Importation or Transiting Procedures Through Countries with Weapons & Ammunition

[Datchew]

Frankfurt airport has luggage services right at the airport, I would email them at gpa@frasec.de to make sure that they will store your specific firearms. See the following link and scroll down to Baggage storage:

Luggage Services at the Airport

www.frankfurt-airport.com

View attachment 585831View attachment 585832

It's been a couple months of fruitless effort.
I've emailed and spoken to Frankfurt airport services and Lufthansa freight in Germany.
Frankfurt airport says they cannot store firearms and have no recommendations for local services that do.

Lufthansa says they cannot ship my rifle to JoBerg if I'm not on the flight but i can use a freight forwarding service to do so. Then, they recommended 2 of them in Frankfurt.
However, both of them told me they cannot help due to "company policy."

My intent is to fly into Frankfurt with the rifle and proceed with 1 of 2 options:
1 - Store it for up to 2 weeks while on other business in the region and then take it with me on a flight to Johannesburg.
2 - Ship it ahead of me to the PH's rifle importer service to hold for me until I arrive in Johannesburg.

I'm hitting a lot of walls here. Anyone have any suggestions?
This is starting to feel like I'm chasing a unicorn and need to re-think my plans.
Thanks much.

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

I have not had any luck with weapons storage in/ near Frankfurt either, and have chased down many leads.

My understanding is bags cannot fly as checked luggage without the passengers, for international flights. That's due to positive passenger-bag matching (PPBM) which is a security procedure that matches passengers with their checked baggage before an international flight departs. So you cannot take it part way then have it checked on past wherever you are.

Shipping weapons in any traditional way is *probably* not impossible... but guaranteed to be extremely difficult and expensive. Perhaps your local FFL would know more/ be able work with your PH's importer.

 

[Datchew]

Thank you for that.

I have not had any luck with weapons storage in/ near Frankfurt either, and have chased down many leads.

My understanding is bags cannot fly as checked luggage without the passengers, for international flights. That's due to positive passenger-bag matching (PPBM) which is a security procedure that matches passengers with their checked baggage before an international flight departs. So you cannot take it part way then have it checked on past wherever you are.

Shipping weapons in any traditional way is *probably* not impossible... but guaranteed to be extremely difficult and expensive. Perhaps your local FFL would know more/ be able work with your PH's importer.

Thanks for that.
It seems it's easier to ship a corpse and "human remains" in the airlines than a rifle. Go figure.
I'll reach out to my PH's importer and local FFL's as suggested.

 

[Longwalker]

As I predicted, the transit through Newark with firearms was as convoluted and mysterious as I thought it might be. On the way out from Vancouver-Joberg, we were happily surprised that we were pre-approved and checked through to Joberg from Vancouver, so we didn’t have to endure the silly USA customs clearance and re-claim and drop off of bags in Newark.
On the way back, we got the full display of stupidity from the USA border security and airport security.
All travellers with rifles including the USA citizens had to clear customs, Border security, and firearms inspection and permits. I’m glad I got the USA "temporary importation of firearms and ammunition by non immigrant aliens" form 6NIA approved before my flights, even though I was told numerous times by various people it was not necessary for a Canadian citizen transiting in a USA airport . One guy was not so lucky and was detained because he didn’t have the form 6NIA. None of the USA border security or TSA agents would give any advice or answer any questions. They asked the questions, travellers gave answers, that’s the end of discussion.
To Delta’s credit, they anticipated delays and problems for us, and actually sent an agent to meet us at the arrivals gate with a sign with my name on it, escorted us through the Border security inspections and re- checking of luggage and the extra inspection of the firearms by TSA somewhere in the basement depths of the airport. They Re-printed my baggage claims tags, gave me new boarding passes, just to make sure we had all they could do for us. All this took more than three hours.
Evan and I had to change terminals, beg and cajole our way to the front of the transit bus line up, run a long distance to catch our flight once we got to the international departures terminal, then the boarding gate was closed already but the attendant re-opened for us and let us on when they noticed the firearm case was already listed as loaded in the baggage hold.
My regular suitcase with the ammunition inside didn’t make it on that flight to Vancouver, so I had to file a missing bag report in Vancouver. Thank goodness I had Apple Airtags in all my bags. I always knew where they were, even if the airport or airline didn't. The airtags also helped solve a little mystery with my misplaced rifle case on the way out through Joberg too. That was quickly resolved when I showed and agent where it was.
After arriving in Saskatoon, Air Canada delivered my bag to my home the next day, very effective service under the circumstances.
So I’m not sure what advice to give you about anyone transiting via Newark with or without firearms. Seems like that there is a silly bunch of rules and procedures that might be avoided by choosing a different airport. Or avoiding the USA entirely. It took me six weeks to get approval for the USA transit form 6NIA. And I had to buy a USA hunting licence to get things started. The first application was three weeks waiting, then rejected and they sent me to the back of the line for not having a ZIP code in my address. We use postal codes in Canada, no ZIP codes. So I had to re-apply and explain that and put my postal code in the ZIP code slot with a note. Still had to beg the USA border agents for approval after another three weeks. Got my permit only one week before departure.

 

[Hank2211]

This is more than a little confusing.

ATF Form 6NIA is entitled “Application/Permit for Temporary Importation of Firearms and Ammunition by Nonimmigrant Aliens” and has nothing to do with transmitting the US.

