Bringing Guns to France for Hunting

cookimonster

Some advice please,

I hope to get back to France latter in the year for a bit of hunting. The exception to this trip is that I will be bringing my own rifle. Prior to this I brought with me my Irish DHL, HCAP and Insurance which enabled me to get the local hunting permit for my stay.

I'm good to go with the European Firearms Licence, Insurance and Irish DHL / HCAP etc, what I'm chasing may tail about is whether or not I need the French Hunting Permit prior to me arriving in France (via ferry) for official validation for having the gun with me or will the European Firearms Licence suffice.

I've trawled the French sites but with the exception of one page every thing so far is a' la Franchise.... (hardly speak English let alone French) and the single page redirects you to a page dealing with the permits etc again in French...

So back to my question :
'Do I need the French Hunting Permit prior to me arriving in France (via ferry) for official validation for having the gun with me or will the European Firearms Licence suffice?'

Cass

Done a quick search, and while there is info it doesn't stipulate whether you need it before or after arriving. An educated guess would say before so you can show reason for bringing the gun into the country. If this is the case then you have to ask does this 9 day period apply from date of issue or the dates you stipulate on your application.

From this website, if it helps:

Hunting: validation of a foreign hunting permit

A hunting permit may be granted to non-resident foreign nationals holding a foreign hunting permit in order to hunt in France, for a period of nine consecutive days. It may be renewed three times, subject to the payment of the provisional national or departmental hunting fee for nine-day periods and of a provisional Departmental Hunting Federation membership fee.

Documents required

• 1 insurance certificate valid in France
• hunting permit issued in country of origin or any other alternative administrative document
• 1 identity document or passport
• 2 passport-size photos (35mm x 45 mm)

A permanent hunting permit may be issued once the applicant has taken a theoretical and practical examination and paid stamp duty and an annual national hunting fee.

Hunting season: hunting is allowed only during certain periods of the year. Bird shooting is prohibited in the case of nestlings or during the different stages of reproduction and dependence. In addition, shooting of migratory birds is prohibited during the return journey to their nesting place. Game shooting is prohibited from 6 a.m. on Wednesdays to 6 a.m. on Thursdays.


For further information please contact Ministère de l’Aménagement du territoire et de l’environnement (Ministry of Regional Planning and the Environment), Direction de la Nature et des paysages, Sous-Direction de la Chasse, de la faune et de la flore sauvages, Bureau de la Chasse. Telephone: (0033)1 4081 7271.

Updated : July 2012

cookimonster

Cass wrote: »

..... If this is the case then you have to ask does this 9 day period apply from date of issue or the dates you stipulate on your application...:

Thanks Cass that is a very good point.

I have contacts over there but much can and is lost in translation and I prefer to have everything in place and confirmed (OCD on my part). If I draw a blank over here then it will be down to a series of emails courtesy's of Google Translate

Hack12

There is issues in France about "military calibres" as far as I am aware. 223, 308 and a few others are either banned to civilians or require a special permit to have in France. I am not 100% sure on the legality of it but check it out to be sure.

Cass

cookimonster wrote: »

If I draw a blank over here then it will be down to a series of emails courtesy's of Google Translate

Works for me when i'm e-mailing Sauer about something.

Hack12 wrote: »

There is issues in France about "military calibres" as far as I am aware. 223, 308 and a few others are either banned to civilians or require a special permit to have in France. I am not 100% sure on the legality of it but check it out to be sure.

Seriously?

The 223 and 308 were first introduced as hunting calibers and then later adopted by the military which changed them to 5.56x45 and 7.62x51 (not going into all the other variants). BTW the change is not just in the name, but the design of the case hence the reason you cannot or more accurately should never fire either of the NATO rounds from a 223 or 308 civilian rifle.

Hack12

Hi Cass, yes seriously as mad as it sounds. Ive tried to post a link but boards will not allow it but looks like a permit is required.

cookimonster

Ref Military Rounds

This was addressed a few years back. I know that 30-06 is good, I think .308 is also ok but the .223 is still a no no.

Grizzly 45

Cass wrote: »

Works for me when i'm e-mailing Sauer about something.

Seriously?

The 223 and 308 were first introduced as hunting calibers and then later adopted by the military which changed them to 5.56x45 and 7.62x51 (not going into all the other variants). BTW the change is not just in the name, but the design of the case hence the reason you cannot or more accurately should never fire either of the NATO rounds from a 223 or 308 civilian rifle.

Yes, that is true of French law.Hence they have odd things like .222 AR15s and mini14s and 10mm 1911s.However,ASFIK,it has to be French military issue, recent past or present. ww2 onwards I think.

Re the 308/7.62 NATO interchange. You can use 7.62 NATO in a .308 no problem.But NEVER a 308 in a 7.62 NATO.

With the .223/5.56 NATO its the opposite. A .223 in a 5.56 NATO is ok.NEVER a 5.56 NATO in a .223*

*[Unless the barrel is marked specifically .223/5.56 NATO,which in that case it is a .223 Wylde, which is a non-existent calibre, just a name for the .223/5.56 interchange]

Shooting in France. Depends,are you going to an organised commercial hunt?In that case, the organisers should be advising you on whats legal or not and what paperwork is required at the Douane. If it is just with friends/family.Then I would say youwould need the permits before you arrive.

cookimonster

Ok so I have made some head way......

I have gotten through the language barrier (me thinks my computor is stupid at times).......so here goes nothing

Go to this National Federation of Hunters (http://chasseurdefrance.com/)
Enable English translation via Google

Click on the tab 'Directory' (redirect to new page)
Click on the tab 'Federations' (drop down menu)
Now you need to know the region your going to, a full address will tell you what department your location will be in.
Select your department via map or drop down menu, this will redirect you to the details of the department. Click onto their web site.

Click on the tab for Hunting Permit and then onto Validation
Go to the bottom of the page and you will see the link 'validate your license on the Internet'. Click this and you will be redirected to a on line form (translated in English)

I got as far as the payment section with no problems. I did not precede because my dates of travel are to be confirmed and the form is only dealing with the 17/18 hunting season and I will be traveling in their 18/19 season.

When you pay you can print off your license, then bring that with your other documents (DHL(if required, I chuck in the HCAP if you have it), Gun Licence, Euro Pass and Proof of insurance)........

Thats the theory I let you know closer to the date....

cookimonster

Just to add on......

With the online forms you can specify your dates when applying for a 3 or 9 day licence so your good to go to apply in advance of your travel.

juice1304

Hack12 wrote: »

There is issues in France about "military calibres" as far as I am aware. 223, 308 and a few others are either banned to civilians or require a special permit to have in France. I am not 100% sure on the legality of it but check it out to be sure.

they now make exceptions for foreign hunters. so there is no problem there anymore. but yes for normal citizens any calibre used by the military any military that is, is banned unless used for sport under a special licence. in the event, they were ever at war with the general public. lol makes you think about the mindset of these kind of people. you would hope that they woulndt vote themselves into a situation where the only way out was revolution haha they aren't great at that.