Going to South Africa from UK

UK citizens planning to take shotguns, rifles or ammunition temporarily to South Africa will need a letter from the UK Border Force (UKBF)
You need to email:
UKBF.firearmslhr@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

By the way, thanks for bringing this up for the members.


The web link for further information.

https://www.gov.uk/firearms-and-export-control-forms

I have contacted the UK board control,
The letter should be applied direct, they will not be issued at the airport.
IE you must have this letter before you leave the UK
You have been warned

Is this a requirement for exiting the UK ? Or entering SA ?

I assume this applies only to UK citizens - I have looked at the web links, and it seems to say that. As well, it seems this has been the rule for some time - since 2012?

I am transiting the UK with firearms on Friday on my way to South Africa, as I have every year for the last four. Never had a problem or even a question - guns checked through to Jo'burg and I see them when I get there.

Hopefully nothing changes this year.

As far I can make see its for UK persons departing from the the UK to SA

Thanks for posting. This is my very recent experience...

My friend read about these changes in a BASC magazine around three months ago and so emailed the above address. He was posted the permit. I was told that these could be collected at the airport, though decided to call and try and get one in advance anyway by calling the armoury telephone number. Mark Kelley the officer mentioned deals with the majority of these permits, his colleagues in the same department do not all sing from the same hymn sheet.

I was told by one officer in the armoury that they MUST be applied for before travel and that the permits will be posted to you. I was told that this is nothing to do with the UK and is purely a South African requirement. The same officer then advised me that it was too late for them to send me a permit (I was due to fly in three days). He also then said "no permit, no fly". This is completely untrue.

I emailed my details anyway and then called the next morning and spoke to someone else, who then emailed me back a permit 30 minutes later!

Upon arrival at LHR we were met by a very friendly lady who advised us that we needed a export permit as we were going to South Africa and volunteered us each with a second permit! The customs office were you take your rifles too work independently of the armoury office and their information differed!

I arrived in Jo'burg with two export permits and was promptly asked for ;-

My passport.
My FAC.
My SAPS520 form.
Invitation letter.
Flight details.

At no point did the individual SA police officer ask for my export permit. You couldn't make this up....

My advise though would be to get one in advance from the armoury at LHR in advance just incase you get a SA police officer who's on the ball and demands one. Make sure you send copies of the first two pages of your FAC also as they need to see your ammo entitlement as you need to specify the amount of ammo you're taken. Incidentally, again we were asked for tips from the SA police officers, we didn't pay them, they looked annoyed, but be prepared for this if visiting for your first time.

Contact details are :-

Mark Kelley
c/o The Armoury Heathrow
Bay & Building 820
Middlesex
TW6 1SX
e-mail as follows ukba.firearmslhr@hmre.gsi.gov.uk

The telephone number for the armoury department should you have any queries is 02089103721. An officer called Russell Webb was in the know and very helpful if you can't get hold of Mark Kelley, the other guys may not be so clued in my experience.

Best
MJ

Hi well like you I got my export permit before I left the UK and when I turned up the border control new nothing about the permit, so like you I was issued a second export letter. However at the police post they did ask for the permit

This has to be a UK issue and not a South African issue. I transited the UK in mid-May of this year, from Canada on route to South Africa via LHR, and back last week from Namibia to Canada via LHR. As usual, guns checked straight through to final destination and no issues whatsoever in the UK.

Sounds a bit like the flap with US citizens needing permits to take firearms out of the US which came up recently. You'd think that governments could get their act together . . . but you'd be wrong.

It is an issue for UK hunters caused by South Africa. It is the South African's insisting on the permit. As far as I know it has zero affect on anyone else, just the brits who are affected by this.