The Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 2004

Visitor’s firearm permit

15.—(1) The holder of a visitor’s firearm permit may, without holding a firearm certificate—

(a) have in his possession any firearm specified in the permit; and

(b) have in his possession, purchase or acquire any ammunition in accordance with the permit.

(2) The Chief Constable may, on an application made by a person resident in Northern Ireland on behalf of a person specified in the application, grant a permit (a “visitor’s firearm permit”) to the specified person.

(3) An application for a visitor’s firearm permit under this Article must—

(a) be made on a form provided by the Chief Constable for the purpose; and

(b) be accompanied by the appropriate fee (if any).

(4) The Chief Constable shall not grant a visitor’s firearm permit unless he is satisfied that the specified person—

(a) is visiting or intending to visit Northern Ireland;

(b) has a good reason for having each firearm and the ammunition to which the permit relates in his possession, or, as respects ammunition, for purchasing or acquiring it, while he is a visitor to Northern Ireland; and

(c) may, under the law of the country in which he resides, lawfully possess that firearm and ammunition.

(5) The Chief Constable shall not grant a person a visitor’s firearm permit as respects any firearm or ammunition if he has reason to believe that—

(a) his possession of the firearm or ammunition in question would represent a danger to public safety or to the peace; or

(b) he is prohibited by this Order from possessing it.

(6) The Chief Constable shall not grant a visitor’s firearm permit as respects any firearm unless—

(a) there is produced to him a document which—

(i) has been issued in another member State under provisions corresponding to the provisions of this Order for the issue of European firearms passes;

(ii) identifies the firearm as a firearm to which the document relates; and

(iii) is valid;

(b) the applicant shows that the person specified in the application is a person who, by reason of his place of residence or any other circumstances, is not entitled to be issued with such a document in any of the other member States; or

(c) the applicant shows that the person specified in the application requires the permit exclusively in connection with the carrying on of activities in respect of which—

(i) that person; or

(ii) the person on whose behalf he is proposing to make use of the authorisation conferred by the permit,

is recognised for the purposes of the law of another member State relating to firearms, as a collector of firearms or a body concerned in the cultural or historical aspects of weapons;

and if, in a case where a document has been produced to the Chief Constable in pursuance of sub-paragraph (a), he grants a visitor’s firearm permit, he shall endorse on the document a statement which identifies the permit and the firearm to which it relates and briefly describes the effect of the permit.

(7) A visitor’s firearm permit shall specify—

(a) the conditions subject to which it is held; and

(b) the number and description of the firearms to which it relates, including their identification numbers and, as respects ammunition, the quantities authorised to be purchased or acquired and to be held at any one time.

(8) A visitor’s firearm permit shall come into force on such date as is specified in it and continue in force for such period, not exceeding twelve months, as is so specified.

(9) A single application (a “group application”) may be made under this Article for the grant of not more than 20 visitor’s firearm permits to persons specified in the application if it is shown to the satisfaction of the Chief Constable that their purpose in having the firearms in question in their possession while visiting Northern Ireland is—

(a) using them for sporting purposes on the same private premises during the same period; or

(b) participating in the same competition or other event or the same series of competitions or other events.

(10) A person who fails to comply with a condition subject to which a visitor’s firearm permit is held by him shall be guilty of an offence.

(11) Any reference in this Order to a person who is entitled to possess, purchase or acquire any firearm or ammunition without holding a firearm certificate includes a reference to a person who is so entitled by virtue of a visitor’s firearm permit.