Thread: Transiting through Australia to hunt in South Africa with firearm

Hi guys,

Just wanting to know if anyone has hunted in South Africa with their own rifle and what they had to do transiting through Australia in regards to permits?

Or can you just check-in your firearm all the way through to South Africa and not have to get permits?

Good luck with that! Australia would have to be one the worst places to try and travel with a Firearm, permits or not. Check with the airline, if you have purchased a full International flight to SA, then it should be checked through. If it was me, I'd be insuring it for a big sum, or using the guides rifle.

Originally Posted by FRST

Hi guys,

Just wanting to know if anyone has hunted in South Africa with their own rifle and what they had to do transiting through Australia in regards to permits?

Or can you just check-in your firearm all the way through to South Africa and not have to get permits?

Because youre going to SA you change planes in Sydney. So your gun comes off a 737 and onto a 747. Thats called transhipping. So if you are transhipping you need Aussie defence dept and Aussie customs permission, even though you never see your gun cos your only there 90 minutes in a transit lounge. But before you can apply, you need to apply to the defense dept and custom for your unique ID code. Once you have this code you can fill in the paperwork and submit it. Customs will send you an email about a week before you arrive to say that your details have been loaded into their system. Its a crock of shit, but you could chance your luck and not bother telling them and hope for the best. You will also need a dangerous good permit/permission from Qantas for your ammo.

If your flying Qantas or Air NZ and booked straight through to South Africa on the same airline, then you shouldn't have a problem. My experiences with both airlines has been great and completely hassle free.

Any other airline, especially Emirates, prepare for a headache of two, or three, or four... Many airline simply won't transport firearms without special circumstances and heaps of advance notice.

Australia can be a problem if you're not familiar with the local system and procedures. The Australian Border Security team leader ( whose team specifically deals with firearms and alike) at Sydney International airport is very helpful and professional, and a great lady to deal with.

Feel free to PM me, also happy to chat on the phone.

What percy jones said.
Even though you are only trans shipping them, you will need the permits.
The chance of them looking or caring is slim, but if you dont have them, they will probably want them. Murphy's law.

google australian boarder force, its not hard to do their paperwork, but if you thought 3rd world bureaucracy was stupid and convoluted you have not seen anything yet.

https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exp...ontent-index-5

there are a few sites and forms you need to get and fill in... in the correct order...

Much appreciated guys, thanks

@FRST jealous much.
need to do a lot more with the 416 before I get there and ill be too old to hang onto it by the time I can afford the trip lol

A friend of mine took a rifle on his first trip 3 years ago, the paperwork was sorted by the lodge they stayed at. He never used it though the guide insisted on him using their 3006 as nothing he bought was big enough to need a 375. Zebra, kudu, ibex, gemsbok and springbok and warthog about $25000 worth in total, but he could shoot as many baboons as he wanted.

@Marty Henry that's the thing.
Unless I was hunting something that needed the 416, it would be a shit ton easier to just use the local rifle if they had one. Especially on smaller stuff.

Funny you should mention that Emirates is a headache @Xpat I have traveled extensively with them and me guns, always a help even telling the security at Heathrow in advance that I was turning up. They got a guy in especially from Terminal 5 who have more experience to come to Terminal 3 to show there security how it was done.
From NZ as soon as I checked in the guy came over with all the forms ready to escort me through Aucklands security. So no headaches here either. The biggest issue was each airports individual security not the airlines which I’m sure @FRST is well aware of.
When I last came to NZ and transited through Melbourne I don’t recall needing any permits, maybe Emirates took care of this. But I was very careful in doting all me i’s and crossing me t’s.
Anyway good luck FRST look forward to the trip report.