Finland

People of all nationalities have the right to enjoy the Finnish countryside freely under the traditional Finnish legal concept known as everyman's right. However, long with these wide-ranging rights comes the responsibility to respect nature, other people, and property. Special regulations the protected areas additionally limit activities such as hunting, the use of motor vehicles, and access to sensitive areas during the nesting season. Such restrictions are listed separately for each area. You may contact the customer service points to get more information on hunting and fishing licences and about hiking in the wilderness.

The list below summarises the main rights and responsibilities within everyman’s right:

One may

• walk, ski or cycle freely, except very near people’s homes, or in fields and plantations which could easily be damaged.
• camp out temporarily, a reasonable distance from homes
• pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species
• fish with a rod and line
• use boats, swim or bathe in inland waters and the sea
• walk, ski, or drive a motor vehicle or fish on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea.

One may not

• disturb people or damage property
• disturb reindeer, game, breeding birds, their nests or young
• let pets off lead
• cut down or damage trees
• collect moss, lichen or fallen trees from other people’s property
• disturb people’s privacy by camping too near them or making too much noise
• leave litter
• drive motor vehicles off road without the landowner’s permission
• hunt without the relevant permits
• fish with nets, traps, or a reel and lure without the relevant permits

Norway

The public right of access (Allemannsretten = everyman's rights) entitles everyone to hike and camp in the Norwegian countryside. The public right of access gives one the right to go hiking or skiing in forests and mountains, cycle and ride on paths and tracks and use motorless boats on rivers and lakes. The public right of access does not apply to the use of motor vehicles. Special rules and regulations apply in national parks and other nature protection areas. These regulations are listed separately for each protected area.

The public right of access basically only applies to uncultivated land and cultivated land when the land is frozen or covered by snow. Uncultivated land in Norway includes lakes, beaches, marshes, forests and mountains. Cultivated land includes cultivated fields, gardens, farmyards, and plots around houses. In other words, one does not have the right to go onto other people's cultivated land.

One can walk and ski anywhere one wishes and camp anywhere on uncultivated land. One can spend the night under the open sky or put up a tent, though not closer than 150 metres to a house or cottage. If one would like to spend more then 48 hours in the same place, one must ask the landowner's permission.

One also has responsibilities when exercising the public right of access. One must not harm animals, the vegetation or the countryside. One must tidy up after oneself and not leave any rubbish behind. One must also be careful when lighting fires. It is forbidden to light fires in forests or near forests during the period 15th April - 15th September.

In most places one can pick berries, mushrooms and flowers.

Fishing and hunting always require special licenses.