Published on 23 July 2025

Importing a weapon

• Before ordering weapons, weapon-related items or weapon accessories on the internet, follow these steps:

  • Before placing your order, it is essential to clarify whether the desired product requires an import permit for Switzerland.
    If you have any questions, please contact your cantonal firearms office or send an email to the Central Weapons Office.
  • If a permit is required for the weapon, you will need an import permit from the Central Weapons Office.
    Please note, that depending on the type of weapon, you need to start by applying for a weapons acquisition permit or an exemption permit at the cantonal firearms office. You will then need to submit this cantonal permit together with the application for a permit for importing firearms and the other required documents to the Central Weapons Office.
    The application form for an import permit is available here:
    'Non commercial order (import)'
  • Order the weapon only after you have received the import permit from the Central Weapons Office.

• Frequently asked questions and answers on internet orders

  I have received a letter from the transport company (e.g. DHL, UPS, TNT or the post office) telling me my order has been blocked and that I need to send an import permit to the Central Weapons Office. However, I do not hold such a permit. What do I need to do?

  You need to obtain an import permit before ordering weapons from abroad. If you have ordered a weapon abroad and do not have the required import permit, you may have committed a criminal offence.

  All goods ordered from abroad must be declared to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). For orders sent by mail or courier services, the transport company, e.g. DHL, UPS, or the post office, handles the customs declaration. For more information on the customs clearance process, please contact the transport company concerned.

  If you have not submitted the import permit by the time of the customs declaration, the transport company hands the weapon over to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). In the event of discrepancies in commercial transactions – regardless of whether a permit can be provided subsequently or not – the FCA must prepare a report and send it to the office of the public prosecutor in your canton of residence.

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  What happens if I don't respond to the transport company's letter?

  If you fail to respond, the consignment will in any case be handed over to the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) for further assessment.

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  I have received a letter from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) informing me that my order has been sent to the office of the public prosecutor. What do I need to do?

  The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) has detected a suspected violation of the Weapons Act in your order, and is obliged to report this to the office of the public prosecutor in your canton. The full responsibility lies with the office of the public prosecutor, which will carry out the criminal assessment.

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  Can I also apply for an import permit retrospectively?

  You are free to apply for an import permit retrospectively. Whether or not the permit is granted in view of the impending or already ongoing criminal proceedings will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Please note: A permit granted in retrospect does not protect you from criminal prosecution nor does it prevent the weapon from being confiscated or destroyed.

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  Question: I have ordered a silencer for a soft-air weapon. Why has the order been blocked at customs?

  Silencers for soft-air weapons that have a silencing effect are considered to be weapon accessories. This is assumed to be the case if, for example, the product has slates or is lined with foam. Importing a silencer therefore requires a permit. However, dummy silencers (without internal sound-absorbing elements) can be imported without a permit.

To import a weapon into Switzerland you require a permit from fedpol. This applies also to a weapon’s essential components, weapons accessories, ammunition and ammunition components. All objects, including their receipts if possible, must be registered with the customs authorities.

• Application for a special permit

  (This document is not available in English)

  PDF147.48 kB22 June 2020

• Application for a permit

  (This document is not available in English)

  PDF211.07 kB20 January 2023

You also require a permit for temporarily importing firearms in the course of a trip or journey. Travellers from the Schengen member states will only be granted a permit if they have a European Firearms Pass.

Hunters and target shooters do not require an additional permit to the European Firearms Pass if they can show proof of participation in a shooting event.

Liechtenstein

If you are definitely importing a weapon from Liechtenstein, you must report it to the appropriate cantonal authority.

• Detailled information

  (This document is not available in English)

  PDF76.84 kB20 June 2022