Apply for a visitor’s firearms licence | Firearms Safety Authority New Zealand

Before you begin

You must provide information and documents as part of your application.

How much it costs

A visitor’s firearms licence is NZ$25.

Apply online

To apply, you must have a RealMe login. If you do not have a RealMe login already, you’ll be prompted to create one before you start your application.

Log in with RealMe — Visitor’s firearms licence application form

You can save an incomplete application and log in again to complete it later.

What is RealMe?

RealMe is a New Zealand government service for proving your identity online.

If you are not a New Zealand citizen:

you can get a RealMe login
you cannot get a RealMe verified identity.

To apply for a visitor’s firearms licence, you only need a RealMe login.

For help with your RealMe login:

Contact RealMe

If you change your arrival or departure dates

Once your application for a visitor’s firearms licence has been approved, you can only make minor changes to your arrival and departure dates.

If you change dates you may have to re-apply for your visitor’s firearms licence, and pay another application fee.

To let us know of any change, email firearms@police.govt.nz and tell us:

your full name
application reference number (VLA-XXXXX)
details of the changes you need to make.

Approving or refusing your application

If your application is approved, you’ll receive an email including the arms items approved for import and the conditions that apply. Please note: This email is not a licence or permit to import.

You will be issued with your visitor’s firearms licence once you arrive in New Zealand. This will be issued by a New Zealand Police Officer once you have been through customs.

If your application is refused, you’ll receive an email that explains why.

When you arrive in New Zealand

Going through New Zealand Customs

You must declare all firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition to New Zealand Customs.

New Zealand Customs detains firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition if you do not have a permit to import.

After Customs clearance

If you arrive by air, go to the New Zealand Police station or counter at the airport. Airport staff can help you find it.

If you arrive by sea, go to the nearest Police station.

Find Police stations by map – New Zealand Police website

New Zealand Police check:

your passport
your firearms licence from your home country
the firearms you applied to bring into New Zealand.

New Zealand Police will issue:

your visitor firearms licence
your permit to import firearms, if you have any

When you depart New Zealand

If you brought firearms to New Zealand, taking them back out is a condition of your visitor’s firearms licence.

Arrange an export permit before you depart

When you leave New Zealand with your firearms, you must have a permit. If you are exempt, you must have a notification of export.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade issue permits to export, and notifications of export.

Contact export controls team – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website

Arrange to import firearms to your home country

Remember to arrange to import any firearms back into your home country before you leave New Zealand.

Take the arms items to the Police

If you depart by air, go to the New Zealand Police station or counter at the airport. Airport staff can help you find it.

If you depart by sea, go to the nearest Police station.