I am off to RSA on April 27th for my first safari. Do I need to submit my SAP 311 application right away or is this handled upon my arrival in Africa? The link on the African Hunter website suggest that this should be submitted 6 - 8 weeks before arrival and that you will be notified by fax or e-mail if the application was successful. I seem to recall reading somewhere else that the form was to be completed in black ink and signed in front of RSA officials. Help!

If you submit it right away all they will have to do is verify the information and sign it. Wait a minute, what's so different from taking it with you

Myself, I'd get hold of Air2000, for $50 they meet you at the gate, get you to the front of the line to have your passport stamped. Grab your baggage for you and get you to the front of the gun line. It's easy enough to do it by yourself, but some days it could save you a couple hours wait. Plus, if they decide to F with you about some minor thing, you have the right person with you to get it handled. I've never had any problems, but like having someone there to worry about fixing problems so I don't have to.

Hogfan

Here is the updated information from the official PHASA website, It explains everything clearly

Have a wonderful trip

Regards, Peter
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Importation of Firearms

Visitors bringing firearms into South Africa for hunting purposes should try to obtain a copy of the Temporary Firearm Import Application � SAP311 in advance from their hunting outfitter, and complete this form before arrival in South Africa. This is recommended if possible to help streamline the entry process. The form however can be filled out on arrival. The form must be completed in black ink and left unsigned until the document is finalized in front of the police official issuing the actual permit at the airport.

Required along with the SAP311 will be the following:

Passport
Airline Ticket
Proof of Ownership, i.e. firearm licenses, etc.
While the South African Police Service has been lenient up until now regarding proof of ownership, they are now stricter in this regard. To preclude any problems on arrival, please make sure you have proof of ownership by the way of a gun license, customs declaration letter from the country of origin, etc. Proof of ownership is obligatory.
Contact Details for Client While in South Africa
Please make sure that you have the company name, and the name of your outfitter, as well as addresses and contact telephone numbers in South Africa of where they will be staying/hunting during the course of your hunt. Both business telephone number and cell number must be supplied. This information is necessary for the actual Temporary Import Permit, as well as if the Police need to get in contact for any reason.

We would recommend a letter from the outfitter addressed to the client with all these details which the client can produce on arrival. The police are also fully aware of the nature conservation legislation and the fact that a hunt undertaken by a foreign client legally must be organized by a hunting outfitter, therefore if a client cannot produce who his outfitter is and where he will be hunting, it may be presumed he does not have an outfitter and could be operating illegally in South Africa. In such a case the SAPS may not issue a Temporary Import Permit and hold the client�s firearm/s in safekeeping until that client leaves South Africa.

Firearms will be physically inspected to ensure the serial numbers match those of the licenses and the application forms. Ammunition will also be inspected, and it is important to note that this ammunition also requires a permit..

For visitors clearing customs at the Johannesburg International Airport, please take note the following procedure to be followed on arrival:

Clear passport control in whichever Terminal where the flight arrives. (Generally, SAA and its co-partners at Terminal 2, and all other airlines in Terminal 1).
Proceed to baggage claim at the respective carousel. Pick up general baggage, then proceed to the respective airline Help Desk to pick up firearm/s from the airline company and sign receipt for the firearm/s.
Proceed to the South African Police Firearm Ofice. Look for the office signage.
(N.B. Do not at this stage proceed to customs)
On receipt of the temporary import permit at the SAP Firearms Office, proceed to Customs, the Red Zone, where you declare the firearm/s and finish other custom clearance procedures.
For those visitors clearing customs at any of the other international points of entry, please take note of the relevant suggestions made above which relate to documentation, requirements, etc.

Please ensure sufficient time is allowed to go through the temporary importation permit process and to clear customs. During the busy periods of the hunting season up to seventy clients may be needing permits at the same time. We would therefore recommend at least three hours should be set aside for this procedure.


Also, please ensure that your firearms arrive on the same flight as you do. This must be done with the airline company on departure. Your firearm/s may only be signed for by you and will not be released to your outfitter or professional hunter should it/they arrive on a separate flight. In this case, the firearm/s will be held by the SAPS until such time as you claim ownership in person.

Please do not pay for any service regarding the handling of a firearm at Johannesburg International Airport, or any port of entry. This is a free service and the South African Police Service asks clients not to pay anybody involved in handling firarms from the time of arrival in South Africa right through until you received your firearm and the permit from the SAPS. Clients that are paying the various airline company staff or the security company involved are actually creating a problem. Please note however that there is a handling fee charged by airlines and/or security companies for the handling of handguns.

Temporary Import Permits (SAP312) are issued to the particular person and are not transferable. Temporary Import permits are issued for a period of 90 or 180 days. When the visitor departs from the country, he MUST take all the firearms as stated on the Import Permit with him. He is not allowed to leave any of the firearms mentioned on the SAP 312 in South Africa.

