Items that require a permit or consent to import

Learn what items need a permit or consent to import and who can apply for them.

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What is a permit to import

A permit to import grants permission to bring your arms items into New Zealand from overseas. You need a permit to import even if you are bringing your item back after taking it overseas.

You need a permit to import:

  • Standard firearms and magazines
  • Parts
  • Airguns - restricted and high-energy
  • Pistols and large capacity pistols magazines
  • Restricted weapons
  • Restricted firearms and magazines
  • Pistol carbine conversion kits
  • Air pistol carbine conversion kits
  • Offensive weapons
  • Blank firing guns, parts and exempt blank firing guns
  • Exempt standard firearms and exempt pistols
     

How much it costs

There is no fee for a permit to import.

When to apply

You must apply for a permit before your items arrive in New Zealand, otherwise the items may be seized or detained by New Zealand Customs or New Zealand Police. Applications may take around 5-6 weeks to process.

How long does a permit to import last 

Permits expire 12 months after the date on which that permit was issued.

If you're importing more items on the same permit, be aware your permit to import only remains valid for 30 days from the time that your first arms item enters New Zealand. If you have not used the permit within that 12-month period, you will need to apply for a new one. Permits do not get renewed.

Your permit to import may be revoked at any time by a Arms Officer. If your permit is revoked, you will be notified in writing and you will no longer be able to use it.

Arms items and weapons that require a permit to import

Standard firearms and magazines

Who can apply 

You must have a New Zealand firearms licence to apply for a permit to import. 

Airguns - restricted and high-energy

Who can apply 

  • For restricted airguns, you must be aged 18 or over to apply for a permit to import. You do not need a firearms licence. 
  • If you are 16 or 17, you must have a firearms licence to apply.
  • You must also provide a special reason why the item should be allowed into New Zealand.
  • For high-energy airguns, you must have a New Zealand firearms licence to apply for a permit to import.

Air pistol carbine conversion kits

Who can apply

Although you need to apply for a permit to import, you do not need a firearms licence.

However, you must:

  • be a member of an airsoft or paintball club affiliated with a national airsoft or paintball organisation
  • satisfy Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand that you will use the kit for airsoft or paintball as a member of that club. 

Blank firing guns, parts and exempt blank firing guns

Require a licence and special reason to import.

Exempt standard firearms and exempt pistols

Exempt standard firearms and exempt pistols do not require a licence to possess but do require a permit to import.

Parts

Who can apply 

Parts have the same eligibility requirements as the items they are used for.

Check who can apply for standard firearms and magazines, restricted firearms and magazines, pistols or restricted weapons.

Pistol carbine conversion kits

Who can apply 

You must have an endorsement on your licence for pistols in one of the following capacities to apply for a permit to import.

  • As a member of a pistol target shooting club.
  • As a bona fide collector of firearms.
  • As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
  • As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
    • a broadcaster or theatre company or society
    • a cinematic or television film production company
    • a video recording production company.
  • As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
  • As a licensed business.

You must also provide a special reason why the item should be allowed into New Zealand.

Pistols and large capacity pistols magazines

Who can apply 

You must have an endorsement on your licence for pistols in one of the following capacities to apply for a permit to import.

  • As a member of a pistol target shooting club.
  • As a bona fide collector of firearms.
  • As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
  • As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
    • a broadcaster or theatre company or society
    • a cinematic or television film production company
    • a video recording production company.
  • As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
  • As a licensed business.

You must also provide a special reason why the item should be allowed into New Zealand.

Restricted firearms and magazines

Who can apply 

You must have an endorsement on your firearms licence in one of the following capacities to apply for a permit to import.

  • As a Animal and biosecurity controller who is:
    • Employed or engaged by the Department of Conservation and involved in operations for the purpose of controlling wild animals or animal pests in accordance with a specified Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
    • The holder of a concession granted by the Minister of Conservation to undertake wild animal recovery operations in accordance with a specified Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
    • Employed or engaged by a management agency as defined in section 100 of the Biosecurity Act 1993 and involved in operations for the purpose of controlling wild animals or animal pests in accordance with that Act (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
    • A person whose sole business, or a substantial part of whose business, is providing services to control any prescribed wild animals or animal pests, or a person employed or engaged by that person for that purpose (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
    • A person who is the owner or manager, or is an employee, of an agricultural, a horticultural, or a silvicultural business, if there is a real possibility that the commercial viability of the business would be detrimentally affected to a significant extent by the presence of prescribed wild animals or animal pests on any land used for that business (subject to prescribed limits, if any).
  • As a bona fide collector of firearms.
  • As a person to whom the item as special significance as a memento or heirloom.
  • As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
  • As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
  • a broadcaster or theatre company or society
  • a cinematic or television film production company
  • a video recording production company.
  • As a licensed business.

