Traveling with airsoft gun to the UK

Matqo

Hello, I am traveling to England during summer via ferry and since Im going to play airsoft I am taking my airsoft AEG with me. I have not found much information on airsoft equipment entering UK and don't want my airsoft gear taken from me as soon as I enter UK. Please, if you know anything about this then please leave a comment Thanks.

Hande hoche!

Worth a read http://irishairsoft.ie/?page_id=932

Matqo

Thanks for the reply, I am only going to stay in the UK for a day and then going to France, would you say that showing police a ferry ticket for next day would satisfy them?

Hande hoche!

Yep you should be grandest with that. If you can, try to get a note off the site you intend to play at.

Firekitten

Matqo wrote: »

Hello, I am traveling to England during summer via ferry and since Im going to play airsoft I am taking my airsoft AEG with me. I have not found much information on airsoft equipment entering UK and don't want my airsoft gear taken from me as soon as I enter UK. Please, if you know anything about this then please leave a comment Thanks.

You clearly didn't look to be fair... this site has had 4, in the last year alone on the subject.

You can travel to the UK, but I'd get a letter from any sites you intend to play at (email works) proving you're going there should they ask for a reason you're carrying them... you do need good cause to have them in public, even in your car. And have a search for the other topics vis a vi the VCRA crap

Matqo

Sorry for not being clear enough, thing is Im not actually gonna play airsoft in the UK. Im just passing through.

Lemming

Matqo wrote: »

Sorry for not being clear enough, thing is Im not actually gonna play airsoft in the UK. Im just passing through.

You will need to get a letter or proof of booking for skirmishing at the site(s) in question in France in order to satisfy HMRC that you are not importing your airsoft RIFs into the UK, but passing through en-route elsewhere.

Firekitten

Matqo wrote: »

Sorry for not being clear enough, thing is Im not actually gonna play airsoft in the UK. Im just passing through.

Then you deffinately need to clear it, customs get a bit shirty with anything gun shaped.

ironclaw

I take it your traveling by car? Unless your stopped and searched, provided its in a case, nice and discrete, your not going to have an issue. In fact just don't take it out of the car, forget you have it. Don't mention it unless you have to. And as said, some documentation for just in case.

Just don't be Paddy on holiday and shoot up the local Butlin's

Tommyboy71

If you get the letter from the site you will be playing in, then there is no reason not to declare it. If you have it in a (preferrably lockable) case, locked into the boot of the car then there shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure that the ferry company are ok with having them on board.

Who knows, you might get the Priority Booking lane. First on and first off. I know we did before.

Firekitten

Matqo wrote: »

Sorry for not being clear enough, thing is Im not actually gonna play airsoft in the UK. Im just passing through.

Hello, I am traveling to England during summer via ferry and since Im going to play airsoft I am taking my airsoft AEG with me. I have not found much information on airsoft equipment entering UK and don't want my airsoft gear taken from me as soon as I enter UK. Please, if you know anything about this then please leave a comment Thanks.

just reread this... passing through to where? and clear wasnt a factor, you said in your original post, you were going to england, and to play.

Matqo

Firekitten wrote: »

just reread this... passing through to where? and clear wasnt a factor, you said in your original post, you were going to england, and to play.

Going to Slovakia, and skirmish sites there dont send invites :P

Lemming

Matqo wrote: »

Going to Slovakia, and skirmish sites there dont send invites :P

Explain to them why you're needing the invite/letter of confirmation of booking/.whatever you want to call it.

Point is; HMRC ask for proof, you hand them proof of why you're carrying RIFs. They happy. You go away, with guns. It's that simple.

OzCam

If you have had an email conversation with the site(s) or game organisers, print those emails out and bring them with you. You can then demonstrate intent to play in Slovakia. If it includes a phone number for the organiser, they'll be reassured that it can be checked.

An e-ticket for an event is even better.

It's all about providing some written evidence for the HMRC agent. They can then say "I asked, he showed me paperwork" to their boss. They are reasonable people, with a job to do. Make their work easy and you'll be through the stop faster.

Firekitten

A printout of the webpage, and your travel doccuments showing you're going to Slovakia should sufice if you can't get anything else.

Matqo

Okay, thanks for your help