Moving to Denmark from Germany. How about my guns?

[A-J]

Hello,
I am a German sport shooter and moving to Denmark (Middelfart). Who is able to give me legal advise to move all my equipment and license to Denmark, please. I need a club with rifle and pistol possibilities in calibers > 9mm. Please no illegal recommendations. Thank you very much.

[Refraktorius]

Welcome aboard.


To own and use sports weapons in Denmark, you must be a member of a sports shooting association where the relevant weapons are used.

Exactly what weapons are we talking about?

Semi-automatic rifles and small pistols are out of the question.
Pistols normally require two years of active membership and the approval from the club.

[Refraktorius]

In other words.
You will have to find a shooting club in the area and join it.

Permits are handled by “Skytteforeningernes Våbenregistrering” and I think it would be good to give them a call and hear, what you can do.
There must be other cases like you.
https://www.dgi.dk/SKV. (They don’t seem to have an English version)


SKV i Vingsted
Vingstedvej 27
7182 Bredsten
T: 79 40 41 15
SKV@dgi.dk

[Epae]

When i moved from Netherlands to Denmark, i had to sell my weapons because it was a legal/administrative nightmare to get the weapons to be allowed into Denmark.

You'll need to be an active member of a club and i suspect that the pistols larger than .22LR will be the biggest issue due to the 2-year active-shooting in a DANISH club to be allowed to own such will be a problem. My 5-years in a Dutch club did not count what so ever at least.
Personally it was the import/export restrictions - DK didn't want to permit an import permit before an export permit was issued by the other country (NL in this case), and visa versa.

But yes, in order to give more advise we'll need to know the exact make, model, caliber and barrel/total length of the weapons in question.
A call to PAC (https://politi.dk/politiets-administrative-center - section "Våben") will perhaps also be a good idea as to what exactly is needed for being allowed import and registration.

[Flugteren]

As it is currently only hunters can have semiautomatic rifles in Denmark, and only two rifles (yes, two). One in a caliber suitable for hog hunting (.308 Win and above) and one rimfire caliber rifle.

A Danish hunting license can be obtained via a course, a theoretical and a practical exam. However, permanent residence is needed, so that might be out of the window.

Good luck to you, and welcome to Denmark.

[Mapzter]

There must be other cases like you.

We had a similar question arise, a dane who had lived in Germany and shot pistol there, who moved to Denmark and wanted to bring his sporting pistol. The pistol fit the danish gun law, so we asked SKV. They stated that he needed to be an active shooting member of a club belonging to one of the danish federations, for two years, before they could issue an SKV permit.

He ended up joining our club, and found a firearms dealer who imported his pistol. Our club then applied for and got a club permit for the pistol and it is being kept in our vault.

[FraBjerget]

Hello A-J
Im Living in Fredericia, Near to Middelfart.
Perhaps i can help you with contacts i the area.
And my x-wife is german and former shooter.
So she can speak With you and translate to me.

Regards
Von bergen

[FraBjerget]

And after she had Been shooting for Two years
With pistol. She got her own pistol and permit.
as a german citisen, living in Denmark.

[A-J]

Thank you very much (Mange tak),
for all advise and hints.

I have also a german hunting license. I have a Oberland AR15 M5 Cal 223, Ruger Precision Rifle 308, Mossberg 500 (Hunting Version), Colt Python 357, Glock 17 9mm, Ruger 1911 Cal 45.

I understand that all german licenses not transferable and even the hunting license is not to move....I understand that danish rifle clubs not allowed to use semiautomatic rifles ?

Next week I will phone the SKV and PAC to get more official information. I am going be permanent working and living in Denmark, language course will start in March. In future I have no permanent residence in Germany...because moving to Denmark.

There will be an option to export the equipement via an official german trader, who has an option to store them for a while, but not for years.

