Airsoft gun permit for Germany

Share your Berget "know-how" and what is necessary to be prepared for when going to Berget-games.
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EagleDriver
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Airsoft gun permit for Germany

Post by EagleDriver » 11 Jun 2011, 17:45

I will be flying to Berget with a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany. As my airsoft guns are automatic they are not legal to possess in Germany. There are several stories of people who have had their airsoft guns confiscated by the German police and even fined.

I read about the possibility of getting a permit which would allow a non-German to either fly or drive through Germany with a prohibited (airsoft) gun. But - I had a lot of trouble actually finding out how to get it. There is a PDF floating around online stating that you need a mitnahmeerlaubnis (permit) but it did not say who to talk to.

I contacted the German embassy in the United States, and although they responded quickly, they responded with the following:
Transport and Import of Weapons from the U.S. to the EU:

The regulations pertaining to the import of firearms and ammunition to Germany also apply to the transit of such objects through Germany to another EU member state or to a third country.
In these cases, a transport permit is required from the authorities responsible for the border crossing point.
If the weapons and/or ammunition are to be brought into another member state, this permit will generally require the prior consent of the affected member state.
A permit is generally needed to transport weapons and ammunition to/through the Federal Republic of Germany.
To this end, a written application is to be submitted to the competent regulatory agency prior to travel. (In case of air travel, the regulatory agency/weapons oversight authority at the point of entry)

You will find the competent regulatory agencies at:

http://www.ortsdienst.de/Ordnungsamt

The regulatory agency reviews the application and sends it by e-mail to the applicant.
The approved application entitles the applicant to transport, import, and transit with weapons and ammunition to/through the Federal Republic of Germany and is to be presented, unasked, to the German customs authorities upon entry into the country.
This transport, import, and transit permit is also needed for connecting flights to third countries (non-EU member states) when the weapons are being briefly handed over to the passenger by the airline at the German airport. This applies to the transit area itself as well as when leaving the transit area.
In case of some flights from the United States via Germany to other states, the traveler has to leave the transit area in Frankfurt when transferring because the baggage and weapons are not directly transferred to the connecting flight. The weapons are handed over to the traveler, the traveler then leaves the transit area and has to check in again. For this reason, the transport, import, and transit permit is absolutely necessary.
So since I have my layover at the Frankfurt Airport, I had to contact the Ordnungsamt for Frankfurt.

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.p ... lt]=102699

But it was not readily apparent which department within the Ordungsamt to contact. When I called I left a message but no one returned my calls. So I also decided to contact German Customs (Zoll.) After a few calls I was transferred to Dresden (their English speaking line is unavailable any more.) I was able to explain what I needed and I was given the direct number for the Team Leader for German weapons permits at the Ordnungsamt. Unfortunately, no matter when I called (I have to get up early to call Germany) I did not receive a call back. A little Google searching on the phone number brought up this page:

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.p ... lt]=102246

And so I started calling the other numbers. I did not find anyone who spoke English I was able to convey in my bad German what I needed. Within 5 minutes I received the permit application in E-mail. I submitted it and the following day I received my approved permit. It allows me to transport my airsoft guns specified on the permit and is even automatically extended if my flight is delayed. They needed my passport information, home address, flight numbers to and from Sweden, and the make/model/serial number/caliber of my airsoft guns. It was a very simple form to fill out. When I returned it via e-mail I also included a copy of my airline itinerary and a scanned copy of my passport.

The permit is titled "Erlaubnisschein Mitnahme vonWaffen und Munition in/durch die Bundesrepublik Deutschland."

So if you want to transport your airsoft weapons through Germany, you will need to get permission from the Ordnugsamt that controls the airport you will fly through. If you are driving, you will have to get a permit from both the Ornungsamt that you will enter Germany on your trip to Berget and also from the one that you will enter Germany on your trip back.

Search http://www.ortsdienst.de/Ordnungsamt to find the Ordnungsamt (you can also search on the city and with the word waffenangelegenheiten). It is the same department that issues permits for Germans who wish to own real firearms. You can also contact German Customs (Zoll) http://www.zoll.de/kontakt/index.html

The permit(s) comes in e-mail from a faxed copy. It must be presented to the German Customs even if they do not ask for it!

