Page 82 - DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES IN FINLAND

or residing in Helsinki must submit his or her applications for an acquisition permit and a possession permit to the Helsinki Police Department. Applications for firearms permits must be made in writing and submitted by the applicants in person to the police department for their domicile or place of residence. Every applicant for an acquisition or possession permit is interviewed and tested for suitability.
An applicant applying for an acquisition permit or a possession permit for a firearm must state an acceptable purpose of use for the firearm. Acceptable purposes of use include e.g. hunting, target shooting or practice, and work where a weapon is necessary. Anyone hunting in Finland is required to have a hunting card, for which they must pass a hunter’s examination. When applying for an acquisition permit or a possession permit for a firearm for hunting, the applicant must present a valid hunting card. Anyone applying for an acquisition or a possession permit for shooting competitions and shooting practice must give a reliable account of the activity. A reliable account refers e.g. to membership in a sports or shooting club, a competition record, a score list or a shooting record.
7.3 Import of Firearms to Finland
Any import of firearms into Finland is subject to a permit. If an alien domiciled or residing in Finland wants to import a firearm to Finland, he or she must apply for a permit for the import from the police department for his or her domicile or place of residence. An alien applying for an import permit must also present a certificate issued by the relevant authorities of his or her home country or country of residence stating that the applicant has, in the country of residence, the right to possess the firearm or firearm component in question.
The application for an import permit must be submitted to the police in good time before the applicant enters Finland and, when necessary, it must be presented to authorities. An import permit issued to an individual remains valid for the maximum period of three months. During the validity, the permit holder is entitled to possess the firearms, firearm components and cartridges mentioned in the permit. An import permit holder who stays in Finland longer than three months and intends to possess the firearms, firearm components and cartridges covered by the permit and imported to Finland must apply for a possession permit for them from the police department for his or her place of residence in good time before the expiry of the import permit.
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