Weapons and ammunition

The German Weapons Act covers firearms, similarly classified items, certain portable items, and ammunition (Annex 1 Part 1 Weapons Act).

The transfer or carriage of weapons from a non-EU country

Transfer means the transportation of a weapon or ammunition across a border with the intention of leaving it abroad or changing its ownership (through sale, for example).

Carriage means bringing firearms and ammunition temporarily across a border with the intention of using them abroad (in a competition, for example) but without relinquishing possession of them.

Such a licence must have been issued by the competent German weapons authority prior to the transfer or carriage of the items into Germany. The requirement also applies to any weapons that you may have had with you when exiting Germany.

Should you intend to transfer or take firearms and ammunition to Germany you would be well advised to inquire about the current regulations in good time ahead of your journey.

Prohibited weapons and ammunition

You should be aware of the fact that the movement or transfer into Germany of weapons that are freely available abroad is only permitted under certain conditions or may be banned. The illegal transfer or movement of firearms and ammunition into Germany is punishable with imprisonment for up to five years, and, in particularly serious cases, for up to ten years.

Weapons and ammunition banned under Annex 2 Part 1 of the Weapons Act include:

• fully automatic firearms (submachine guns and automatic rifles)
• butterfly knives, fist knives, flick knives
• steel rods, clubs, and knuckledusters
• star-shaped discs (throwing stars) unless designed solely for decoration, that is, not presenting any hazard of inflicting injury
• choking weapons (known as nunchakus or soft nunchakus)
• precision catapults, and associated wrist supports and similar devices

• replacement magazines intended for firearms and magazine boxes for replacement magazines:

  • for centrefire ammunition handguns capable of accepting more than 20 cartridges of the smallest calibre that the manufacturer specifies can be used for its intended purpose
  • for long firearms for centrefire ammunition, which can hold more than 10 cartridges of the smallest calibre that can be used as intended according to the manufacturer's specifications; a replacement magazine that can be used in both short firearms and long firearms is considered to be a magazine for short firearms unless the owner also has a permit to possess a long firearm in which the magazine can be used

Transfer or carriage not requiring an authorisation

Adults may transfer or carry certain weapons and ammunition into Germany without an authorisation.
For example, the transfer or carriage of the following without authorisation is permitted:

• Compressed air weapons, spring-operated weapons, and weapons, such as air rifles for sale to the general public, the projectiles of which are propelled by a cold propellant gas, as well as soft-air and paintball weapons which impart no more than 7.5 joules to the projectile and which bear the approval mark of an "F" in a pentagon
• Guns firing blank or irritant cartridges, or signal guns which conform to an approved type pursuant to Section 8 of the Test Firing Act and which - including their ammunition - bear the "PTB" mark or which comply with the legislation of another EU Member State which it has notified to the European Commission in accordance with Art. 4 Para. 2 of the Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2019/69 of 16 January 2019 laying down technical specifications for alarm and signal weapons unter Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons as a measure implementing that Directive
• Crossbows

The involvement of the Customs Administration

While the issue of permits or authorizations under firearms legislation falls within the area of competence of municipal public affairs offices, district administrations, or the district police authorities, the customs administration monitors the movement of goods on the external borders of the European Union and domestically by means of mobile inspections pursuant to Section 33 of the Weapons Act. When transferring or carrying firearms and ammunition into or through Germany they must always be declared to the customs office, and presented as necessary. The non-observance of firearms legislation is always followed by the initiation of a criminal justice procedure and the confiscation of the imported objects, firearms, or ammunition.

Further Information

The relevant administrative authorities (city or municipal public affairs office, district administration) can answer any questions you may have relating to firearms licenses or the transfer or carriage of firearms and ammunition. For individuals who are not resident in Germany the competent authority for the issue of the authorisation to transfer or import firearms is:

• the authority (city or municipal public affairs office, district administration) in whose district the individual(s) concerned will be, or intend to be staying (for example, the district where the hunt or event will take place), or
• insofar as this - in the case of transit, for example - cannot be precisely specified, in the district in which the border is crossed.

Competent authorities in terms of weapons legislation