How long you have to claim in each Nordic country

Updated 13 October 2026

Your flight was months ago, or even years, and you are wondering if it is too late to claim. EU261 itself sets no deadline. The EU Court left it to national law (Cuadrench Moré C-139/11), so the answer depends on the country. Each Nordic country also has a separate deadline for its complaint board.

The country that matters is usually the one whose law applies to your claim and whose board or court will hear it, which normally follows the flight. If in doubt, work to the shortest limit that could apply.

Finland

• Limitation: 3 years (Act on Limitation of Debts 728/2003).
• When it starts again: every written claim you send the airline restarts the 3 years. An airline's refusal restarts nothing. Count from your own latest written claim.
• Board stops the clock: filing with KRIL stops the clock while the case is pending.
• Too late: in D/1175/35/2020 a passenger lost because more than 3 years passed before the case reached KRIL.
• Claiming from the airline: KRIL treats a claim made within 5 months of the flight as on time (plenary D/4498/35/2018). Finnair keeps applying 2 months. See Finnair rejected your claim.

Sweden

• Claiming from the airline: you must claim within a reasonable time. A claim within 2 months is always in time (Supreme Court, NJA 2018 s. 127).
• About a year: ARN has said a claim more than 1 year after the flight is normally too late, unless you were not told about your rights. In the same decision a claim after 10 months was fine (ARN 2015-12185).
• ARN deadline: file with ARN within 1 year of your first complaint to the airline.
• General limitation: 10 years (preskriptionslagen 1981:130 § 2), but the reasonable-time rule above bites long before that.

Denmark

• Limitation: 3 years from the flight (forældelsesloven § 3).
• Trafikstyrelsen: takes cases up to 3 years old.
• Does a complaint stop the clock? It is unclear whether a complaint to Trafikstyrelsen suspends limitation. Do not rely on it. If the 3 years are close, consider court instead.

Norway

• Limitation: 3 years from the flight (foreldelsesloven § 2).
• Writing to the airline does not stop it. A board case or legal action does.
• Transportklagenemnda deadline: file within 1 year of your written complaint to the airline.

In practice

1. Claim in writing as soon as you can. Two months keeps you safe everywhere, including with Finnair.
2. Keep the dated copy of your first complaint. Sweden and Norway count board deadlines from it.
3. Do not wait for the airline forever. In Sweden and Norway you can go to the board after about 4 weeks without a final answer, in Denmark after 6 weeks. See airline not responding.
4. Use the right board. KRIL in Finland, ARN in Sweden, Trafikstyrelsen in Denmark, Transportklagenemnda in Norway. See the Nordic complaint boards.

When an old claim is worth it, and when not

Still worth trying: a Danish or Norwegian flight under 3 years old, or a Finnish flight where you have written to the airline within the last 3 years.

Weak: a Swedish flight more than a year ago where you had been told your rights and never claimed, or any Nordic claim where 3 years have passed with nothing filed.

Appeal My Flight checks the dates in your case and writes the claim and the board complaint for €29 per booking. You send it yourself and keep the payout.

FAQ

Does an email count as a written claim?

Yes, an email or the airline's online form counts. Keep a copy that shows the date.

The airline rejected me two years ago. Is it too late?

Not necessarily. In Denmark and Norway, check whether 3 years from the flight have passed. In Finland, count from your last written claim. In Sweden, the ARN deadline is 1 year from your first complaint.

Do the limits apply per passenger?

Yes. Each passenger has their own claim, so check the dates for everyone on the booking.