Traveling to Zim in August, wondering if anyone has current experiences an tales to tell of passing through customs and registering their guns.

I flew into Bulawayo last month with 2 rifles, it was pretty painless but slow. I also had quite a lot of cash at the request of my outfitter which I declared.

It can be a little slow and inefficient. At times downright stupid. All in all not a big deal. Just relax.

Let me give you of example of downright stupid. Let's say that one has 4 identical boxes of ammo. One would reasonably think that after counting the first box, they would know the count in the other three boxes. Wrong.

Larry,

Many years ago I arrived at the airport in Windhoek. The police wanted to check and count my ammo. I volunteered once they had opened the MTM type box that it was a a 50 round box. It had 5 rows with 10 slots in each row which I pointed out to the cop.(5x10=50) Didn't matter as he individually counted each round.

Mark

Last October they wanted to count my money. I had a wad of 5's and 10's, wife had the 100's. When I pulled it my was they looked and said no put it away. Wife knew to just stand there and not volunteer anything.

In HRE, guns come out, and you must present them to the folks for verification and round count. They hand write it in a book. Be sure to take a firearms import permit filled out in triplicate. Easy stuff. Do not bride them! They have gotten much better and we do not want them going back to the old ways.

Sitting in the Seattle airport right now left Zim yesterday. The gun process is quite painless. The forms online are still current and need to be filled out in triplicate. The online Visa form does not match what they gave us upon arrival. All the same info just a different size form. Once again just remember it is Africa and things that should be simple may prove to take longer than expected. Like Larry mentioned they don't do math well and will often count every shell sometimes more than once as they all don't count that well. All in much much easier than South Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Larry,

Many years ago I arrived at the airport in Windhoek. The police wanted to check and count my ammo. I volunteered once they had opened the MTM type box that it was a a 50 round box. It had 5 rows with 10 slots in each row which I pointed out to the cop.(5x10=50) Didn't matter as he individually counted each round.

Mark

Nothing beats what I had experienced in Tanzania a few years ago for a laugh.

I always take my empties back, to be reloaded again.

I have my ammo in slip on 20 cartridges plastic box. And the fired empties are quite hard to pull out of the box.

The customs officers did not just want to count them, but he actually pulled one out to look inside it!

I said "are you looking for the bullet?"

He answered "Yes".

I said "sometimes it gets stuck inside, you have to shake it to make sure there is nothing inside"

And he proceeded to struggle to pull every single empty, shake it face down, look into it again, and put it back.

I had to turn away and pretend to talk to someone, as I was finding very hard not to laugh

Just make sure you only have ammunition for guns you are carrying, cant bring ammunition for a camp gun for example.Count exact number of rounds by caliber and have it. I shot my rifle in RSA and forgot I had used 2 shells so they made a fuss. Other than that it was slow and remedial.

Thanks last time in Zim was in 2012 just curious if things had changed

quote:

Originally posted by BearCountry953:
Just make sure you only have ammunition for guns you are carrying, cant bring ammunition for a camp gun for example.Count exact number of rounds by caliber and have it. I shot my rifle in RSA and forgot I had used 2 shells so they made a fuss. Other than that it was slow and remedial.

This is not true for Zimbabwe - I wrote to ZIMRA last year about how to legally bring ammo into the country for a rifle owned by my PH. I was told in writing to just enter the ammo on my gun/ammo importation form. The head of the ZIMRA office checked all my gear last year, and there were no questions. I would be happy to furnish anyone with a copy of the e-mail mail i got from ZIMRA if you send me your email address.

This same policy is most likely NOT TRUE for South Africa - their rules seem to be much more stringent.

Just returned from Bubye. Bulawayo was low key, bureaucratic, and disorganized but everyone was generally cordial. We declared cash so I could give the blue form to my Zim PH. They counted my buddies money but just stamped my form. Had a great trip. Heavy rainy season left the area with dense cover and tall grass.

I will be there in 60 days.

Who are you hunting with in Bubye? We were in Nengo this time. What a great camp.

