OWNER/LEGAL REVIEW REQUIRED. This page summarises publicly available information and is not legal advice. National firearms law changes and differs in detail. It must be verified by a qualified adviser in this market before launch, and your own national authority is the only reliable source on your entitlement.
What applies here
- Permit
- Waffenbesitzkarte (WBK), normally alongside a Jagdschein or club membership
- Authority
- Local Waffenbehörde under the Waffengesetz (WaffG)
- Licensed hunters
- 550,000 (FACE, most recent published figure)
The WBK authorises possession of the specific firearms entered on it and does not permit carrying in public. Applicants must show reliability, personal aptitude, expert knowledge and a genuine need. Minimum age is 18 for rimfire and 21 for larger calibres. Approved storage is mandatory.
What is true across the Union
Category A, B and C
Directive (EU) 2021/555 sorts firearms into categories. Category A is prohibited, with narrow exceptions a member state may grant to sport shooters, recognised museums and, in exceptional and substantiated cases, collectors. Category B requires authorisation. Category C requires at minimum declaration or registration.
Minimum rules, not uniform rules
The Directive sets a floor. Member states are free to impose stricter rules, and most do. This is why the same rifle can be routine in one member state and tightly restricted in the next, and why no single European licence exists.
Cross-border transfer needs both states
Moving a firearm from one member state to another requires prior authorisation from both. That is a per-shipment permission arranged in advance. No webshop checkout can grant it, which is the single reason a European retailer cannot simply post a rifle across a border.
Ammunition is dangerous goods
Ammunition is classed as dangerous goods for transport. Mainstream carriers decline it without a specific contract and several member states prohibit inbound consumer shipments outright.
What you can order today
Optics, mounts, clothing, cases, safes, hearing protection and gun care ship to Germany with no licence and no paperwork. Set your delivery country in the header and the catalogue will show exactly what can reach you.