Test, material and training

Test, material and training

In need of a Hygiene Passport? Find a suitable test time and sign up! Before the test you can either study online or order a book.

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Hygiene Passport

  • The Hygiene Passport is a certificate to prove a person's hygiene proficiency. The purpose of the Hygiene Passport is to promote general food safety. A person working in the food industry must know how to handle food in a safe and hygienic way.
  • According to the Finnish Food Act, a Hygiene Passport is required if a person is handling unpackaged and perishable foods. A café, restaurant, canteen, kiosk, fast food restaurant, food shop, kindergarten or food processing factory are examples of workplaces where a Hygiene Passport is required
  • The Hygiene Passport must be obtained within three months of starting work. These three months are calculated retroactively to also include such prior work in the food business, where a Hygiene Passport is required.
  • The Hygiene Passport is valid until further notice. This means that the Hygiene Passport will not expire, unless a change in the law later changes the situation.

Find a suitable test time and register to one of our Hygiene Passport tests!


Information about Hygiene Passport test

  • The Hygiene Passport test consists of 40 true/false statements. To pass the Hygiene Passport test, a minimum score of 34/40 is required. The statements involve various sections of food hygiene. The person being tested marks an X in a box either for "true" or "false", depending on whether the person agrees with the statement or not. There are both positive statements (of the type "one thing affects something") and negative statements (of the type "one thing does not affect something”).
  • The test has to be done independently in a test room supervised by a Hygiene Passport test instructor. The Hygiene Passport test cannot be done online or remotely.
  • Time allocated for answering the statements is 45 minutes for a normal test (in Finnish/Swedish/English). The test time for a special situation test is unlimited. You may leave the test room at the earliest 20 minutes after the start of the test.
  • When answering the Hygiene Passport test, a blue ballpoint pen is used to ensure that the test results are permanent and can be archived. Name and date of birth have to be written clearly with capital letters.
  • Using any kind of assistance, studying material, notes, dictionaries or talking to another testee is not allowed during the Hygiene Passport test. Please remember to ask all possible questions from the instructor before the test starts. Failure to follow these instructions will be grounds for failing the test and for removal from the test room.


Before the Hygiene Passport test

  • Please arrive to the test place on time, at least 15 minutes before the test starts. If you are late, it's possible to attend the test when the test has been running under 20 minutes.
  • Please bring an official ID with you to the test. This must be an original identity document that has a photograph and is valid. Please read below the approved forms of identification.


Approved forms of identification

You are required to identify yourself when taking a hygiene passport test. Approved ways include:

  • An identification with a picture approved by an official (police) including an official identification card, passport and driver's license (a moped license is also acceptable)
  • A Finnish KELA card with a picture
  • An alien's passport and a refugee travel document
  • A stamped document, given by the police or Finnish Border Guard, which proves your passport is in the possession of an official. The document must include a copy of the passport.
  • Accepted by immigration office refugee, asylum seeker or other immigrant residence permit and resident card

Examples of forms of identification that are not approved

  • An expired driver's license, passport or identification card
  • A Finnish reservist card, also known as a "soldier's passport"
  • A customer card for a reception centre
  • Copies of a passport, identification card or other such documents
  • Forms of identification that are missing your entire name, entire social security number or which have a picture that is easy to change


    After the Hygiene Passport test

    • After the Hygiene Passport test, the instructor will first order your Hygiene Passport from Finnish Food Authority. The instructor will receive the Hygiene Passport, sign the certificate and post it to you within 4–6 weeks. You can request a temporary certificate from the instructor to be sent to your email.
    • If there comes a situation that you don't pass the test, you can register for a renewal test by using the same Hygienepassport.fi account you have used for signing in before. The renewal test is cheaper than the first Hygiene Passport test. Please see the prices and the upcoming tests from the test registration page.


    Get ready for your Hygiene Passport test

    • We recommend that you familiarize yourself thoroughly with the food hygiene subfields (listed below) and food vocabulary before taking the Hygiene Passport.

    Hygienepassport.fi offers three different ways to practice:

    1. Written material can be ordered in several languages from Hygienepassport.fi online store. We offer physical books in FinnishSwedishEnglishArabicThaiSpanishChineseTurkish and Russian languages.
    2. Book a time for an online studying session with a test instructor
    3. Use our online service Trainify.fi where you can practice for the test anywhere, anytime. You can find instructions for activating the Trainify.fi service here.

    Please see also other material and links through our Material page.


    Food hygiene expertise mainly consists of the following seven subfields:

    1. Microbiology
    2. Food Poisonings
    3. Hygienic Work Practices
    4. Personal Hygiene
    5. Sanitation
    6. Own-check Practices at Food Premises
    7. Finnish Food Legislation and Authorities


    Information in different languages about Hygiene Passport and Hygiene Passport test

    Please read additional information in different languages about Hygiene Passport and Hygiene Passport test by clicking suitable language below.


    Read more about the legislation and regulation related to hygiene passports:


    Order a tester to a location of your choice

    If you are unable to attend a regular Hygiene Passport test or if you are arranging a testing for a group of people, the tester may also come to a specific location that you have assigned. However, the location has to be approved by the tester before the Hygiene Passport test can be arranged. Read more here.


    Contact us

    For more information, please contact our customer service team by phone: 0400 809 009 or email: info@hygienepassport.fi


    Visit also

    Sign-up for a Hygiene Passport test!
    Self-study material
    Frequently asked questions