A citizen of the European Union can enter the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of engaging in hunting or target shooting if he or she has a European Firearms Pass.
You do not need a prior police authorization for bringing weapons into the Republic of Croatia if up to three pieces of weapons for hunting or target shooting and 500 pieces of ammunition for each weapon are entered in your European Firearms Pass. You do need it, however, if you have more than three pieces of weapons entered in your Pass.
Application for a prior authorization to bring weapons and ammunition into the Republic of Croatia
An application for a prior authorization can be submitted at a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia competent according to the place of permanent residence of an EU Member State citizen. The said authorization must be requested prior to a hunt or a target shooting competition.
The application for a prior authorization should be supported with:
- National weapons license
- European Firearms Pass
- Letter of invitation to a hunt or participate in a target shooting competition (original)
Pending the positive outcome of the application, the prior authorization and other supporting documents may be collected at the competent diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia. A prior authorization is issued for the duration of one year, with the possibility of extension for up to one more year. If a prior authorization has been obtained, additional relevant data will be entered in the European Firearms Pass. A prior authorization will not be issued in case of offences against public order, security of people and property or security of a country.
You must have the national weapons license, European Firearms Pass and the original letter of invitation to a hunt or a target shooting competition with you when entering Croatia. Prior to traveling to Croatia for the purpose of engaging in hunting or target shooting, it is recommended that you check the types of weapons that you are allowed to bring into Croatia.
Bringing weapons and ammunition into and out of non-EU countries
Croatian citizens and foreign nationals can transfer weapons and ammunition of categories B, C and D across the state border for the purpose of hunting or target shooting competitions only. For the purpose of hunting, Croatian citizens and foreign nationals may transfer up to three pieces of appropriate weapons, 500 pieces of ammunition for smooth-bore hunting weapons and 100 pieces of ammunition for rifled bore hunting weapons (selling is prohibited). There are no set limits for target shooting competitions.
You are obliged to declare your weapons and ammunition to the border police and customs. Undeclared weapons and ammunition will be confiscated by the police. You can transfer your weapons and ammunition only across international border crossing points, unless otherwise stipulated by an international agreement.
Entry of weapons and ammunition into travel documents of Croatian citizens
A Croatian citizen and a legal person established in Croatia can bring weapons and ammunition into the country in accordance with an authorization from a police administration or station. A Croatian citizen with permanent residence abroad may bring hunting or sporting weapons and their ammunition into the country for the purpose of engaging in hunting or a target shooting competition without authorization for acquiring weapons obtained from a police administration or station, provided that they are entered in his or her travel document. A diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia will enter weapons and ammunition into the travel document, provided that the country of residence authorized the person in question to carry the said weapons. If the said weapons and their ammunition are not entered in your travel document, you will be issued with an authorization by the border police, which will be annulled when you exit the country. The border police will issue an authorization for bringing weapons and ammunition into the country and enter the relevant data into your travel document, provided that your country of residence authorized you to carry the said weapons.
Entry of weapons and ammunition into travel documents of foreign nationals
If you are a foreign national transiting or arriving to Croatia for the purpose of engaging in hunting, you can transport weapons and their ammunition entered in your travel document across the state border. A diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia enters the said data into your travel document, provided that your country of residence authorized you to carry the said weapons. If the abovementioned is not entered in your travel document, the border police will issue you with an authorization for bringing the weapons and ammunition into the country and enter the relevant data into your travel document, provided that your country of residence authorized you to carry the weapons. The said authorization will be annulled when you exit the country. If you are bringing weapons and ammunition into the country for the purpose of a target shooting competition, the same rules apply, provided that you use the weapons in Croatia. The purpose is irrelevant in case of transit.
European Firearms Pass
In order to participate in hunting or target shooting competitions in the European Union Member States, you need to have both a European Firearms Pass and a weapons license. Since the Republic of Croatia joined the European Union (EU), citizens with a weapons license that allows them to possess weapons for the purpose of target shooting or to possess and carry weapons for the purpose of hunting, must have a European Firearms Pass if they want to participate in target shooting competitions or hunting in the EU Member States. Citizens holding a certificate on declared weapons classified in category C must also have a European Firearms Pass allowing them to possess and carry weapons classified in categories B and C in the countries of the European Union and to transfer them across those countries. An application for obtaining a European Firearms Pass must be submitted at a police administration or station competent according to the applicant’s place of residence. The Pass will be issued with the same expiration date as the weapons license, but not longer than 5 years. When travelling to the EU with the Pass, you must carry with you a valid weapons license and a letter of invitation to a hunt or a target shooting competition. The loss of a European Firearms Pass must be published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia based on a Certificate confirming the loss of a weapons license, which is issued by a police administration or station competent according to the place of permanent residence of the weapons’ owner.
