mobile sales agreement
Submit an application for a mobile sales agreement via the City's online service or with a separate form. You can identify yourself through suomi.fi in order to log in to the service by using either a mobile ID or online banking credentials. You can sign an agreement for a minimum of one month. Please submit your application in good time. We aim to process your application within five business days. You can only start selling your goods once you have received a rental decision.
Use the online service
Fill in a form
Submit application by email
If you are unable to use the City's online service, please fill in the PDF form and send it by email to ulkoilma@hel.fi.
How much does the agreement cost?
- The monthly fee for the mobile sales agreement is €320 (+ VAT 25.5%).
Where can I sell my goods?
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See the maps for the sales spots and times in the centre area, Hakaniemi Market Square, Säästöpankinranta, Haaga Market Square and Pornaistenniemi.
Maps of the spots for mobile sales vehicles and trailers (PDF)
- There is a rota for the most popular sales spots. If you want to sell your goods in Asema-aukio Plaza, Kansalaistori Square, Simonpuistikko or Pornaistenniemi, sign up for the rota when filling in the application or by sending an email to ulkoilma@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) .
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In addition to the sales spots indicated on the maps, you can operate in almost all public areas of the city, provided that you follow traffic rules.
See the city's public areas in the Map Service(Link leads to external service)
The areas marked in solid green are public areas of the City of Helsinki, the striped areas are areas leased by the City and the white areas are private or state-owned areas.
- Furthermore, mobile sales vehicles and trailers are permitted to operate at the following beaches: Furuvik, Hevossalmi, Iso Kallahti, Munkkiniemi, Pakila, Palettilampi, Porvariskuninkaanpuisto, Puotila, Rastila, Tapaninvainio and Veijarivuori. Only one sales vehicle or trailer may operate on each beach at a time.
Please pay attention to the following
- Follow traffic and parking rules, be considerate of other people using the area and ensure safety and accessibility.
- Reserve at least two metres of street space for pedestrians on all sides of the sales vehicle or trailer.
- Sales vehicles and trailers are not permitted to operate in parks or on lawns.
- With a few exceptions, there are no electrical connections at the sales spots. You can find these spots on the map appendix. If there is an electricity distribution point in the area, the use of generators is prohibited.
- Electrical cables must not obstruct or endanger movement in the area. They must be suitable for outdoor use and protected by grounding.
- You may not make water or sewer connections at the sales spot. You must bring your own water and take your wastewater away with you. You may not pour anything into the city's sewers.
- If the area is being used for another purpose (e.g. an event), you will need permission from the event organiser to carry out your activities.
- There must always be an employee present at the sales vehicle or trailer. A brief absence is permitted to park the towing vehicle, for example. You may not leave your sales vehicle or trailer in a public area of the city after hours
Checklist for getting started
Establishing a sales vehicle or trailer involves many different steps. This list will help you check whether you have remembered to complete all of the necessary steps.
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Read the instructions for mobile sales
Before applying for a mobile sales agreement, please read the instructions for mobile sales.
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Enter your business in the Trade Register and obtain a Trade Register extract.
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Register the motor vehicle or trailer you plan to use for sales activities under your company's name.
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If you plan to sell food, register your vehicle or trailer as a food establishment and obtain a certificate of your registration from the ilppa.fi service.
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Apply for a mobile sales agreement
Submit your application for a mobile sales agreement preferably by filling in the form in the City’s online service (in Finnish)(Link leads to external service) . You can identify yourself through suomi.fi in order to log in to the service by using either a mobile ID or online banking credentials.
If you are unable to fill in the online form, please fill in the mobile sales application (PDF, in Finnish) and send it with the relevant attachments by email to ulkoilma@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program) .
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Application processing and rental decision/agreement
Once your application has been processed, you will receive a rental decision and the terms and conditions of the agreement.
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Right to use the area
You can start using the area at the start of the rental period. The right to use the area ends at the end of the rental period.
Frequently asked questions
A permit may not always be necessary. You may sell or distribute products from a bicycle or cart without a separate permit. The same applies to mopeds registered in class L1e or L2e. For more detailed instructions, see the page ‘Registration and notification obligations for outdoor food sales’.
When operating in an event area, a sales vehicle or trailer requires the event organiser’s permission. You can find events in the City of Helsinki Map Service(Link leads to external service) .
During periods of heavy snowfall, sales spots for mobile sales vehicles and trailers may be temporarily out of use. However, no refunds will be paid for mobile sales agreements that have already been signed, even if heavy snowfall causes obstacles.
The right to use a specific sales spot is primarily granted to the operator who is assigned to that spot according to the rota for that week. If an area features only one spot on the rota, the spot may only be used by one sales vehicle or trailer at a time. If a sales spot featured on the rota is not occupied, it can be used by any entrepreneur with a valid agreement.