Firearm procedure

Firearm procedure

Updated 18.2.2025 – Revised firearm protocol to Finland for those NOT HAVING European Firearm Pass, Nordic Firearm Permit or Finnish Firearm Permit. The revision is mainly about the process, not the information needed by the Finnish police authority.

The travelling with a Nordic Firearm Permit or a European Firearm Pass does not need a special Finnish permit when entering in Finland with firearms and ammunitions. All others need to apply a Temporary Finnish Temporary Firearm Permit through the help of the LOC.

In Finland an athlete does not need a firearm license for an air rifle or air pistol in calibre less than 6.35 mm; anyway if it is obligatory in your home country to have license for AR/AP keep those with you all the travel time.

The traveler is also responsible for all permits needed during his/her journey in third countries and airliners.

The Temporary Finnish Firearm Permit must be applied through the LOC.

The applications must be done only by member federations for firearm management and costs (43 €/permit) which will be on member federations. The procedure for firearm permits will be as follows

1. Member federations must collect pictures of title pages of passports of athletes with firearms (if multiple users with the same firearm, the firearm owner’s passport is enough)
2. Member federations must collect firearm data of each athlete specified in the Excel-file HERE
3. The passport title pages and Excel file must be sent to the LOC latest 30.4.2025. If changes happen afterwards, contact the LOC immediately with data mentioned above.
4. The LOC will apply Temporary Finnish Firearm Permits countrywise, send permits to member federations involved and invoice costs before championship.

The copies of passports

The Excel file for athlete and firearm data contains following information

1. Surname and first names
2. Date of birth and place of birth
3. Passport number and authority
4. Address
5. Home country
6. Email address
7. Firearm classification (see below)
8. Calibre
9. Type of firearm and function (see below)
10. Make and serial number of a firearm
11. Use of expanding or hole head bullets

EU Firearm classification and function (EY 2021/555 – 24.3.2021, Annex I)

B1 = Repeating short firearms.
B2 = Single-shot short firearms with centre-fire percussion.
B3 = Single-shot short firearms with rimfire percussion the overall length of which is less than 28 cm.
C1 = Repeating long firearms
C2 = Long firearms with single-shot rifled barrels.
C4 = Single-shot short firearms with rimfire percussion the overall length of which is not less than 28 cm.

Definitions
(a) ‘short firearm’ means a firearm with a barrel not exceeding 30 centimetres or whose overall length does not exceed 60 centimetres;
(b) ‘long firearm’ means any firearm other than a short firearm;
(c) ‘automatic firearm’ means a firearm which reloads automatically each time a round is fired and can fire more than one round with one pull on the trigger;
(d) ‘semi-automatic firearm’ means a firearm which reloads automatically each time a round is fired and can fire only one round with one pull on the trigger;
(e) ‘repeating firearm’ means a firearm which, after a round has been fired, is designed to be reloaded from a magazine or cylinder by means of a manually-operated action;
(f) ‘single-shot firearm’ means a firearm with no magazine which is loaded before each shot by the manual insertion of a round into the chamber or a loading recess at the breech of the barrel;

The firearm and ammunition storage service will be organised for those coming prior to the event and staying after the event. During the event firearms and ammunitions will be possessed by the teams. Firearms can be kept in your accommodation (etc) during your stay in Finland. The firearm and ammunition storage service will be open on 30.7.2025 and open until 22.8.2025. The storage will be organised by the LOC or third party co-operation.

The LOC will assist participants to get permissions for their firearms and ammunition if requested.

Note: If you are travelling with a vehicle through Sweden find special guide here.