@ FraBjerget -> contact nearby is fine and needed

Venlig hilsen og vi ses
André

[FraBjerget]

I’m asking around
The problem is properly the hunting licence.
Moving to a new country, adjusting to the job and learning the language, is not an easy thing.
So taking a hunting permit course, is perhaps too much in a short time.

I don’t know how long you can have it stored in Germany.

And which area are you moving from?

[NWF]

I have also a german hunting license. I have a Oberland AR15 M5 Cal 223, Ruger Precision Rifle 308, Mossberg 500 (Hunting Version), Colt Python 357, Glock 17 9mm, Ruger 1911 Cal 45.

I understand that all german licenses not transferable and even the hunting license is not to move....I understand that danish rifle clubs not allowed to use semiautomatic rifles ?

You will not as it is in DK right now be able to register your Oberland for either hunting or shooting - if you can't leave it in Germany then you probably have to sell it - the caliber has to be in a size where it can be used to hunt hogs etc . and 223 is too small for that according to Danish law

The Ruger and Mossberg is not a problem to have on a hunting permit - the calibers of the handguns are as fare as I know ok for shooting here if they fore fill some rules about size(I think it is something with the length of the barrel) - the rules for weapons for shooting sport is just much harder than the rules for hunting weapons, so as others here have mentioned then it probably will take 2 years before you are allowed to have the handguns at your own home. There are also some rules about the weapon safe, it has to meet some standards and also have to be attached into either the floor or wall with bolts

If you live in Germany and have a german hunting permit then you can get a temporary danish hunting permit(it last for 1 year, then then you have to renew it again) - but I don't know if this will be accepted when you also live in DK and if it also will allow you to store your weapons up here for a whole year. Otherwise, there should be hunting classes taught in English here - taking a licence here is mainly done in 2 ways. You either go to one weekly class for a few hours for some months, and then you can take the exam(after that you have to also pass shooting exams with both shotgun or rifle if you want to hunt with that kind of weapon(with shotgun you have to be able to hit 6 out of 18 clay pigeons and with rifle be able to hit 5 out of 6 shots within a 20 cm circle on 100 meters) - and then there are some "compact courses" where you attend a class for a whole weekend 2 or 3 times and the can go to the exam.

[Deepo]

Glock 17 will be a problem, as it's too short for Danish laws.
There is a Glock 17 DK which has a barrel that sticks out from the slide a few centimeters.

My advise would be to sell / store your pistols and revolvers to a gun dealer with the arrangement that you will buy them back in two years, when you get your permit. You will then probably have to pay for having them stored with the gun dealer, but I guess it will be cheaper than selling and later buying the same guns.

You should be able to import your hunting guns (except for the AR15) when you get your Danish hunting license.

/Mogens

[PSindrup]

Hi André und herzlich willkommen

Please do not bring your weapons to Denmark without the proper permissions - not even for a short period of time - that would send you directly to jail (if caught) for at least a year, for "Illegal Possession of a Firearm".

Peter

[Bofhenator]

Hi André und herzlich willkommen

Please do not bring your weapons to Denmark without the proper permissions - not even for a short period of time - that would send you directly to jail (if caught) for at least a year, for "Illegal Possession of a Firearm".

Peter

What part of what André has told us, could make you think that that was something he was even considering?

[ESAF]

Thank you very much (Mange tak),
for all advise and hints.

I have also a german hunting license. I have a Oberland AR15 M5 Cal 223, Ruger Precision Rifle 308, Mossberg 500 (Hunting Version), Colt Python 357, Glock 17 9mm, Ruger 1911 Cal 45.

I understand that all german licenses not transferable and even the hunting license is not to move....I understand that danish rifle clubs not allowed to use semiautomatic rifles ?

Next week I will phone the SKV and PAC to get more official information. I am going be permanent working and living in Denmark, language course will start in March. In future I have no permanent residence in Germany...because moving to Denmark.

There will be an option to export the equipement via an official german trader, who has an option to store them for a while, but not for years.

