Export Controls

Firearm exemptions

The Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued the following General Consents for the export of strategic goods without the need for a permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

(I) Approvals for private persons to export certain firearms and ammunition (other than to the countries listed below)

Private persons may export up to five sporting firearms without a permit from MFAT in the following circumstances:

1. Persons taking their own sporting firearms overseas on a hunting holiday; or
2. Competitors in international shooting contests taking competition sporting firearms overseas for their own use; or
3. Tourists leaving New Zealand with firearms and/or parts of firearms they purchased in New Zealand. These firearms and/or parts must be for personal use and not for commercial purposes; or
4. Persons who have been in New Zealand on a hunting holiday may export their firearms and/or parts which they originally imported with a permit issued by the New Zealand Police; or
5. Persons who have been in New Zealand competing in a national or international shooting competition, or who are transiting New Zealand to attend or return from a competition in a third country may export their firearms and/or parts which they originally imported with a permit issued by the New Zealand Police; and
6. Persons exporting firearms covered by (a) to (e) above may export related ammunition and/or used cartridges. The ammunition/used cartridges must accompany the firearms (this approval does not permit the export of ammunition on its own).

Note: The above exemptions notwithstanding, all firearms manufactured 50 years or more ago require a separate export clearance from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Automatic firearms, MSSAs and restricted weapons are excluded from exemptions listed above.

Countries not covered by the above general consents to export

The above general consents to export do not apply to firearms being exported to the following countries with the exception of (I)(e) above, and ammunition/used cartridges related to (I)(e).

American Samoa	Cook Islands
Fiji	French Polynesia
Guam	Kiribati
Marshall Islands	Federated States of Micronesia
Nauru	New Caledonia
Niue	Palau
Papua New Guinea	Samoa
Solomon Islands	Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Tokelau	Tonga
Tuvalu	Vanuatu
Wallis and Futuna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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