...returned from Zim in Apr, slow, but painless going and coming. 1988 thru 2017 22 trips, and not much has changed. Just be patient.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
I will be there in 60 days.

95 for me....not that I'm counting

28 days for me, and I AM counting!

I'll join up 58 days for me and of course counting

About two weeks and I will be there. Never had a problem prior. Much easier than South Africa.
Cal

Flew into Bulawayo last Sep. I had prefilled the paperwork (sent to me by my PH) and other then the time to open up the gun case and check the serial number, there was nothing to it. They do count the rounds of ammo and caliber.

Flying out, they did check the number of rounds I was leaving with.

Much less hassle the J'burg.

BH63

Just came back from Zim over the weekend. Arrival through Harare was the most painful I have ever had. Took us over two hours to clear guns for 3 hunters and two observers. Counted every round, one by one. Went through every pocket and baggage we had.

I did not disclose cash coming or going. Just hid it well in numerous places.

Left from Vic Falls. They did not even want to see the guns. They just wanted the gun permit back.

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:

quote:

Originally posted by BearCountry953:
Just make sure you only have ammunition for guns you are carrying, cant bring ammunition for a camp gun for example.Count exact number of rounds by caliber and have it. I shot my rifle in RSA and forgot I had used 2 shells so they made a fuss. Other than that it was slow and remedial.

This is not true for Zimbabwe - I wrote to ZIMRA last year about how to legally bring ammo into the country for a rifle owned by my PH. I was told in writing to just enter the ammo on my gun/ammo importation form. The head of the ZIMRA office checked all my gear last year, and there were no questions. I would be happy to furnish anyone with a copy of the e-mail mail i got from ZIMRA if you send me your email address.

This same policy is most likely NOT TRUE for South Africa - their rules seem to be much more stringent.

I was there in 2013 detained, and held by them for over an hour and it cost me to get out. Told me I was bringing unauthorized ammunition as I didn't carry the gun.

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:

quote:

Originally posted by BearCountry953:
Just make sure you only have ammunition for guns you are carrying, cant bring ammunition for a camp gun for example.Count exact number of rounds by caliber and have it. I shot my rifle in RSA and forgot I had used 2 shells so they made a fuss. Other than that it was slow and remedial.

This is not true for Zimbabwe - I wrote to ZIMRA last year about how to legally bring ammo into the country for a rifle owned by my PH. I was told in writing to just enter the ammo on my gun/ammo importation form. The head of the ZIMRA office checked all my gear last year, and there were no questions. I would be happy to furnish anyone with a copy of the e-mail mail i got from ZIMRA if you send me your email address.

This same policy is most likely NOT TRUE for South Africa - their rules seem to be much more stringent.

I would appreciate a copy of your email as I will be bringing in brass and ammo for my PH in 10 days.
I am at <pappas@mtaonline.net>

Thanks,
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:

quote:

Originally posted by subsailor74:

quote:

Originally posted by BearCountry953:
Just make sure you only have ammunition for guns you are carrying, cant bring ammunition for a camp gun for example.Count exact number of rounds by caliber and have it. I shot my rifle in RSA and forgot I had used 2 shells so they made a fuss. Other than that it was slow and remedial.

This is not true for Zimbabwe - I wrote to ZIMRA last year about how to legally bring ammo into the country for a rifle owned by my PH. I was told in writing to just enter the ammo on my gun/ammo importation form. The head of the ZIMRA office checked all my gear last year, and there were no questions. I would be happy to furnish anyone with a copy of the e-mail mail i got from ZIMRA if you send me your email address.

This same policy is most likely NOT TRUE for South Africa - their rules seem to be much more stringent.

I would appreciate a copy of your email as I will be bringing in brass and ammo for my PH in 10 days.
I am at <pappas@mtaonline.net>

Thanks,
Cal

Cal - E-Mail just sent to your e-mail address. Again, this is only true for Zimbabwe as far as I know.

Got it with my thanks.
Cal

I am going in August as well.