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Looking at maybe booking one of this years trips to Namibia via the Delta/KLM route via Amsterdam and then direct into Windhoek. Understand that Amsterdam requires a no fee "transit permit". Have heard it is mostly just a simple and relatively painless pre-notification/authorization. Has anyone done this in the past year or so? | ||
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It has been a few years since i went through Amsterdam. Paper work for transiting, i used Gracy Travel and they took care of it for me. Issues that were experienced were, gettign your paperwork from amsterdam was slow and only arived the week i was leaving. just 3 days, prior to departure. talk about cutting it short. i was starting to wonder if i would be able to take my rifle. 2nd issue, was checking in the Delta/KLM and at check they wanted the orginal paperwork from amsterdam and not a printed one that was sent to my e mail and printed. I asked for management and was allowed to procede after explaning that was how it was received. i was flying out of Seattle. Make sure you know where your baggage tags are... i was asked going and coming... if i had my baggage tags. and had to produce them for show and tell. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne | |||
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Thanks Bawana. Look at KLM's website. They had info on the transfer process and links to the form and required supporting documents to fill-out and the email address to submit it all to. Looked pretty straight forward and less complicated than the SAPS 520. Decided to call KLM and confirm that with a 12-18hr layover if we could check luggage and firearms all the way through and NOT have to claim and re-check. The guy was surprisingly friendly and no "bad vibes" given about firearms. He said his understanding was that as long as the layover was less than 24hrs, luggage and firearms could be held by the airlines until your connection. He even double checked with his supervisor to confirm. Only down side that I can see is there is a bit of higher price compared to say SAA via J'berg to Windhoek or having to overnight in J'berg on the Delta flight from ATL and having to claim luggage and firearms and go through the SAPS BS just to overnight going in. Funny thing is, coming back from WDH on SAA to JNB connecting with Delta to ATL, SAA will check luggage and firearms all the way to ATL. Wish there was another option from Frankfurt direct to WDH other than Air Namibia. We've done that once a few years ago before Air Nam stated charging the extra rifle case fees. | |||
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Gusteaux, I'm traveling this June from WDH-JNB on SAA and then JNB-ATL on Delta. Will SAA always check your rifle through to ATL or do you have to make any special arrangements. I was dreading having to clear the rifle at JNB with SAPS just to recheck it to ATL. | |||
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Gusteaux. Please check with a travel agent that specializes in african travel and ask them. On how you should procede. I also was just traveling through and had a 8 hour stop over. However i needed to obtain a permit at that time. Just check with your travel agent. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne | |||
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LC: The short answer to your question is - in the past 6 trips in past three years, the most recent being Aug 2017, the SAA agents in WDH have checked luggage and rifles all the way back to ATL, JFK or IAD and we did not have to claim/clear in JNB the way home. Going over - not so lucky. The only downside is that once you claim all your luggage and rifles and clear US Customs, you can't just put your luggage/firearms on the transit conveyors. You have to schlep everything to the regular follow-on airline check in counter and go back through the TSA security screening again. BUT AT LEAST DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SAPS AGAIN! Long answer below - LOL I do nearly all of our travel tickets myself either directly with the airline or various on-line discount sites. I've made the trip to WDH via JNB a LOT. Sometimes multiple times a year. Sometime with SAA all the way, sometimes via the Delta/SAA connections through JNB. Booking all the way to WDH on SAA via Dulles (IAD) everything, luggage and rifles have always been checked all the way through, both ways. Going SAA via JFK, your regular luggage with ammo inside is checked all the way through, BUT your rifle case is only SUPPOSED TO be checked only to JFK. You have to claim the rifle case in JFK and take it to the SAA check-in counter, check re-check it in and SAA calls the NY Port Authority Police who come. You have to show your ID that proves you're NOT a NY resident, they copy down your name, address and firearm info in there little pocket note book. You have to open the rifle case right there on the floor and they verify serial numbers and that it is unloaded. You relock the case, the SAA agent put the routing tag on the case and the Port Authority Police escort you over the the TSA baggage X-ray screening room. TSA takes the case, scan it, OK, and the police leave and you get to enjoy the TSA screening lines again. Due to SAA from JFK or IAD (Dullas) flights morning arrival time in JNB we don't have to stay overnight in JNB and just collect all our stuff in WDH. Up until 3-4 or so years ago, if you flew in on Delta to JNB connecting with SAA to WDH and did the overnight in JNB and out the next morning to WDH on SAA, when you checked in with Delta you could check luggage/firearms all the way through and not have to deal with SAPS in JNB at all. Even if you booked with separate/individual tickets - one r/t on Delta to JNB and another r/t ticket with SAA between JNB and WDH. All you had to do was show the Delta agent both tickets when checking in on the initial Delta flight to JNB. It was either 3-4 years ago, Delta changed their "policy" about doing this with "split tickets". Even since