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European firearms pass; application
If you want to take your firearms with you within the European Union (EU) or to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, you will need a European firearms pass.
Responsible for you
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Procedure details
Description
The European firearms pass allows holders of firearms possession cards to temporarily take weapons and ammunition with them when visiting another EU member state or Schengen state. It only allows short-term, cross-border transportation of your weapons for a purpose that is covered by your legal firearms requirements (e.g. hunting trip, participation in a shooting event).
The European firearms pass is valid for 5 years and can be extended twice for 5 years at a time.
Only weapons for which you have a valid permit to purchase and possess (gun ownership card) are entered in your European Firearms Pass. A maximum of 10 weapons can be entered in the European Firearms Pass.
You may take the corresponding ammunition with you for the registered weapons, but only as much as you are likely to need. Experience has shown that you will need less ammunition as a hunter than as a sport shooter.
Not every weapon that is registered in the European Firearms Pass may automatically be taken abroad. The respective firearms regulations of the host country and all countries through which you are traveling must be observed. Appropriate permits from countries to be visited must be obtained in advance. Therefore, please inform yourself comprehensively about the firearms regulations applicable in the respective countries before your trip.
In addition to the European firearms pass, you must also carry an identification document and the firearms ownership card in which the firearms are registered. It is also advisable to carry an invitation from the hunting club or the hunting license for the country or confirmation of registration for a shooting competition.
The European firearms pass is not an import document and does not entitle you to take firearms or ammunition abroad permanently. You will need other permits for this.
Requirements
You must have a valid permit for the acquisition and possession of the weapons (e.g. weapons possession card) that are to be entered in the European firearms pass.
Required documents
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Identity card or passport (copy)
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Weapons possession card
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current photograph (not older than 1 year, at least 45 x 35 millimeters in size, with a light background)
Proceedings
You must apply for the European firearms pass at the competent firearms authority. Submit the application together with the required documents.
The firearms authority will issue you with the European firearms pass if you meet the necessary requirements.
Fees
50,00 EUR
Deadlines
none
Special notes
You can use the NWR identification numbers (NWR ID) to complete the application more quickly:
- Your personal NWR ID (P or F NWR ID) for your personal details
- the permit NWR ID for the firearms permit (E-NWR ID)
- the weapon or weapon part NWR ID (W or T NWR ID).
You can obtain the NWR IDs on request from the relevant weapons authority.
Legal bases
Appeal
Administrative court action
Related issues
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European firearms pass; application for an extensionIf your European firearms pass expires, you must have it extended.
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Green firearms possession card for individual persons; application
If you wish to acquire and possess weapons and/or ammunition that require a permit, you must apply for a permit from the relevant weapons authority.
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Small firearms license; application
If you wish to carry alarm, irritant and signal weapons with the approval mark of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in public, you must first apply for a small firearms license.
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Shooting permit; application
You must apply for a permit if you want to shoot with a firearm requiring a permit or without a permit. In particular, hunters are exempt when hunting and marksmen when shooting at authorized shooting ranges.
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Shooting range; application for an operating licenseA permit is required to operate a shooting range.
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Weapons; General informationThe handling of weapons - acquisition, possession, carrying, transportation, transfer, manufacture, handling, etc. - is either free, subject to an age requirement, subject to a permit or generally prohibited. The acquisition and possession of ammunition is similarly regulated.
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Weapons; notification of the acquisition of a weapon requiring a permit
If you acquire a firearm that requires a permit or transfer it to someone else, you must notify the competent authority within two weeks.
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Weapons and ammunition; application for a permit to bring them into, through or out of the Federal Republic of Germany
Do you want to permanently export weapons or ammunition from Germany to other countries, permanently import them into Germany or transport them through Germany? Then you need a permit.
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Arms trade; application for a permit
If you want to buy and sell firearms or ammunition, you need a firearms trading license.
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Weapons manufacture; application for a permit
If you want to manufacture, process or repair firearms or ammunition, you need a firearms manufacturing license.
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Weapons testing; implementationThe Bavarian Proof House carries out the inspection of firearms for civilian use as part of its sovereign duties. This is purely a safety check, in which each individual weapon is checked by the employees of the Proof House.
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Firearms license; application
If you want to carry a firearm in public, you must first apply for a firearms license.
Status: 25.03.2025
Editorial responsibility Bayerisches Staatsministerium des Innern, für Sport und Integration
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