Should a firearm not be declared and a temporary import permit not issued, and you proceed through customs without declaring a firearm, you will face severe penalties and possible arrest on departure from South Africa.

*There is no permit required, nor any charge by the South African Police Service for a bow. Handling fees are charged by airline and/or security companies for bows and handguns, but not for rifles.

No more than one firearm per caliber and 200 rounds per caliber will be allowed into the country. The only exception to this is for shotguns, where more than one shotgun of the same caliber may be allowed for bird hunting purposes if the client produces on arrival at the South African Police Gun Office an acceptable written motivation as to why he/she requires more than one shotgun of the same caliber.

Permits will only be issued for ammunition which is accompanied by a firearm of the same caliber.

Temporary Import Permits will not be issued for anyone under the age of 21.

Prohibitions of firearms are: (Section 32 of the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1969) (Act. No 75 of 1969)

Automatic Rifles
Semi-automatic Rifles
Automatic or Semi-Automatic Shotguns
Hand Carbines
Strict controls on automatic and semi-automatic firearms are enforced.

This will affect clients wanting to bring in semi-automatic shotguns on temporary import permits. The latest requirement which is in effect immediately is that no temporary import permit will be issued unless the application is made in advance together with a motivational letter as to why the shotgun is needed. The application must be made through the Central Firearms Registry.

The SAPS requests applications for semi-automatic shotguns be made well in advance so that the necessary administrative work can be completed authorizing the issuing of the permit before the client arrives in South Africa. No application on arrival will be considered.

No temporary imports will be issued for semi-automatic or automatic rifles.

Peter,

Thanks for the information. I assume that my form 4457 will be adequate proof of ownership??

David

Hogfan ( David )



The 4457 is not truly a proof of ownership as I see it, but it would proberbly meet the test in most instances..



The age old problem we all face whether in the USA or Africa is the particular customs & immigration agent whom we have to deal with on the day, he may have a bloody hangover or wife problems and even with all the paper work correct he sometimes puts his own slant or interpretation on it and can at times be a SOB ...



If you do have any other bona fide proof of ownweship I would take it along as well, just in case the joker you meet has a bad hair day ... the old scouts code of conduct applies, be prepared ....



Our extinguished guests may have some better information pertaining to gun ownership proof ....

I agree with Peter 100%.

Regards,

Terry

your outfitter should have sent you a copy of the SAP311, but if he has not, you can download it from my website. Just go to any of the hunting destination pages and then click on News & Special Offers icon.

If you're travelling with British Airways you should also read the warning on the same page........ have a good hunt.

I send out 311s to all my RSA clients and they are instructed to fill them out in detail properly but not to sign them, they will sign them when they are instructed to do so....It pushes them through a bit faster...

Peter,

Thanks again for the info. What other type of proof of ownership would you suggest?

David

I'm sure like most things in life there are exceptions to this. I'm sure also that some of you have seen something different. However I travel back and forth at least twice a year and I go through this procedure every time. Since the 911 situation and the requirement to go through the SAP's office for the permits here is what I have seen 100% of the time, without exception. This includes all three trips in 2003 two to Joburg and one to Cape Town.

When you arrive out of the imigration line you will go to fetch your luggage. During this short wait to find your things the line is already growing at the SAP's office. However as you look over there, you see no guns yet? A bit more time goes by and you see the line of Camo clad hunters is even longer. While your waiting for the your suitcase to pop up you see quite a few more Camo clad hunters searching for their luggage.

Finally you get your suitcase, put it on the cart and walk over to get in the line. The cart filled with rifles shows up and they start matching them up with the people in line. The first guy in line has not recieved his gun case yet, but guy number 5 in line does get his. He cannot however get into the SAP's office because it's not his turn( hangup possibility number 1)

When the first guy in line finally gets his gun case he walks into the tiny little office and presents it to the officer. He opens the case and the police ask for his ammo, passport, etc etc. He says well my partner is out collecting the bags and my ammo is in the suitcase. (hangup #2)

Few if any of the people in line know what's going on inside this office. They are tired and travel weary and talking among themselves about their hunting. When this fella is finally done and walks out the next guy moves in with his guns. He cannot find the (pick one) Keys, return flight coupon, phone number of the outfitter, the outfitters address, 4457 form, etc etc (hangups #3 through ????)

The next fella comes in and only brings his gun case when they ask for the ammo he has to leave the office and empty his stinking suitcase out on the floor of the airport with dozens of people walking by stepping over his cloths and other crap while he is digging for his bullets. Then he has to stuff everything back into this case and it does not fit back in so he is in a panic because everyone is staring at him and his crap and he is holding up the other 20 anxious people in line.

Now for those who have a prefilled SAP's form. It's a good reference but to this date I have never seen one accepted a single time, NOT ONCE! they take it from you and put it under the tablet they are using and do not even look at it.

