Buying weapons and dangerous objects when travelling abroad

You always have to notify Swedish Customs when you are carrying any firearm and/or ammunition across the Swedish border. You may also have to give notification if you are carrying other weapons, dangerous objects and/or laser pointers.

To have a firearm, ammunition, dangerous object or laser pointer with you when crossing Sweden’s border, you need a permit from the Swedish Police Authority, Sweden’s Inspectorate of Strategic Products or the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. Find out what each authority requires in your case.

Firearms (information from the Swedish Police Authority).

Weapons (information in swedish from Sweden’s Inspectorate of Strategic Products)

Laser pointers (information in swedish from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority)

The rules that apply when buying a weapon in another country and bringing it into Sweden

The rules that apply when buying a weapon in Sweden and taking it into another country

These are “firearms”

The following are regarded as firearms:

• weapons that fire bullets and/or shot
• crossbows
• tear gas and pepper spray devices
• electroshock weapons and similar
• certain weapon parts.

This is “ammunition”

Ammunition means cartridges and projectiles for hand guns as well as percussion caps and other means of ignition for such cartridges and projectiles.

These are “other weapons”

There are other sorts of weapons that are not legally defined as firearms. Different weapons are covered by different rules and require different permits.

Air and carbonic acid weapons (limited-effect weapons)

Air and carbonic acid weapons means so-called “limited-effect weapons”. They are weapons that are powered by, for example, gas, carbonic acid, a spring or other comparable propellant.

You may bring an air or carbonic acid weapon into Sweden without a permit if:

• you are over 18
• the weapon has effect limitation resulting in the fired projectile having an impact energy of less than 10 joules at four metres from the weapon’s muzzle
• for an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, the impact energy is no more than 3 joules at four metres from the weapon’s muzzle
• the projectile (paint capsule) has a minimum diameter of 16 mm (applies to paintball weapons).

If your air and/or carbonic acid weapon does not satisfy the above-listed requirements for not needing a permit, you must have a licence for the weapon. The rules for ordinary firearms then apply and you must always notify Swedish Customs when you take the weapon across the border.

Harpoon weapons

To bring a harpoon weapon into Sweden, you need a permit from the Swedish Police Authority if:

• You are under 18.
• The distance between the front of the bow to the latching device is over 50 cm.
• The harpoon is powered by more than one string/cord/etc.
• The harpoon is propelled by an explosive substance such as carbonic acid, compressed air or a coiled spring.

These are “dangerous objects”

Dangerous objects mean flick knives, flick stilettos, butterfly knives, knuckle-dusters, throwing stars, batons, nunchakus, blackjacks, chain or studded gloves, spiked clubs and similar. To bring any such object into Sweden, you must have a special permit from the Swedish Police Authority.

Permit for a laser pointer

To bring a strong laser pointer into Sweden, you need a permit from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. Strong laser pointer means a battery-powered, hand-held laser pointer in laser class 3R, 3B or 4. In most cases, this means a laser pointer stronger than 1 milliwatt (1 mW).

Questions and answers

Read questions and answers about buying weapons and dangerous objects when travelling abroad.