I hope this helps my fellow players!
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Post by ron the slayer » 11 Jun 2011, 18:20

it certainly does 8)
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Post by Peini » 12 Jun 2011, 05:42

It is the same department that issues permits for Germans who wish to own real firearms.
According to german law airsoft guns with a projectile energy of more than 0.5 J are equal to real firearms. That's also the reason why these airsoft guns have to be semi-automatic only, because full-automatic weapons in general are considered military weapons and are not allowed to be owned by a private person.
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Post by m4g1c14n » 13 Jun 2011, 21:35

If there schould be any problems when arriving in Germany, if you need it just contact me. I'm a nativ German and Swedish and will gladly help as translator if it is needed.
Due to work I will first arrive at Berget at 12 on the wednesday, but if you get stuck with some customs employees that speak no english, stangely there are a few of them :( you can give them my number to call if you want. If you're interested in this PM me and I'll give yo my number.
Maybe some German player more accustomed with the airsoft laws in Germany could offer this service. If not, feel free to contact me.
But let's hope it doesn't come to any of that this year.
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Post by EagleDriver » 19 Jul 2011, 23:40

Writeup about my permit experience:

1. Book flight

You will need your flight information in order to get a permit to transit Germany with airsoft weapons. The weapons must have an individual serial number marked on them. If they do not, consider having serial numbers stamped or engraved. Airsoft weapons with a serial number and the letter "F" in pentagon marking should not require a permit as this is the marking for Germany.

2. Obtain permit

You must contact the Ordnungsamt for the jurisdiction that you will enter Germany both for your arrival and departure flights to Stockholm. In my case, since I flew Washington to Frankfurt to Stockholm, and the reverse back, I only needed to contact the Frankfurt Ordnungsamt. I was able to call on the phone and had to ask for someone who spoke English. She was very helpful and within a few minutes she took my e-mail address and mailed me the permit application. The permit application is a Microsoft Word form where you enter in your information, passport information, flight information, and list the airsoft weapons. I received the approved form back in about 4 hours.

http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.p ... lt]=102246

Note: If you are driving through Germany, you will have to contact two different Ordnunsamt offices, each one being in the jurisdiction that you enter Germany on your way TO Berget and FROM Berget.

3. Obtain 4457

For persons bringing airsoft out of the US and back, a US Customs form 4457 ensures that you do not get charged import duties on them when you come back in. It is basically proof that you left with them and therefore did not buy them abroad. You will fill out the form and present it and the airsoft weapons to any US Customs office. If you do this on the day of the flight, add at least an hour to your checkin - because they can be pretty busy at times.

Note that other items like radios, etc. can also be declared on the form.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacat ... _items.xml

4. Pack

Pack your airsoft weapons in a hard sided locking gun case. The case should be less than 62 inches in linear dimension (length x width x height.) This is the US Airline standard for a normal sized bag. Anything larger than this is subject to an oversized bag fee, which can be up to $200 USD per bag, each way! In my case, I have two Magpul ACR's and I was able to get both to fit along with a pistol if I just left off the stock on one of the ACR's. The case should be lockable with actual padlocks, like Master locks. They should not be locked with TSA locks (the TSA does not want any liability with anything that looks like a real weapon...) Include a copy of the transit permit inside of the case.

5. Notify the airline

I called about two weeks out from my flight date to just let Lufthansa know that I was bringing an airsoft weapon covered by a transit permit. They noted this on my travel record.

6. Declare

Upon arrival at the airport, I checked in at the Lufthansa desk. I had to open the hard sided case and show that they were unloaded. They put a note in the case that says "firearms unloaded" and I locked the case. I then had to take just this case (not my other checked luggage) to the TSA for additional screening. Note that every airport in the USA is different about this. My normal airport in Baltimore just has the airline check to make sure the guns are unloaded and that is it. In Los Angeles, I have to wait until a TSA agent comes to the checkin counter. Give yourself a little extra time for this.

After dropping of the the TSA, it is put into the checked baggage and I did not have to do anything more with it.

On connecting in Frankfurt, I went through the Zoll (Customs) area and since the permit says that I have to show the permit unasked, I showed it to them. They did not care since I was not staying in Germany.

7. Pick up at Stockholm

I stockholm I just picked it up like a normal bag. It was at the "oversized" baggage area, even though it is not oversized.

8. Check at SAS counter

On my return, I had to check in with Lufthansa at the SAS counter. I declared the airsoft weapon and provided a copy of my permit. The agent had me lock the case, and he put two tags on it - one "weapon" tag (green tag with a white rifle on it) and a "must be personally delivered to passenger" tag. Then I had to hand carry it to a special screening area a few meters away.

9. Connection at FRA

In Frankfurt, I connected onto a United Airlines flight, and they do a lot of re-screening at the gate. An agent asked if I had checked any weapons and I provided my permit. They did a lot of "I have to check with a supervisor" stuff, and eventually let me into the gate area. They indicated that Lufthansa had already noted the "weapons" on my flight record, so everything was ok (my two weeks out phone call.)

11. Collect at baggage claim

Even thoug the tag applied to my case said that the case must be hand delivered to me, it was just on the luggage belt with all of my other bags.

12. Show 4457 to customs

US Customs saw that I had a "weapon" tag on my case and asked me to show my 4457. That was it.