You must also provide a special reason why the item should be allowed into New Zealand.

Restricted weapons

Who can apply 

You must have an endorsement on your licence for restricted weapons, in one of the following capacities to apply for a permit to import.

  • As a bona fide collector of firearms.
  • As a person for whom the item has special significance as a memento or heirloom.
  • As an employee or approved member (including theatrical armourers) of:
    • a broadcaster or theatre company or society
    • a cinematic or television film production company
    • a video recording production company.
  • As a director or curator of a bona fide museum.
  • As a licensed business.

You must also provide a special reason why the item should be allowed into New Zealand.

Arms items and weapons that require a consent to import

Offensive weapons

Who can apply 

Anyone can import offensive weapons after they apply for a consent to import.

What is an offensive weapon

Offensive weapons include knuckledusters, disguised weapons, switchblades, bayonets and certain types of knives into New Zealand. 

Read more about Offensive weapons prohibited from importation in the Customs Import Prohibition (Offensive Weapons) Order 2021.

Ammunition

Standard ammunition

Who can apply

You must have a New Zealand firearms licence to apply for a permit to import.

Restricted ammunition

Who can apply

Not many people have approval to apply for a permit to import restricted ammunition. You must be approved by Firearms Safety and Education New Zealand as one of the following:

  • director or curator of a bona fide museum (who may apply to import restricted ammunition manufactured for small arms only)
  • bona fide collector of ammunition (who may apply to import restricted ammunition manufactured for small arms only)
  • researcher employed or contracted by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
  • researcher employed or contracted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).

Directors or curators of bona fide museums, and bona fide collectors of ammunition must also have a firearms licence.

If you are employed or contracted by NZDF or ESR as a researcher of restricted ammunition, speak to your employer first about importation and licensing provisions.

Items that do not require a permit or consent to import

You do not need a permit or consent to import the following arms items: 

  • airguns that are not restricted, high-energy or restricted weapons 
  • non-firing, imitation firearms.

You do not need a permit or consent to import the following parts:   

  • airgun parts and projectiles for airguns   
  • bipods or tripods 
  • buttplates 
  • cheek pads or cheek risers 
  • scopes, sights and their accessories, for example scope rings, rails and mounts 
    slings and sling swivels.

You do not need a permit or consent to import ammunition components such as:

  • projectiles
  • empty cartridges
  • primers, BBs or airgun pellets.  

Items that require a special reason

The requirement to demonstrate a special reason provides a mechanism to closely oversee the introduction of high risk arms items into New Zealand and prevent their proliferation, particularly where those items present heightened public safety, regulatory, or compliance risks. 

The purpose of requiring a special reason is not to prevent lawful import, ownership or use, but to ensure that importation occurs only where there is a genuine and justifiable need for the specific item in New Zealand. This approach supports the broader objectives of the Arms Act.

The term “special reason” is deliberately broad, comprehensive, and flexible. It allows a wide range of matters to be considered on a case by case basis. A special reason is one that sets the application apart from the usual or ordinary reasons that might otherwise be relied upon. What constitutes a special reason will depend on the particular circumstances of each case; a reason that is special in one instance may not be special in another. Any special reason should align with, and be consistent with, the reason the licence holder sought their endorsement (except in the case of restricted airguns which do not require a licence to possess).

Although Firearms Safety and Education has discretion to grant or refuse a permit to import, it may not ban whole categories of firearms or arms items. Each import application must be individually assessed on its own merits.

The responsibility for establishing a special reason rest with the applicant. Applications must be made in writing and include sufficient detail to clearly explain why the applicant believes the item needs to be imported into New Zealand. The applicant should also address whether the same or a substantially similar item is already available within New Zealand.   

Read more about special reason in subsection (6) of Issue of permit to import firearms, etc in the Arms Act 2026.

If you're a visitor

You must provide the details of any arms items you intend to import when applying for a visitor licence. Your permit to import will be processed alongside your visitor licence.

For more information, see Bringing arms items when you visit New Zealand

If you're not sure

If you are not sure if you need a permit or consent to import, email the team: permitfirearms@firearmssafety.govt.nz 

Relevant legislation

Read more in the Arms Act 2026 about:

And read in Customs and Excise Act 2018 about: 

Related links

Apply for a permit to import
After you import items into New Zealand
Consent to import

 

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