this Delta change in "policy", every time the SAA agents in WDH have always checked everything back through to ATL. All we had to do is ask and show them the Delta ticket. More info - When you do clear the SAPS office in JNB on the way in and you've filled out the permit request as a "Transit" permit with your return flight back out, they issue your follow-on return permit info on the same document. So, even IF for some reason the SAA agent in WDH won't/can't check your stuff all the way back to ATL, you still have the proper permit in your hands IF you have to claim and recheck. Whatever happens DON'T LOOSE THAT SAPS 520 PERMIT WHILE IN NAMIBIA! One reason I'm looking at trying the Delta/KLM route is to completely avoid the BS in JNB. If what I was told by the KLM rep on the phone is correct, the police in AMS, you don't have to "claim" anything and they don't open the rifle cases. The permit they issue have all the "particulars" of the firearm(s) and it is loaded/logged against your airline reservation. Only down side I can see about going via AMS (Amsterdam) is KLM only flies in out of WDH 3-4 days a week and the ticket prices I've seen seem to run 15-20% higher than going all the way with SAA. | |||
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When traveling to Africa or about an country, put your give a shitter in neutral and go with the flow, just let it happen, it always works out given time, after maybe 50 trips I just let whatever happens happen, and try to work it out, as long as you remain polite and simi passive they will always work with you, I have a comical story or 10 about dealing with third world customs and airlines, African govt. officials, some really funny stuff... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Gusteaux, thanks for your info. Really good stuff! | |||
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Import and export of firearms and/or ammunition requires prior permission from Dutch Customs. Passengers must hold such permits at all times. Make sure to prevent your firearms from getting impounded by applying for the consent form for both the outbound and the return transit through Amsterdam. Customs are not going to even know that you are in Amsterdam as you are not entering the country. However, the Dutch Airport Police, who are the ones that are doing spot checks regarding the consent form, may contact you at the gate of departure from Amsterdam and ask to see your consent form. If you are unable to show them the consent form then your firearms and ammunition will be held by them until you get a consent form to them. KLM have also received notice that check in agents here in the USA should be checking with passengers at check in to ensure they are in possession of the consent form before loading the firearms and ammunition. All airline passengers transiting through the Netherlands with firearms must obtain a special consent form issued by the Customs office in Groningen or face having their guns confiscated. That means travelers will need two applications for a round trip, one for the flight to Africa and one for the return flight back through Amsterdam. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "You've got the strongest hand in the world. That's right. Your hand. The hand that marks the ballot. The hand that pulls the voting lever. Use it, will you" John Wayne | |||
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You need - one of these - https://download.belastingdien...ud0441z7folengre.pdf ...and one of these - https://www.klm.com/travel/gb_...on_tcm638-420938.pdf The first form (customs declaration for transit) can be done as a "vice versa" - so you do not need to apply twice. You fill it in, send it off (by email if need be), they stamp/confirm it, send it back and you print it out and take it with you. This whole process seems to be much easier and user friendly than previously - I've been looking at KLM for a trip to Romania later this year. (I did this whole thing very wrong some time ago (nobody explained) - filled the form in sent it off and forgot about it. Everything was OK going (to Vienna) but coming back I was asked "where is your customs form?" No form of course and a big problem - was sorted in the end but major hassle. Everything seems much more straightforward now) | |||
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Delta Dropped their support of The N.R.A. | |||
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Contact Steve Turner at Travel With Guns. He'll charge you a small fee but makes it totally painless and you don't have to sweat it. The Dutch will wait to issue your permit until the last minute and it drove me nuts the first few times. That's where Steve comes in. | |||
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We went through Amsterdam on way to Tanzania in September. We did our own permit applications and it was totally painless but we did fly KLM all the way. They were super helpful as well. Just be sure there are no folding knives or broadheads in your luggage. | |||
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Couple of comments: 1. Anytime you check a bag to an intermediate airport such as JFK, the airline is only obligated to deliver it that far. So what do you do if your gun doesn't show in JFK? 2. Going through Europe makes jet lag a lot tougher. I find it really difficult to stay awake on the flight from AMS to Dar, for example, since you leave the US on the mid afternoon flights, not late evening, making it difficult to sleep on the way to Europe. Since I can't stay awake on the AMS to DAR flight, I find it difficult to sleep through the night after landing in DAR. The Delta flight to JNB leaves at night and is long enough to get some sleep but not too much, so by the time I get to JNB I am ready for dinner and bed and generally sleep all night. 3. SAPs is a pain but if you use a meet and greet it really isn't a big deal. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Travel Forum Transiting Amsterdam with Firearms
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