Weapons and ammunition - apply for permission to take them with you

Prerequisites

If you want to take weapons and ammunition with you to Germany, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must demonstrate the need for why you want to take weapons and ammunition with you.
• You must be of legal age.
• They must be reliable under gun law. This means that possible convictions must be more than 10 years ago and membership in organizations banned in Germany must be more than 5 years ago.
• They must be personally suitable. This means that you must be legally competent, you must not be an alcoholic or moronic.
• You must have sufficient expertise in handling weapons and ammunition.

Documents required

• Identity card or passport (copy)
• if you bring it to Germany from an EU member state, from Switzerland, from Liechtenstein or from Iceland
  • European firearms passport (copy)
• when brought to Germany from a third country
  • Official documents with German translation to prove your needs, reliability, personal suitability and expertise
• when taking it from Germany to an EU member state, Switzerland, Liechtenstein or Iceland
  • European firearms passport (copy)
  • Weapon ownership card (WBK) (copy)
  • Consent from the state (if required) or proof that consent is not required

Please note

Due to many telephone inquiries, we are sometimes difficult to reach by telephone.

All firearms and hunting law matters can also be handled in writing
to be edited. Applications as well as hunting and weapons law documents can be sent by post,
Email or by putting it in your home mailbox.

Due to the current situation, processing at the hunting and weapons authority may take several months.
We ask for your patience and will get back to you without being asked.

Procedure

You must apply for permission to take firearms or ammunition with you from the relevant weapons authority. Submit the application along with the required documents.

The weapons authority will grant you permission if you meet the necessary requirements.

Legal basis

§ 32 Weapons Act (WaffG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/waffg_2002/__32.html


§ 30 General Weapons Act Ordinance (AWaffV)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/awaffv/__30.html

In order to be allowed to take weapons into Germany, you must prove your need, your reliability under weapons law, your personal suitability and expertise. If you are a citizen of an EU member state as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland, the European Firearms Passport is sufficient as proof. As a citizen of a third country, you can provide evidence using meaningful official documents from your home country with a German translation. If you, as a citizen of a third country, cannot provide information about weapons and ammunition when submitting your application, you must do so upon entry at the latest.
You must always state the reason why you want to temporarily take weapons and ammunition with you to Germany, for example an invitation to hunt, to a shooting competition or to a traditional event.
For example, if you are submitting the application for a shooting sports team, you can enter the names of all participants on a separate sheet and attach them to the application. The permit is then granted to all applicants together.
You do not need a permit if you come from an EU member state or from Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland

• As a hunter, up to 3 long guns and the associated ammunition,
• As a sports shooter, you have up to 6 firearms and the associated ammunition
• As a traditional shooter, you have up to 3 single-loader or repeating long guns and the associated ammunition

want to take with you to Germany. However, the weapons you take with you must be recorded in your European Firearms Passport. As a citizen of a third country, you do not have to prove that you are of legal age or have expertise in these cases.
You do not need a European Firearms Pass if you, as a sport shooter or traditional shooter, want to take certain weapons with you from Austria to Bavaria or vice versa.
You also do not need permission to take weapons and ammunition into Germany if you

• Take weapons and ammunition with you that you have permission to purchase and possess (weapons ownership card - WBK),
• carry signal weapons and associated ammunition on board ships for safety reasons or
• Carrying weapons and ammunition on board a ship or aircraft that are always kept under lock and key in Germany. These weapons and ammunition must be reported to the responsible authority immediately and must be re-exported from Germany within one month at the latest.

If you want to take weapons and ammunition from Germany to an EU member state, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland, you need

• permission to purchase and possess weapons and ammunition (weapons ownership card - WBK),
• a European Firearms Passport containing the weapons you want to take with you
  as well as
• the consent of the country to which you want to take the weapons and ammunition or credible proof that no authorization is required.

You must also ensure the safe transport of weapons and ammunition. You can also hire a shipping company for this. Before taking it with you, you should find out about the conditions in the state under which it is permitted or not permitted.
If you want to take weapons and ammunition from Germany to a third country, you do not need a German permit. Here too, before taking it with you, you should find out about the conditions of the state under which it is permitted or not permitted.