Importing air rifle from UK into an EU country - advice

[Cumbrian]

My son, who is half Latvian (on his mother's side) and has a Latvian passport, as well as his UK one,  and a small farm in Latvia  (but is not a Latvian national), wishes to take an air rifle to shoot rats etc on the farm when he is eventually allowed to go to Latvia for an experimental stay of a few months. I can get him a good air rifle here but what are his chances/ problems of importing it into Latvia?

Grateful for any advice.

[panoma1]

I don’t know..........but maybe enquire at the Latvian Embassy?

[Cumbrian]

Yes, indeed. The official enquiry might take some time, however, so I was wondering if anyone had direct experience of this little problem in a European-wide sense, though I admit that individual countries might have different rules if there is not some EU - wide directive on the subject.

Of course, with theoretically open EU borders pre - and, (please God)  - post the Chinese-virus shut down, he ought to be able to drive through unchecked, provided he can find a suitable route; when I travelled to Latvia, by rail admittedly, some 30 years ago, I had to go via Byelorussia , which was, and, presumably still is, a very, very different kettle of fish for the traveller from any EU country. There is a sea route via Sweden. 

[Scully]

Can he not buy an air rifle in Latvia? 

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, there are quite a few gun shops in Riga, he could send an email,

[Cumbrian]

Thank you both - good suggestions in theory, but I have no idea of what is available in Riga - it might be Chinese rubbish, and my son has no idea of how to judge any gun, let alone a scope.  I would much prefer to equip him before he sets out, if possible. Actually, now that you mention a purchase in Latvia, I would prefer him to buy a .22 LR if he is buy anything there, though there again he is fairly clueless, as I say. I am sure that even a rimfire would be more difficult to export than an air rifle.

Roger