We often hear amateurish conversations about the possibility of legal transportation of weapons across the border. The question is complex, but knowledge of the legislation and customs rules will help to understand everything.
The issue of moving weapons across the border by an individual is not an idle one. It requires knowledge and compliance by a person with normative legal acts regulating such an order. The fundamental document is the Federal Law of 13.12.1996 No. 150-FZ "On Weapons" (as amended on 21.07.2014) (hereinafter referred to as the Law).
It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that the article deals exclusively with civilian weapons, since an individual on his own initiative is not entitled to move other types of weapons. According to Article 3 of the Law, civilian weapons include: self-defense weapons (this also includes gas weapons, including gas canisters, and traumatic, and stun guns); sporting weapons; hunting weapons; signal weapon; cold bladed weapons designed to be worn with the Cossack uniform, as well as with the national costumes of the peoples of the Russian Federation; weapons used for cultural and educational purposes.
Further, you need to know that civilian weapons belong to special types of goods, in respect of which prohibitions and restrictions are applied when moving them across the customs border. That is, there are weapons and ammunition that are prohibited from being transported across the border (for example, civilian firearms that allow firing bursts, all sorts of shurikens, boomerangs, etc.), and there are those that are restricted to movement. This information can be gleaned from the Unified list of goods to which prohibitions and restrictions apply … approved by the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission dated 16.08.2012 No. 134 "On normative legal acts in the field of non-tariff regulation", or inquire at any nearest customs authority.
Civilian weapons, their parts and cartridges, restricted for movement, can be transported across the border, subject to the law and with the special permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. I repeat, we are not talking about a license for the right to acquire, store, and carry weapons, but specifically about the permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the right to move weapons across the customs border of the Customs Union. Such a permit is issued in a structural subdivision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia - the Main Directorate for the Protection of Public Order and Coordination of Interaction with the Executive Authorities of the Subjects of the Russian Federation. The main office is located at the address: Moscow, st. Zhitnaya, 16, phone +7 (495) 667-54-14. For advice, you can contact the subdivision of the "permitting system" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of residence.
There are differences in the rules for moving weapons across the cordon for Russians and foreigners (stateless persons).
So, with regard to the citizens of Russia. Section 17 of the Law is in effect. A person has the right to export his own civilian weapon from Russia if he has:
- licenses for the right to acquire, store, carry weapons (if such a license is provided);
- permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the right to export weapons.
When passing through customs control at the Russian border, you must present the above documents, the weapon itself, as well as a completed passenger customs declaration. But you must remember that taking out the weapons is half the battle. It still needs to be brought into the country of your destination. And there may be their own procedures, their own restrictions, their own permits.
The same, if you, a citizen of Russia, legally acquired, for example, a gas pistol abroad and want to import it into the Russian Federation, you need to draw up all the necessary permits in the host country (if at all possible), present everything to the border customs, take it weapons across the border, and then face problems when importing them into Russia. Questions will probably arise about the need for certification of weapons; again, permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia will be required to import weapons into the country. If the weapon has signs of cultural value, then more permits from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation will be required. Thus, in any case, the weapon will have to be left for storage at the border customs office and engage in a long bureaucratic task - the preparation of the necessary documents. And return to the border for weapons. Think you need such problems ?!
It's even more difficult with foreigners. According to article 14 of the Law, only three cases are provided for them in which it is possible to import weapons into Russia:
1. To participate in sports competitions, if there is an invitation to the competition and the same permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. This is a sporting weapon.
2. To participate in a hunt on the basis of an appropriate agreement with a hunting farm, with a permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Here we are talking about hunting weapons.
3. To participate in various cultural events or exhibitions, weapons of cultural value - with the permission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and the Ministry of Culture.
No other cases are considered.
At the same time, a foreign citizen has the right to purchase civilian weapons on the territory of Russia to export them from the country. But for this you need a license issued by the internal affairs bodies on the basis of a request from the diplomatic mission of the corresponding foreign state. In this case, the person is obliged to take out the weapon no later than ten days from the date of its acquisition.
It is possible, of course, to purchase certain types of weapons in Russia without a license (for example, a gas canister, a stun gun or a pneumatic weapon), but their export will again require a permit from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Remember! Any weapon transported across the customs border is subject to written declaration to the customs authority at the border by filling out a passenger customs declaration.
The material is current as of September 2014.