Since it was going to cost me $400 USD ($150 to ship and $250 to return) plus the 60 EUR for Berget staff to collect my guns, it was well worth the little trouble to get the permit and check my airsoft guns in the airplane. I will definitely do that again when I go to my next Berget game!
Last edited by EagleDriver on 20 Jul 2011, 00:10, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by WhiteAce » 19 Jul 2011, 23:55

Thanks for the "review" EagleDriver"
I bet somebody will be able to find some good use of it!!!
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Post by Waldo » 20 Jul 2011, 02:29

EagleDriver wrote:
Airsoft weapons with a serial number and the letter "F" in pentagon marking should not require a permit as this is the marking for Germany.
But be careful. Some manufacturers just put the sign on their weapons. In this case the gun is still considered an illegal weapon. To be legal the weapon needs a mark wich shows the F, the name of the model, caliber and the importer (something like "F G&G M4 6mm BB K&Z").

The marks are only legal if the weapon/ the weapon series was tested by the Beschussamt (very loose translation: Testfireing Authority) and the weapon follows german laws. So in most cases when you buy an "F"ed weapon from somewhere else but Germany: be carefull with our custom-guys
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Post by Para » 11 Jun 2012, 17:29

I bump this thread for a quick question.

Which specific Ordnungsamt office i'll have to contact in order to get the permit?

We will enter Germany through Bavaria. Do we need to ask the Ordnungsamt office of Flensburg (which is the most near to our travel) or from the Bavaria Region itself?


We will have to show the permit at the border or just in case the police would ask it to me inside Germany?

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Post by Waldo » 11 Jun 2012, 19:42

you need the ordnungsamt from where you are crossing the borders. In the north itis probaply flensburg, but i don't know the right one gor bavaria. You have to show the permit when you are stoped by officials.
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Post by Para » 12 Jun 2012, 10:56

Waldo wrote:you need the ordnungsamt from where you are crossing the borders. In the north itis probaply flensburg, but i don't know the right one gor bavaria. You have to show the permit when you are stoped by officials.
Thanks, in the meantime i've contacted every Ordnungsamt available but with no avail.

I fear that bureaucracy is the same s..t as everywhere! :evil:

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Post by Waldo » 12 Jun 2012, 12:16

Para wrote:
Waldo wrote:you need the ordnungsamt from where you are crossing the borders. In the north itis probaply flensburg, but i don't know the right one gor bavaria. You have to show the permit when you are stoped by officials.
Thanks, in the meantime i've contacted every Ordnungsamt available but with no avail.

I fear that bureaucracy is the same s..t as everywhere! :evil:
:D It is Germany...we invented the bureaucracy :P
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Post by Para » 13 Jun 2012, 15:00

I hate to bother you again, but the Ordnungsamt in Flensburg responded in a strange manner to me.

I asked them if it was possible to receive the permit via e-mail like EagleDriver.
I tried to translate it but their proposition is still strange to me.

"
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

eine Erlaubnis zur Durchfuhr von Waffen und Munition muss die Waffenbehörde ausstellen, wo der Antragssteller die Bundesrepublik Deutschland betritt.

Wir bitten um Kenntnisnahme.






Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Im Auftrag
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Telefon: 0461/85-1681, Fax: 0461/85-2992
E-Mail: Schmidt.Kai@Stadt.Flensburg.de
Bürgerservice, Schutz, Ordnung
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Stadt Flensburg
Der Oberbürgermeister
24931 Flensburg
"

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Post by Waldo » 13 Jun 2012, 15:07

Okay...that means that you have to contact the ordnungsamt at the place where you will enter Germany. Contact the ordnungsamt that is nearest to your entering point, and you should get the permit asap.
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Post by Para » 13 Jun 2012, 17:28

Waldo wrote:Okay...that means that you have to contact the ordnungsamt at the place where you will enter Germany. Contact the ordnungsamt that is nearest to your entering point, and you should get the permit asap.
But...Flensburg IS the nearest Ordnungsamt to my entry point!

Okay, i will try to explain myself better! :P

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Post by Waldo » 13 Jun 2012, 18:31

That is in case strange. The Ordnungsamt for your travel to Sweden should be Rosenheim and the from sweden Flensburg.
E-Mail:ordnungsverwaltung@flensburg.de
Öffnungszeiten:Montag - Freitag 08:30 - 12:00 Uhr
Donnerstag 14:00 - 17:30 Uhr

Mitarbeiter

Name:Mitarbeiter/in
Raum:713 und 712
Telefon:0461 85 1681
0461 85 2386
This are the contact details for the FB 1.2 Ordnungs- und Gewerbeverwaltung in Flensburg. they are responsible for the permit on your way back.
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