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Flying with your firearm this December

Holiday flights are full and firearm desks are busy in December. Sort it out when you book, not at the airport.

Quick checklist

• Your licence is valid for the firearm, and the card and your ID go with you. In renewal? Carry the SAPS receipt too.
• Tell the airline when you book. Each airline sets its own notice period, routes and fee, and some airports do not handle firearms on every airline.
• Pack the firearm unloaded in a lockable hard case, and the ammunition separately in its own lockable container. Ask the airline how much ammunition it allows.
• Arrive early. Declare the firearm at check-in and hand it over at the firearm desk.
• Collect it at the firearm desk when you land, not on the baggage belt.

Going abroad?

You need a SAPS 520 temporary export permit before you leave, and usually an import permit for the country you visit. Apply weeks ahead.