Buying firearms

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General requirements for applicants:

• the applicant must satisfy the character, sobriety and suitability requirements
• foreign persons with a permanent residence address in Svalbard are requested to obtain a police certificate from their home country. The police certificate must not be more than three months old.
• the applicant must be at least 18 years of age (21 years for pistols or revolvers)
• the applicant must be registered in the population register with an address in Svalbard.

Persons who are not registered as permanent residents of Svalbard, but have a residential address in mainland Norway, must apply to their respective police district.

Fees
For the first-time issuance of a firearms permit, the fee is NOK 1,495. For the extension of an existing firearms permit, the fee is NOK 745. The fee is NOK 374 if you apply for a permit for a registerable firearms accessory.

Firearms for hunting
Firearms permits for hunting can be granted to applicants who are registered in the Norwegian Register of Hunters. Applicants can acquire and possess up to six complete hunting weapons. Hunters can decide which firearms they want in their collection.

In order to be registered in the Norwegian Register of Hunters, you must have completed and passed the hunting proficiency test. Documentation of this must accompany the application.

Firearms permits granted for hunting can also be used for protection from polar bears, see the Governor's guidelines.

Firearms for protection from polar bears
Applications for the acquisition of firearms for protection from polar bears may be granted to applicants who satisfy the general requirements, and who can document “sufficient proficiency in the use of firearms” for the firearms in question, ref. Section 5-7, subsection three, of the Norwegian Firearms Regulations. Applications for the acquisition of firearms for protection from polar bears are granted for 308/ 30-06 (expanding projectile) calibre rifles or 12 bore shotguns (slugs). 

When a firearm has been acquired for polar bear protection, this will appear at the bottom of the firearm card. You cannot take this firearm down to the mainland with you. It must be disposed of before departure from Svalbard.

Documentation supporting the application must be translated into Norwegian or English.

Firearms for shooting sports
Firearms permits for shooting sports may be granted to applicants who can document membership and participation in an association affiliated with an approved shooting organisation. The applicant’s shooting team/club must have (and run) a programme for shooting with the relevant firearms type for which one is applying. The application must specify for which shooting discipline the firearm will be used.

To obtain a permit to acquire a pistol or revolver for shooting sports, the applicant must document:

• completed and documented safety training arranged by the shooting organisation;
• at least six months’ membership of a shooting organisation with a shooting programme approved by the Norwegian National Police Directorate for the firearms type for which one is applying; and
• completion of 10 of the shooting organisation’s organised training sessions or competitions in the last six months.

To obtain a permit to acquire a rifle or shotgun for shooting sports, the applicant must document:

• completed and documented safety training arranged by the shooting organisation;
• at least six months’ membership of a shooting organisation with an approved shooting programme for the firearms type for which one is applying; and
• completion of at least six organised training sessions or competitions arranged by the shooting organisation.

Secure storage requirements
All firearms subject to registration or essential components of the firearms must be stored in an FG approved security cabinet (FG is the Norwegian Insurance Approval Board).

Firearms must be stored inside the holder’s residence at their registered address.