Border Force stop issuing export permits

[ColinJ]

Submitted an online application for a Temporary Export Permit this morning and got the following reply:

Border Force and the United Kingdom have ceased issuing these bespoke temporary export licences for people taking firearms to South Africa for recreational purposes. The South African authorities are aware of this policy change, which has only just come into effect. I would recommend you check with the South African Customs if you are required to obtain any other documentation from themselves prior to travelling.

We never used to need them, so I am pleased to see this. I just hope that the stroppy lady at the Firearms Desk at Johannesburg' Airport has got the memo!

 

[Safari Hunter]

This is a cock up guys. Border Force will not issue a temporary export letter BUT South Africa still need it. I am working to try to resolve this but it looks at the moment the only way to fix it is to get pre authorised permits. I will update when I get more information.

 

[Safari Hunter]

OK so I have now got into this more and one hand does not know what the other is doing.
1. Border Force are definitely not doing temporary export letters
2. South Africa definitely will not allow firearms in without one.
The reasoning here is some ministers have been talking and come up with a plan that no one seems to know about. Allegedly UK FAC will have some new wording on it to allow firearms to be taken to approved countries. This does not help anyone unless your certificate was issued this week, and probably too early to have it on anyway. South Africa do not care about this and want a letter.
The issue from Border Force is UK residents taking firearms into Zim from South Africa. There is an embargo and the UK want to enforce this. If there is wording on the licence it cannot go into Zim. That's what I have been told today.
So how do we get around this? Well basically you cannot unless you apply to one of the Companies doing pre arranged permits. They will need 21 clear working days before you go and will cost £150 + depending on who you use. Afton, Air2000, Adele, PHASA all do them.
My suspicion with all of this is they do not want us hunting in South Africa and some anti minister has got his claws into something and found a loophole to stop it. Just my opinion.
I will keep looking at it to see where it goes.

Cheers all
Adrian

 

[Foxyboy43]

Hmmm. It gets worse - pal has just been told London Gatwick will not accept his party’s trophies from their trip in April…

 

[Jon P]

Hmmm. It gets worse - pal has just been told London Gatwick will not accept his party’s trophies from their trip in April…

I had heard that Heathrow had stopped and Gatwick was still running- hopefully I have been given mis information and both have not stopped.

We currently have stuff out there from June 24, have been told it won’t be ready till September 2026. Getting tempting to tell them to bin it and cut the losses. 50% taxidermy paid already.

 

[ColinJ]

I’m going in 4 weeks, I’ll let you know what happens!

 

[RH Somerset]

OK so I have now got into this more and one hand does not know what the other is doing.
1. Border Force are definitely not doing temporary export letters
2. South Africa definitely will not allow firearms in without one.
The reasoning here is some ministers have been talking and come up with a plan that no one seems to know about. Allegedly UK FAC will have some new wording on it to allow firearms to be taken to approved countries. This does not help anyone unless your certificate was issued this week, and probably too early to have it on anyway. South Africa do not care about this and want a letter.
The issue from Border Force is UK residents taking firearms into Zim from South Africa. There is an embargo and the UK want to enforce this. If there is wording on the licence it cannot go into Zim. That's what I have been told today.
So how do we get around this? Well basically you cannot unless you apply to one of the Companies doing pre arranged permits. They will need 21 clear working days before you go and will cost £150 + depending on who you use. Afton, Air2000, Adele, PHASA all do them.
My suspicion with all of this is they do not want us hunting in South Africa and some anti minister has got his claws into something and found a loophole to stop it. Just my opinion.
I will keep looking at it to see where it goes.

Cheers all
Adrian

Thanks for the info.

I have actually got pre arranged permits both this year and last with just a couple of days notice. The price was 150 USD per person. I used Adele both times.

This year Border Force almost did not let us export the rifles because we had not asked them for export letters. I knew we didn’t need them because we had permits waiting for us in Joburg. There was a big argument about it, but they let us go in the end.

Can you please clarify what the problem will be with Zim? How could some wording on the FAC prevent someone taking a rifle to Zim if they wanted to?

Thanks

 

[Koenig]

Honestly, my dog could make a better job of progressing this at the UK end…

 

[RH Somerset]

No one at Border Force seems to actually know what the rules are, which is much of the problem.

We were actually threatened with arrest for trying to export firearms without an export license - which isn’t even needed.

