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Arms Bill

Licences and approvals - Visitor licences - Applying for visitor licence

124: Issue of visitor licence

You could also call this:

"Getting a special licence to have guns when visiting New Zealand"

The chief executive can give you a visitor licence if they think you meet the criteria in section 121(2) and you are a fit and proper person to hold one. They also need to be happy with how you plan to store your firearms and ammunition safely in New Zealand. You need to show the chief executive that you can store your firearms and ammunition securely. The chief executive cannot give you a visitor licence if they think someone who is not allowed to have a firearm, like someone who has had their licence revoked, might get access to your firearms.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS1533738.

This page was last updated on 8 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyTransport and travel > Visas

123: Fit and proper persons to hold visitor licence, or

"Who can get a visitor licence to have firearms?"

125: Chief executive to provide certain information to applicant if licence application not granted, or

"What happens if your gun licence application is declined"

Part 3Licences and approvals
Visitor licences: Applying for visitor licence

124Issue of visitor licence

The chief executive may issue a visitor licence to an applicant if the chief executive is satisfied—
that the applicant—
1. meets the criteria specified in section 121(2); and
2. is a fit and proper person to hold a visitor licence; and
with the arrangements made by the applicant for the secure storage of the firearms and ammunition they will possess while in New Zealand.

However, a visitor licence must not be issued to an applicant if, in the opinion of the chief executive, access to any firearm or an airgun in possession of the applicant is reasonably likely to be obtained by any person who—
is disqualified under section 68 from holding a firearms licence; or
has had their firearms licence revoked in New Zealand; or
has had their overseas firearms licence revoked; or
has had a visitor licence revoked in the previous 5 years; or
is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm or an airgun.