Going to New Calidonia in Aug though Sydney. Flying to Sydney and making a connection there... no stay over. On the way back I have to lay over in Sydney so i applied for a B709 gun permit and they refuse it saying I have to have the gun regisered with the NSW police. Does any of this make any sense to you guys.
I talked to The Police a month ago and they said all i need is a b709... now that is not the case, I have to register the gun with the police to overnight, can't leave it in airport lock-up for 9 hours.
Anyone have any Ideas.

Heres the return E-mail from customs.

Dear Mr Maxwell
I am afraid that you've made application for your Customs Import Certificate (B709) for your upcoming trip through Sydney to New Caledonia in August, in the absence of any approval from the Firearms Registry to possess your firearms whilst in our State, as such, your application is refused.

You will need to make urgent enquiries with our Permits Unit at the Firearms Registry to ascertain whether there is any type of Firearm Permit available for the purpose of your stay in our State. Should you be successful on obtaining a Firearm Permit for your visit, the Permits Unit will process the required importation document.

Please email Permits at the following address permits@police.nsw.gov.au<mailto:permits@police.nsw.gov.au>, be sure to mark the email as URGENT in the subject. Feel free to make mention of the fact that you've lodged a B709 application which has been refused on the basis that you do not hold a Permit authorising possession of the firearm whilst in New South Wales.

Regards

Lea Coleman
Coordinator - Imports

We have been trying to solve these issues of transiting Sydney but no result yet. NSW state police are insisting that anyone transiting the state get a local firearms permit, to issue the import permit (B709) ... so that is what Customs are adhering to.

The only way to do it really is to contact the NSW Police firearms registry (google them) and see if they will issue you a temporary (Overseas Visitors) permit and B709. Explain the very short layover and reasons for the import etc.

try - permits@police.gov.au

see what they say.

doesnt your outfitter help you with this stuff?

Thanks Matt. you know, I took care of it myself cause I,m a big boy . or so I thought. My outfitter is in the bush the last several weeks and I finaly called him for help. Turns out there are a couple of ways we can do this. The first is Police and customs now are saying we don't need any paper work ...we can check the guns in the airport and pick them up in the morning. the other is to get a B319 form and get a CCID number and a transhipment permit which will allow me to leave the airport with the gun. I am opting for the latter but will do both to cover my bases.
Thanks for your reply and hope this info helps with your clients traveling through.

You da man

Just be careful which customs officers you take advice from. They will tell you all sorts of stories. If you send me an email or PM I will send you the email and name of a guy who works in the actual firearms section at sydney airport customs. As far as I am aware they will NOT hold in-transit firearms at the airport for any reason. . This has always been law but only recently enforced - apparently. No entry for any firearm without a B709 either...

I do not know of any other way to do it except by B709 and that document will only be issued (automatically) when you have the Visitors Permit from the State Police.

The other documents are to get the guns back out of the country, as a first-time importer.

office@huntaust.com.au

The only thing i can suggest is like I do when i travel to Russia via Korean. That is to check you bags(including rifles) all the way through to you end point(usa) and then just carry an over night bag with some cloths in it. The rifle is not clearing customs, the airport is international ground and therefore no need for a permit unless you take it thought customs.As korean has a ban on all firearms and as much as they ask questions and I need to show them paper work of ownership and travel details i have never had any more trouble than that.Hope thats of some use??

quote:

Originally posted by zhaba:
The only thing i can suggest is like I do when i travel to Russia via Korean. That is to check you bags(including rifles) all the way through to you end point(usa) and then just carry an over night bag with some cloths in it. The rifle is not clearing customs, the airport is international ground and therefore no need for a permit unless you take it thought customs.As korean has a ban on all firearms and as much as they ask questions and I need to show them paper work of ownership and travel details i have never had any more trouble than that.Hope thats of some use??

never thought of that!! Maybe there is some reason why the airlines wont check them right through? Like if it is overnight??

The other thing is - you cannot guarantee that just because your bags are checked right through that they will in fact not be pulled-out in customs and they make you clear them. There are all sorts of reasons why this can happen - flight cancelations for one thing. There is always a risk doing that and not having import documentation.

Why wouldn't they check them right through??? Again that is what I have done many times via Korea when I OVER NIGHT there going to russia. I clear customs with my day bag but my main baggage is check from Sydney to Khabarvosk with no need to touch it. So if the bags are checked all the way through to the states it would be the same!

I do not believe you can do that in Australia, if flights are on separate days - if that IS what Max is doing... Connecting flights only I am pretty sure.

Yes, I am comeing from Nomea to Sydney on Quantis and can't make my United flight until the next morning. Additionaly the flights are booked seperatly on different airlines so I have to recheck bags anyway.

Max - if you do get your B709 from the NSW Police, as suggested - ask them for 2 of them, just in case there is some problem with your flight connections coming in. They will issue two of them on that understanding....