Firearm certificates and shotgun certificates which are valid in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland, Jersey and Guernsey, are not valid in the Isle of Man and a Visitor's Permit is needed by anyone bringing guns or ammunition into the Island.
This applies to all guns, including all air weapons and crossbows. European Firearms Permits are not valid in the Island but they can be used as proof of authority to possess the firearm(s) in their home country either in lieu of or as well as a Firearm Certificate, when applying for a Visitor's Permit.
An application form for a Temporary Firearms Permit should be completed and sent along with a copy of any existing current Firearm Certificate which shows the authority to possess the firearm(s) and ammunition you wish to bring to the Island, to:
Telephone: +44 1624 631378 or 631402 or 631379
These permits are free of charge at the present time and are valid for up to 12 months.
These are known as Regulated Weapon Certificates in the Island and application forms (Visitor's Regulated Weapons Permit) should be completed and sent to the Firearms Licensing Department (at the address above), along with a copy of any existing Shotgun Certificate which shows the authority to possess the shotgun(s) and ammunition you wish to bring to the Island. Alternatively, a sponsor on the Island can fill in the form on your behalf and in the event of a group of up to 20 people travelling together they can all be included on the same form. However, copies of shotgun certificates from their home police force area will be required for each person who wishes to bring a gun to the Island. There is a cost for these permits (see fees tables below) and they are valid for up to 3 months. Cheques should be made payable to Isle of Man Government.
All air weapons have to be licensed in the Island and they are included on Regulated Weapon Certificates if they are under the power limit where they would otherwise be declared specially dangerous (12 ft lbs/16.3joules for an air rifle or 6ft lbs/8.15joules for air pistols). Air rifles and pistols which have a muzzle energy above those limits must go on Firearm Certificates. Anyone wishing to bring an air weapon to the Island must have the relevant Visitor's Permit (either Regulated Weapon or Firearm Certificate) even though they may have no licence for it in the UK.
All crossbows have to be licensed in the Island unless they have a draw weight of less than 1.4kg. Anyone wishing to bring a crossbow to the Island must apply for a Visitor's Regulated Weapon Permit.
| Firearms | Cost |
|---|---|
| Grant of Firearms Certificate | £75 |
| Renewal or variation | £65 |
| Replacement (where lost/destroyed) | £65 |
| Visitor's permit (white single A4 form) | free |
| Black powder (dangerous goods) licence | £30 |
| Regulated weapons | Cost |
|
Grant/renewal Regulated Weapon Certifcate |
£120 |
|
Grant/renewal Regulated Weapon Certifcate |
£80 |
| Replacement (where lost/destroyed) | £25 |
| Visitor's permit (yellow form) | £12 |
Cheques payable to Isle of Man Government.
