I will be travelling through Amsterdam in August in route to Tanzania. Normally I fly the southern route but this time I'm using FF miles on Delta/KLM.

I have the requests prepared to send to the Dutch authorities regarding transporting firearms through the Netherlands. Our flights are confirmed. When should I send the requests to them? Is it too early to send them now or is there and expiration date?

Bull1

3 or 4 weeks before you leave should be about right. When you receive the reply make a couple copies of it and put one in with your guns and another in your checked luggage that you have your ammo in.

I sent mine several months out and got them back in plenty of time. I faxed them and they sent them back to me via scanned email. I thought it was relatively painless.

Send your info via Fax about 4 - 5 weeks before your trip. The Dutch are very efficient. You might get a reply quickly, or it might be about ten days before your departure before you hear from them, depending on how busy they are. It's possible to call and check with them, respectfully of course, if you don't hear from them soon enough to suit your comfort.

Oh yeah, scanned email is better than a fax.

Be sure to have a couple of extra copies of your approved permit handy that you can leave with any gate agents that want them, in addition to the ones that you leave in your gun case & ammo container.

I have a pdf fillin form I can email to you of this form, if you need.

Thanks guys. I have the form, courtesy of Shakari's new website. I'll probably send it to the Dutch authorities around the 1st of July.

Bull1

I had sent my request about 6 weeks before my departure date. I talked to Mr. G. Huisman at the Amsterdam office and he assured me that I would receive it promptly. Mr. Huisman and I disagree on the meaning of "promptly" although the Dutch authorities are very polite. It was getting close to my departure date and I was getting a little aprehensive. I called Meliza at Gracy travel and, voila, I had it in the fax machine within 2 hours of my call to Meliza signed by my new best friend, G. Huisman. Meliza also called the Tanzanian embassy, which had sat on my visa application, and the next day my visa and passport were in my office. Needless to say I will use Gracy anytime I travel. Thanks again, Meliza.

Dutch

The Dutch authorities are very good at getting back to you, but it won't do you a bit of good if the travel agent doesn't do their job!

Make sure if you're using Gracy Travel that they actually tell KLM that you're transporting guns when they book the tickets. They didn't in my case, and I was held up for 24 hours because of their mistake!