@ FraBjerget -> contact nearby is fine and needed

Venlig hilsen og vi ses
André

If I where you I’d call PAC before SKV, and when contacting SKV, call Lily instead of Alice (the two employees) - just a tip.
Also be sure to get PAC to send their answer on an e-mail after talking to them.
Good luck and welcome.

Grüß

[Dumpe]

You've got a private message
Gruß miniky

[A-J]

Thank you again for all advise and hints.

I looked around the net for a Shooting range around Middelfart in the Internet. Mostly 22LR and no information about
the other possibilities. I believe I have to phone around there. In Germany you are are able to hire private shooting ranges or cinemas that fits
to your demands. I guess Denmark is more limited as Germany....

Is there any reliable translation of the danish gun law for foreigners ?

Next Monday, I go ahead with the officials, so stay tuned.

Have a nice Sunday and again thank you very much.

[Flugteren]

Thank you again for all advise and hints.

I looked around the net for a Shooting range around Middelfart in the Internet. Mostly 22LR and no information about
the other possibilities. I believe I have to phone around there. In Germany you are are able to hire private shooting ranges or cinemas that fits
to your demands. I guess Denmark is more limited as Germany....

Is there any reliable translation of the danish gun law for foreigners ?

Next Monday, I go ahead with the officials, so stay tuned.

Have a nice Sunday and again thank you very much.

Yep, call the different clubs for further information. Some of the clubs are small and they do not always have the most up to date website.

Sport shooters are limited in Denmark in the sense that they have to belong to a club in order to obtain their permits. Hunters just have to apply via the national online application site. Sport shooters are also not allowed to shoot on private land, it has to be done at approved ranges. Hunters can shoot their rifles and shotguns on private land, as long as it is secure and that do you not shoot more than five times a year in the same spot (main concerns are noise pollution).

[MortenV]

Hunters can shoot their rifles and shotguns on private land, as long as it is secure and that do you not shoot more than five times a year in the same spot (main concerns are noise pollution).

A sidetrack to the debate. But that is not completely true. You have to register it with the police as a temporary shooting ground.

[PSindrup]

Hi André und herzlich willkommen

Please do not bring your weapons to Denmark without the proper permissions - not even for a short period of time - that would send you directly to jail (if caught) for at least a year, for "Illegal Possession of a Firearm".

Peter

What part of what André has told us, could make you think that that was something he was even considering?

Nothing!

Peter

[Flugteren]

Hunters can shoot their rifles and shotguns on private land, as long as it is secure and that do you not shoot more than five times a year in the same spot (main concerns are noise pollution).

A sidetrack to the debate. But that is not completely true. You have to register it with the police as a temporary shooting ground.

How and where do you do that? Hunters are allowed to sight in their weapons on private land, provided it can be done in a safe manner. Plenty of hunters do this every year. Nowhere is that to be registered as a temporary shooting ground.

[T-REX]

Also, in Denmark, Handguns are NOT allowed for ANY type of hunting.
You are only allowed, to use Handguns, on approved Shooting Ranges
No hunting and no (live) training at home, unless, you live at an approved Shooting Range.


You can not bring your Colt Python, as to use for "Fangschuss" of what you hunt, like you can, in Germany.

[PSindrup]

Hunters can shoot their rifles and shotguns on private land, as long as it is secure and that do you not shoot more than five times a year in the same spot (main concerns are noise pollution).

A sidetrack to the debate. But that is not completely true. You have to register it with the police as a temporary shooting ground.

Det er simpelthen ikke korrekt.

Du må f.eks. skyde lerduer på din egen grund, hvis den I øvrigt overholder sikkerhedsreglerne uden ansøgning.
Du skal jo heller ikke søge om at gå på jagt på den jord du har jagtretten på.

Peter

[Refraktorius]

Stay on topic, gentlemen!

[PSindrup]

Stay on topic, gentlemen!

Sorry, my comment was ment as a PM

Peter