You see the SAP's office has no copy machine. They have a tablet with individual numbered forms, and use carbon paper between the various copies. They must have an original that is an exact match to yours. This will be your gun permit while in RSA. While you sit there and show them everthing they ask for which includes:
return plane ticket
passport
proof of gun ownership(4457)
address of outfitter
phone of outfitter( no cell phones, and they know all the prefix numbers)
Ammo
gun( keep the keys handy)

Hmmm,......am I missing something else here?

Once you sit and provide these few things you will be out of that offcie in under 3 minutes. No matter how well you are prepared the length of time to get through all depends on the folks in line in front of you. That prefilled form might make you feel better but they don't use them.

I suppose like most things there are going to be exceptions to this and some officer might use it in some way? All I'm reporting back to you folks is that I do this a lot and I have never yet seen it accepted. Even if they do accept it who keeps it? how do they copy it so you get a gun permit? It's not a usable or functional form without a duplicate for them to have. Even if you bring several copies which I tried they gave them all back to me along with the ones they filled out. When I asked why they don't use the ones I already filled out, the reply was that they are not numbered from their log book. The must have the originals bound in this log book which are then filed by date should they need to be looked up. The loose copies are not acceptable.

The biggest struggle with the process is that the majority of outfitters do not go through the process and cannot assit you much with what to expect. PHASA has made some improvements but they are not really all that involved with it now or trying to change it to make is a bit smoother. On occasion there is a PHASA guy there helping to get the folks in line to realise what they need. The great majority of arriving hunters have absolutely no idea what they need and don't have address's or phone numbers of the outfitters. Plenty come with no 4457 or any proof of ownership. There is so little guidance given to these hunters I begin to feel sorry for them. There is a lot more to booking a hunt or being an Outfitter then giving you a place to sleep and some big game hunting!

I've experienced what JJHack has, I've never had my SAP's form I filled out used.



I think what hogfan is getting at is the request of the SAP's office starting last year for people to submit their 311 form in advance.



This year the SAP's office recommend for you to apply for your permit a month or so ahead of time with them and they would mail your permit back to you. You would then bring that and have them verify the sn's and sign it, saving them paperwork at the airport and speeding things up.



I personally like Air2000 for new people because they have you provide all information before you go and will catch any discrepancies on your part that may lead to problems in the airport such as to much ammo, brining ammo for a rifle your not brining, bringing to many guns etc... They then obtain a permit for you from SAP's and all you have to do in the SAP office is have them verify the SN's take the provided duplicate copy and sign your copy and your out of there. In my case this year they didn't even verify the sn's, just signed my permit and took the duplicate copy. I even went as far as instead of waiting in line, to walk up and tell them I had my permit already it just needed to be signed, they were thrilled about it and left the office, came out signed it and I was on my way without waiting.



Booking agents need to stay on top of the new requests by SAP's because if everyone was to apply in advance the wait would almost be non-existent. Instead they blindly fax a 311 to their client and wash their hands of it, hence the circus at the airport with hunters having no clue where to go or what to do.

How can one get in contact with AIR2000?

Thanks Terry, I was not aware they had a web site. At the very least I would travel with their phone number in case there was ever an issue with baggage/guns etc.. they would be a great asset in getting any problems resolved.

Unfortunately, it looks like Air2000 only operates out of Jo-Berg (at least from reviewing their website). I will be arriving in Capetown then onto Port Elizabeth.

JJHACK,

Thanks for the reply. I now have a very clear "visual" as to what to expect when I get off the plane!

Ok, I have a stupid question. When i hunted Zimbabwe in 01, my travel agent ( Gracy Travel) told me check my guns only to Jo'Berg, then reclaim them there before getting on my connecting flight(Air Zim). For my upcomng trip back to Zimbabwe, I'll be on SAA all the way to Bulawayo, so If I check my guns all the way through will I be able to avoid this cluster in Jo'Berg and if I don't do I risk a problem with losing/delaying my guns once I arrive in Zim? jorge

Just finished getting my info to Anne at Air2000, she told me what to expect when we get to JNB. My next question was to confirm cost and what currency, her answer was no cost to me they bill or have arrangements with our outfitter(Garry Kelly). I know I pay for it somewhere but nice to know you do not have dig out your cash in the airport.

Dulcinea

I go every year, I pre fill out my 311, I get off the plane at JB or Capetown, wait my turn and am in there 10 minutes and asked to sign it and I'm out...Same for all my clients, have had no problems, nor have my clients...so why should I change my procedure?

Dulcinea, you are going this year I take it?

If I send you a DVD, can you bring it with you for Garry?

No doubt that would be more reliable thent he mail over there

GMaxon,

Absolutly, that is what we are all here for. Leaving June 9.

PM on the way

Dulcinea