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Firearms and weapons


  • Offensive weapons are prohibited imports. You may not bring these into New Zealand without Police consent.
  • Firearms need a permit before being brought into New Zealand.

Items requiring a permit

You must have a permit issued by Te Tari Pūreke - Firearms Safety Authority (FSA) to import:

  • firearms
  • restricted weapons
  • pistol carbine and air pistol carbine conversion kits
  • ammunition.

You may also need a permit for:

  • certain kinds of magazines
  • firearms parts
  • airguns.

Confirming if a permit to import is required is the importer's responsibility. If you are unsure if a permit is required, contact FSA before attempting to import these items.

A permit must be obtained before the goods are imported into New Zealand. If the goods do not have a permit, they will be seized. 

More information on getting a permit

Restricted weapons such as stun devices and pepper spray require a permit issued by the New Zealand Police.


Prohibited items

Some weapons are prohibited items. These items can only be imported if you have a consent to import issued by the New Zealand Police.

This includes:

  • automatic opening knives, such as flick knives or flick guns
  • gravity or butterfly knives (balisong)
  • swordsticks
  • knuckle-dusters.

These items are prohibited by the Customs Import Prohibition (Offensive Weapons) Order 2021.