Weapons — Germany
What travelers need to know about weapons in Germany. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Weapons in Germany: restricted — there are real limits travelers must follow.
You ALWAYS need a licence, issued in advance by the competent German weapons authority, to bring firearms or ammunition into Germany from outside the EU - and they must always be declared to customs. Weapons that are freely available for sale in the US may be restricted or outright banned in Germany.
Illegally bringing firearms or ammunition into Germany is punishable by imprisonment for up to five years, and up to ten years in particularly serious cases. German customs states that non-observance of firearms legislation is ALWAYS followed by criminal proceedings and confiscation of the items.
§ German Customs Administration (Zoll) - Weapons and ammunitionVerified Aug 18, 2026