EU Travel with Firearms

[Loki]

Hiya All

 

I would be grateful for guidance/advice from fellow PWs who have travelled to/back from France recently. The BASC website is not clear/simple enough for me.

 

What has to be done this side and/or the other end with a EU Firearms Pass if driving to France with a sporting rifle & ammunition?

 

Anything else to be aware/wary of?

 

 

Likewise, if flying back with Easyjet what are the important things to do/be aware of both ends?

 

Any hidden costs that come out of the woodwork?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Cheers

[PhilR]

I've given up flying to European destinations now with shotguns. I drive instead although it might be dearer I'm in my own car, I've got my own ammo and I'm not saddled with baggage restrictions etc. I don't have to deal with jobsworths with clip boards at airline desks in this country or customs/ police who don't know what they're supposed to be checking (East Midlands is best, the police there are on the ball), endless delays then going through the whole palaver again checking the gun in with the customs/police at the destination this time using the Euro Permit and then the aggro with hiring a car.

 

Eurotunnel, there's no problem when you roll up at the check in booths if they're manned tell the person you've got a sporting firearm to declare, if automated drive through to the first customs check and tell them, they'll pull you over and sometimes check the serial number to your SGC and sometimes just log down your SGC details. Easy peasy and no problem with ammo.

 

Ferries are usually happy with guns some want to know in advance, ammo they prefer not to carry it. Check the booking conditions as there's variations between carriers. There's no declaring the guns once you've done it this side.

 

Coming back into the UK from France you should declare the guns back in. There's no cross border checks say from France into any adjoining country except the UK. Travelling through Switzerland to Italy, as they're not in the EU, the Swiss customs/police can be a bit arsy about the guns if you bother to declare them.

 

Easyjet you have to pay up front for each weapon carried, on each leg of the journey including inter connecting flights. They introduced a little trick this summer so that you can't carry two shotguns in one case. My pals from NI were putting two guns in one case and paying for just one gun, but they got caught out in August and had to leave one gun at Belfast because they hadn't got another guncase to bring it over in. Airlines don't like carrying ammo either. Check the booking conditions carefully, when Ryanair stopped carrying guns they caught a lot of regular flying shooters out with the change.

 

The Euro Permit is recognised in every European country except here! Some French friends come over here for pigeon shooting, not with me, and they tell me they don't bother declaring their guns as they've got the Euro Permit. I've tried telling them they're in the mire if they get caught by our Police or Customs but all I get is the Gallic shrug from them.

 

Phil

Edited October 29, 2010 by philr

[shootreview]

Thats good to know because i was allways under the impression you had to have a european firearms pass type thing.

[PhilR]

You do have to have a Euro Permit to travel in Europe with a firearm. When flying the check in the UK is done against your UK documents. Arrival at the European airport the check is done against your Euro Permit. The reverse process for the return journey home.