 

[tusker]

Submitted an online application for a Temporary Export Permit this morning and got the following reply:

Border Force and the United Kingdom have ceased issuing these bespoke temporary export licences for people taking firearms to South Africa for recreational purposes. The South African authorities are aware of this policy change, which has only just come into effect. I would recommend you check with the South African Customs if you are required to obtain any other documentation from themselves prior to travelling.

We never used to need them, so I am pleased to see this. I just hope that the stroppy lady at the Firearms Desk at Johannesburg' Airport has got the memo!

do I need an export licence for Hungary?
Tusker

 

[XYZ]

Does this affect in transit firearms that are going to Namibia through Johannesburg for example?

 

[RH Somerset]

If the firearms are checked all the way to final destination you don’t need a SA permit.

If you are clearing the guns in SA and checking in again - perhaps because of an overnight stop - then you do need a permit.

 

[ianevans]

Submitted an online application for a Temporary Export Permit this morning and got the following reply:

Border Force and the United Kingdom have ceased issuing these bespoke temporary export licences for people taking firearms to South Africa for recreational purposes. The South African authorities are aware of this policy change, which has only just come into effect. I would recommend ent application in 10days ago and receivyou check with the South African Customs if you are required to obtain any other documentation from themselves prior to travelling.

We never used to need them, so I am pleased to see this. I just hope that the stroppy lady at the Firearms Desk at Johannesburg' Airport has got the memo!

Submitted an online application for a Temporary Export Permit this morning and got the following reply:

Border Force and the United Kingdom have ceased issuing these bespoke temporary export licences for people taking firearms to South Africa for recreational purposes. The South African authorities are aware of this policy change, which has only just come into effect. I would recommend you check with the South African Customs if you are required to obtain any other documentation from themselves prior to travelling.

We never used to need them, so I am pleased to see this. I just hope that the stroppy lady at the Firearms Desk at Johannesburg' Airport has got the memo!

I sent applications of 10days ago and received permit last week

 

[ianevans]

I sent application off 10days ago and received letter last week

 

[NickJ]

Thanks for the info.

I have actually got pre arranged permits both this year and last with just a couple of days notice. The price was 150 USD per person. I used Adele both times.

This year Border Force almost did not let us export the rifles because we had not asked them for export letters. I knew we didn’t need them because we had permits waiting for us in Joburg. There was a big argument about it, but they let us go in the end.

Can you please clarify what the problem will be with Zim? How could some wording on the FAC prevent someone taking a rifle to Zim if they wanted to?

Thanks

I think he means: there is a UK (and EU) ban on exporting arms to Zim and some people have been trying to get around it by going via South Africa

 

[RH Somerset]

.

 

[Selous]

Thanks for the info.

I have actually got pre arranged permits both this year and last with just a couple of days notice. The price was 150 USD per person. I used Adele both times.

This year Border Force almost did not let us export the rifles because we had not asked them for export letters. I knew we didn’t need them because we had permits waiting for us in Joburg. There was a big argument about it, but they let us go in the end.

Can you please clarify what the problem will be with Zim? How could some wording on the FAC prevent someone taking a rifle to Zim if they wanted to?

Thanks

I looked into this in detail for a trip to Zim last year. The problem as has been said is there is an arms embargo against Zimbabwe which means it is an illegal act to enter Zim with a firearm or ammunition. This potentially carries a custodial sentence or up to £20k fine from memory. The difficulty is that the offence is committed regardless of means or route of entry into Zim. If the UK authorities were to become aware of a UK citizen entering Zim with a firearm they could press charges. We decided it wasn’t worth the risk, especially where data is transferred so readily and we ended up using camp rifles. If you could obtain a temporary export licence (SIEL) then it would be legal but I was not able to do this as I couldn’t get anyone in Zim government confirm that we could get an import permit at the airport. It was a lot of time and effort to find that I was in an administrative dead end.

 

[sh1kar]

Pretty easy to enforce. BF simply look at your passport for Zim stamps while they are dealing with firearms admin in the red channel.

S

 

[NickJ]

Pretty easy to enforce. BF simply look at your passport for Zim stamps while they are dealing with firearms admin in the red channel.

S

We were told 'that's why people used to ask for stickers rather than stamps at the Zim border post' but with electronic gates coming in then that won't work. We heard of a German guy who got caught in 2023, lost his FAC and got fined thousands of Euros

 

[sh1kar]

We were told 'that's why people used to ask for stickers rather than stamps at the Zim border post' but with electronic gates coming in then that won't work. We heard of a German guy who got caught in 2023, lost his FAC and got fined thousands of Euros

Why I never risked it. Although with dual nationality I could use 2 passports. I have a UAE/UK mate who does that regularly