Can I bring a firearm on a visit to India?

[eljefe]

YO and YO again!
Keep us informed Mehul,who knows? we may be able to bang away with my jefferey?
Best
Axx

[penpusher]

we may be able to bang away with my jefferey?

Hopefully you would also fire some cartridges in it Do post pictures of you doing the latter.

penpusher

[andy_65_in]

Can someone holding a green card in the usa get a firearm on his usa gun permit and NRA membership in india for the duration of his visit here and then take it back.the indl does not have a licence in india.awaiting some knowlegable comments

[Mack The Knife]

http://www.indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?t=591

[Felipe]

I'm coming to visit India (my second trip) and was wondering if there's any feasible way for me to bring a pistol for self-protection while traveling. I'm coming from the US and I have CCW permits here. Is there any reasonable way for a visitor to get a CCW in India? I do feel that India is quite a safe (and wonderful) country and I'm never scared there, but if it's possible to bring a gun I would prefer to.

(I realize I may be asking something which is impossible but I thought I would ask anyway.)

[Pran]

Welcome aboard, Felipe.

Here's a link to an earlier discussion related to your query

http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?t=591

Pran

[Felipe]

Cool, Sukpreet said, in that thread:

"As per the Arms Act only a person who is not an Indian citizen would qualify as a tourist and can bring in a firearm for the purpose of sport alone.

The relevant sections and rules are Sec10 of the Arms Act 1959 and Rule 32 of Arms Rules 1962.The license is granted in Form III to a bonafide tourist(will type them out if you want me to)"

Well I'm a bona fide tourist, with a bona fide tourist visa. I would like to bring in a handgun, not a rifle. I just now sent an email to the Consul Generate of SF. Hopefully he'll get back to me and I can get the paperwork going. Sukpreet said "for purpose of sport alone". I was under the impression that Indian gun permits allowed carrying the gun? Would a permit for "sport alone" allow me to carry a handgun, or is that a ridiculous stretch of the meaning?

I'll let you know what the CG says. Any other info would be appreciated too.

[Bhargav]

Hi Felipe,

well i don't think there is a different kind of license required to carry a gun in India. well i am not very sure about the laws (somebody can surely help you with that) but as far as i know.. once you have a firearm permit you can conceal carry the weapon.

I may be wrong though !!.

Good Luck.

[Felipe]

I haven't heard back from the Consul General. Is there some way I can find the forms I need and get them filled out and sent in? I'm at a loss of where to begin on this.

[sammysam]

This may be too late but I found the law for taking a handgun into India as a tourist. It is posted below. I am an Indian born American Citizen who would like to take a licenced handgun to India when I go travelling. Does anyone know of a lawyer who can file the application on Form III as noted in the law below?

http://gunaccessory.com/LAWS/rule_32-36.htm
INDIAN ARMS RULES 1962
32.Bringing of arms or ammunition into India by “bona fide” tourists
(1) [A licence, valid for the period of six months from the date of endorsement referred to in sub-rule (1-A) , may be granted in Form III to bona fide tourists to in Cl. (b) of the proviso to sub-section (1) of Sec. 10, so far as practicable, six months prior to the expected date of arrival of the tourist in India :
Provided that the validity of the licence so granted shall commence only from the date of endorsement of the licence.
(1-A) when the licence is granted in Form III to a bona fide tourist under sub-rule (1), the licence together with the passport visa of the tourist, shall be presented to the licensing authority as soon as may be after the disembarkment of the tourist and the latter shall –
(a) After obtaining the undertaking referred to in sub-rule (2), endorse the licence making it valid for a period of six months from the date of endorsement, and
(b) Make an entry in the passport/visa giving full particulars of all the arms and ammunition for which the licence has been granted].
(2) The licensing authority shall obtain an undertaking in writing from the licensee that he shall not sell or transfer the arms or ammunition to anyone in India without the prior permission of the District Magistrate having jurisdiction over the place where such sale or transfer is to be made, and where the arms or ammunition are sold or transferred he shall inform the customs authority and pay duty, if any.
(3) The passport-checking authority or any other officer empowered by the District Magistrate in this behalf at the port of other place of departure from India shall verify that the arms entered in the passport/visa are being taken out of India by the licensee and recover the licence and forward the same to the authority who issued it with the remarks that the arms have been duly re-exported or lawfully sold or transferred in India, as the case may be.
Comment
This rule provides for temporary licence by bona fide tourists visiting India.
[Please dont make multiple posts for same query on various threads - it increases admin workload - Mod]

[nagarifle]

one thing i know about Consul Generals is that they for some reason find it very difficult to reply via email. the best option if one is able to is make a appointment and go. make take few days but its the best way. least we forget that we are still dealing with the babus, who do not like to be quoted.

in person is the best way. all the best