Bringing a gun home to ireland from the U.S.

Pete123456

Hey guys, apologies if this has been covered already but I can't seem to find anything.

I'm in the U.S. at the moment and I'm thinking about bringing back a rifle to Ireland with me. I don't have a license in Ireland yet and my question is: do I have to have a license first before I can bring it home? My dad has licenses can I bring it home for him?

Guns are significantly better value for money over here, so a starter gun is cheap. What exactly do I need to do or is this possible at all? Apparently the airline don't mind carrying them as long as they're checked in.

Thanks

tac foley

Are you a US resident/green card holder or national?

If so, then it might be a little easier, but trying to carry out a straw purchase, knowing that you have no license at the other end, is a federal offence, and you might find yourself staying in the US longer than you anticipated.

As I'm sure you know, each gun in the RoI is separately licensed, and unless your father has that particular serial numbered firearm on his license you on on to a loser. Many dealers in the USA will export it to a RFD for you - there will, of course, be a charge for all this that might take away the advantage of buying in the USA.

Others, more knowledgeable, will be along shortly to put me right, and to put you in the picture.

tac

aaakev

What is the rifle? Lads will be able to let you know if its worth while or not

tac foley

'kay - this is the skinny from a man who knows, he being a 'mercan and all...

IF the OP is a US Citizen - he will need -

1) his i-94. if he doesn't have the paper copy, go to USCIS website and print one. be ready to explain what this is for.
2) his passport to support his i-94

3) a hunting license. quick trip to Fred Meyer. I think this requires 6 month residency proof.

4) going to an FFL who has done foreigner transfer--a lot of FFLs do not know how to handle it.

5) knowledge on how to fill out 4473. or he can ask the FFL to fill for him, but then two persons would need to sign the form.

If he is NOT a US Citizen ...............

I can't help.

tac

Grizzly 45

If he is or is not a US citizen he will need to do the entire sale via a certified for export FFL dealer.They arent cheap! About 400 plus USD for the whole process,250 of their fees go to Uncle Sam for the export permit of the firearm out of CONUS.That can take depending on the backlog in the State dept 4to 6 weeks and that the state dept doesnt reject some paperwork for not being in order.

It gets to be more fun if the gun is anyway military orientated and then it comes under more scrutiny by the state dept unter the ITAR regulations.* This includes any component parts,uppers,barells etc.

You have two options here..You can get the gun transfered to the intl liscensed FFL dealer and wait until they put an order together to Europe and maybe pay their handling fee only as the 250$ export liscense coners a shipment.Irrespective of size,be it one gun or 150 guns.However,it might take a year plus for the deler to ship their consingement to Europe.Or you can pay the shipping and handling fees plus the 250 export liscense fee and get the gun sent over on its own.Other problem there is the gun might land in the mainland EU with the consingement destinedand to some other country other than Ireland you will attract a lower import duty[proably],but you have to do all the EU import paperwork and transfer to Ireland paperwork too.

HOWEVER...Nothing will happen until the FFL dealer,the State dept,the DOJ and AGS provide you with documentation saying you are entitled to posses this item in Ireland.IOW you need the liscense here first off.That is your key document to import along with a dept of Justice cert of import which is no biggie once you have the liscense ,they issue it for free and within ten working days [Kudos to the DOJ on that point].You need to send that import cert and a certified copy of your gun liscense[Photo copy the front and rear and get your local Garda FO to certify it as a true likeness and station stamp it] to the FFL dealer before they lift a finger on your order.If you can prove the gun is used. Get a cert and recipt saying it is,as it will drop the import duty abit.You then need to arrange to collect it from either your nominated dealer here or at either Shannon or Dublin airports customs posts where they will sort out any import charges and all the rest.So bring the cheque book.

Other choice is find a Irish gun dealer who will buy the gun for you and do all the paperwork while you apply for the liscense here and then pay for his work and mark up. Either ways its not a cheap or relatively simple process and for a low value gun,not worth the effort.


* In relation to "assult rifles" or rifles that are semi auto with military features,including smoothbore firearms.They are actually prohibited from being exported from the US under ITAR regulations.So technically said any semi auto CF rifle imported from the US under those regulations CANNOT be either a genuine assault rifle or a semi auto lookalike with military features.Thankfully Uncle Sam actually defines what are military features on a firearm.However take the same rifle and remove all the military stuff,and its prefectly 100% legal under ITAR rules to be exported. Also with shotguns.Take the Saiga12 as an example.You couldnt export it from the US in full "Tacticool" kit.But with a civillian sporting stock and a five round box mag its perfectly legal for export.

tac foley

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

If he is or is not a US citizen he will need to do the entire sale via a certified for export FFL dealer.They arent cheap! About 400 plus USD for the whole process,250 of their fees go to Uncle Sam for the export permit of the firearm out of CONUS.That can take depending on the backlog in the State dept 4to 6 weeks and that the state dept doesnt reject some paperwork for not being in order.

It gets to be more fun if the gun is anyway military orientated and then it comes under more scrutiny by the state dept unter the ITAR regulations.* This includes any component parts,uppers,barells etc.

You have two options here..You can get the gun transfered to the intl liscensed FFL dealer and wait until they put an order together to Europe and maybe pay their handling fee only as the 250$ export liscense coners a shipment.Irrespective of size,be it one gun or 150 guns.However,it might take a year plus for the deler to ship their consingement to Europe.Or you can pay the shipping and handling fees plus the 250 export liscense fee and get the gun sent over on its own.Other problem there is the gun might land in the mainland EU with the consingement destinedand to some other country other than Ireland you will attract a lower import duty[proably],but you have to do all the EU import paperwork and transfer to Ireland paperwork too.

HOWEVER...Nothing will happen until the FFL dealer,the State dept,the DOJ and AGS provide you with documentation saying you are entitled to posses this item in Ireland.IOW you need the liscense here first off.That is your key document to import along with a dept of Justice cert of import which is no biggie once you have the liscense ,they issue it for free and within ten working days [Kudos to the DOJ on that point].You need to send that import cert and a certified copy of your gun liscense[Photo copy the front and rear and get your local Garda FO to certify it as a true likeness and station stamp it] to the FFL dealer before they lift a finger on your order.If you can prove the gun is used. Get a cert and recipt saying it is,as it will drop the import duty abit.You then need to arrange to collect it from either your nominated dealer here or at either Shannon or Dublin airports customs posts where they will sort out any import charges and all the rest.So bring the cheque book.

Other choice is find a Irish gun dealer who will buy the gun for you and do all the paperwork while you apply for the liscense here and then pay for his work and mark up. Either ways its not a cheap or relatively simple process and for a low value gun,not worth the effort.

* In relation to "assult rifles" or rifles that are semi auto with military features,including smoothbore firearms.They are actually prohibited from being exported from the US under ITAR regulations.So technically said any semi auto CF rifle imported from the US under those regulations CANNOT be either a genuine assault rifle or a semi auto lookalike with military features.Thankfully Uncle Sam actually defines what are military features on a firearm.However take the same rifle and remove all the military stuff,and its prefectly 100% legal under ITAR rules to be exported. Also with shotguns.Take the Saiga12 as an example.You couldnt export it from the US in full "Tacticool" kit.But with a civillian sporting stock and a five round box mag its perfectly legal for export.

Thanks, Grizzly for the excellent explication.

Nail, head, hit.

tac