I’ve applied for the permit before, when I’ve been travelling to the US to hunt - and it seems you addressed this by getting a hunting licence, even though you weren’t stopping in the US and weren’t hunting in the US. I was told by CBP in the past that if you aren’t hunting in the US (or attending a competition), you can’t get a permit because Form 6NIA doesn’t apply. I’m not sure if the policy has changed, or if you got lucky, but I note you say that the one person who didn’t have the permit was detained - even though if you ask (someone who will actually answer a question), you’re told not only is the the 6NIA permit not necessary, it’s actually not available (or so they say) for those who are only transiting the US.

You’d think this would be an easy problem to address, but - probably because no one in the US bureaucracy really cares about aliens - no one in authority ever seems to address the issue once and for all.

I also note that you say that no one would answer any questions. I’m not sure why authorities treat people who want nothing more than to comply with the rules badly, but they do. If you ask “tell me what I need to do” you’re told to figure it out for yourself. If you ask “what do you want me to do” they tell you they ask the questions. I can only hope that one day, karma puts these people into the same position they’ve put law abiding people into.

It’s for this reason that in my many visits to Africa (nearing two dozen now), I have always avoided going through the US. And I see no reason to change that.

 

[Longwalker]

this is what I wrote to the USA authorities, and they refused to answer......

to:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,
Firearms Imports Branch,
244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, WV 25405

I am a Canadian citizen planning to transit through the USA from my residence in Canada in July 17 this year. I am traveling with sporting firearms for the purpose of a hunting safari in Mozambique.
I wish to ensure that I comply with all USA regulations while flying through the USA via Newark.

I have been informed by United Airlines that even though I will fly from Vancouver Canada and will have pre-cleared USA customs and Immigration there, on arrival in Newark airport, I will need to pick up my baggage and clear USA customs again and then re-deposit my bags with the airline before proceeding to the international departures terminal. The same procedure in reverse, clear customs with my bags in Newark before proceeding on to Vancouver. I have also been warned that I may not be in physical possession of firearms on USA territory without permits. So picking up my bags to clear customs will be a problem. But there may be some exceptions?

I believe I can legally transit within a USA airport with pre-inspected and approved firearms in my luggage, by having them checked through to final destination, but the airline and airport are telling me different. So I am confused. Can you confirm the requirements for permits and approvals?

I do hold a current valid USA hunting license, so to eliminate doubt and expedite the process I hereby apply for the ATF F 6NIA temporary import of firearms and ammunition. ( see attached)

Please let me know as soon as practical if this application is necessary, and if so, if my application is in order or if you require anything more.

Thanks for your assistance ( Ha! )

 

[Longwalker]

when transiting Frankfurt:

I have not had any luck with weapons storage in/ near Frankfurt either, and have chased down many leads.

My one experience in Frankfurt was pretty good. I did a stop over in Frankfurt in 2019. Stayed a couple days in Germany while going to Namibia. I had my Frankfurt Airport temporary firearm transit permits all in order. The police checked and OK'd my transit documents, but didn't quite know what to do with me when they realized I was stopping over a couple days on my way through. I hold German hunting licence, but it had not been renewed for the current year I was travelling. So the police simply held my firearms in their airport office for me while I visited my German friends on the outbound trip. They gave me back my gun case with no drama a couple days later and even gave us a ride in a van to the proper terminal gate via a back door security entrance when the time came to leave and board the Namibia flight. It probably helped that my buddy was a German hunter, and interpreted for me as I navigated their system. The German system was bureaucratic but understandable. The over all airport transit and storage experience was smooth and quite low stress.

 

[Hank2211]

this is what I wrote to the USA authorities, and they refused to answer......

to:
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives,
Firearms Imports Branch,
244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, WV 25405

I am a Canadian citizen planning to transit through the USA from my residence in Canada in July 17 this year. I am traveling with sporting firearms for the purpose of a hunting safari in Mozambique.
I wish to ensure that I comply with all USA regulations while flying through the USA via Newark.

I have been informed by United Airlines that even though I will fly from Vancouver Canada and will have pre-cleared USA customs and Immigration there, on arrival in Newark airport, I will need to pick up my baggage and clear USA customs again and then re-deposit my bags with the airline before proceeding to the international departures terminal. The same procedure in reverse, clear customs with my bags in Newark before proceeding on to Vancouver. I have also been warned that I may not be in physical possession of firearms on USA territory without permits. So picking up my bags to clear customs will be a problem. But there may be some exceptions?

I believe I can legally transit within a USA airport with pre-inspected and approved firearms in my luggage, by having them checked through to final destination, but the airline and airport are telling me different. So I am confused. Can you confirm the requirements for permits and approvals?

I do hold a current valid USA hunting license, so to eliminate doubt and expedite the process I hereby apply for the ATF F 6NIA temporary import of firearms and ammunition. ( see attached)

Please let me know as soon as practical if this application is necessary, and if so, if my application is in order or if you require anything more.

Thanks for your assistance ( Ha! )

It’s a mystery to me that authorities won’t make any effort to assist those who are doing everything in their power to comply with the law, if only they could figure out what that is.

Maybe it’s because the ‘administrative state’ has become so immense, that not even the authorities know the law anymore?

When the common law concept of “ignorance of the law is no excuse” arose, it was because the law was pretty much summed up in a few of the Ten Commandments - don’t steal, don’t kill, etc., and everyone pretty much knew what the rules were.

Today, to use only one example, it’s estimated that US statutory law runs to over 60,000 pages, and administrative regulations run to another 188,000, delineating over 300,000 criminal sanctions (from The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 2, 2024). And all of that is written in obscure legalese.

I’d be surprised if anyone at CBP (or anywhere else) knows what all of the rules are.