Help with Ammunition requirements on airlines and by country

[Mnovak]

I’ll be traveling for the first time to Africa. I fly Delta airlines from Atlanta straight to Johannesburg and the gun/ammunition policy seems to be the same as going to Canada or Mexico. Gun in a tsa approved locked case ammo in a divided ammunition case. Ammunition either in the locked rifle case or in checked baggage. Is this ok once I arrive in Johannesburg?

On my return flight KLM we have a layover in Amsterdam. I’m being told there is separate paperwork required by Amsterdam to transport guns and ammo. Also if I read the KLM guidelines it is worded that they expect the ammunition to be in a separate locked ammunition container and checked as a separate bag. Not in the rifle case or in checked luggage?

Im working with a specialist recommended by the outfitter who is supposed to assist with all the needed forms etc. However they are not clearly answering the ammunition transport rules. I’m trying to avoid any issues. Any help from experienced travelers to Africa and through Amsterdam is greatly appreciated.

 

[Fabnosh]

Certainly do not have any live ammo in the rifle case going through any European airport as this will create significant issues. Most airports/airlines are very clear that ammo should be transported in its own container. Just as a matter of course, I would suggest you get the ammo box separately tagged as at least that way it's tracked via its tag. Having had stuff nicked from bags in J'burg, I'd never put anything of value in hold luggage going through J'burg let alone ammo.

FN

 

[375Fox]

I’ll be traveling for the first time to Africa. I fly Delta airlines from Atlanta straight to Johannesburg and the gun/ammunition policy seems to be the same as going to Canada or Mexico. Gun in a tsa approved locked case ammo in a divided ammunition case. Ammunition either in the locked rifle case or in checked baggage. Is this ok once I arrive in Johannesburg?

On my return flight KLM we have a layover in Amsterdam. I’m being told there is separate paperwork required by Amsterdam to transport guns and ammo. Also if I read the KLM guidelines it is worded that they expect the ammunition to be in a separate locked ammunition container and checked as a separate bag. Not in the rifle case or in checked luggage?

Im working with a specialist recommended by the outfitter who is supposed to assist with all the needed forms etc. However they are not clearly answering the ammunition transport rules. I’m trying to avoid any issues. Any help from experienced travelers to Africa and through Amsterdam is greatly appreciated.

Your rifle case will be fine. For ammo put it inside a lockable hard sided case inside your checked bag (not your rifle case). If you have a connection in Johannesburg you’ll likely have to check the ammo separately and sounds like you will for your airline return trip, which they will often make you do anyway in Johannesburg for any airline. I suspect the “specialist” your outfitter recommended is one of the many services to have your rifle permit pre-approved for South Africa when you land. If I’m right, they can’t help you with KLM or Amsterdam because that isn’t what those services do. They only assist you at the airport in Johannesburg. They are good at what they do but they aren’t travel agents.

 

[Philip Glass]

Ammo goes in a locked box inside your checked luggage For international travel. There are many helpful posts here under Safari Planning Guide Including some of my videos.
it would have been much better had you bought the same itinerary both ways.
Philip

 

[Hyde Hunter]

Ammo goes in a locked box inside your checked luggage For international travel. There are many helpful posts here under Safari Planning Guide Including some of my videos.
it would have been much better had you bought the same itinerary both ways.
Philip

Phillip, that is what I did but my 4 partners just put their ammo in plastic 20 round boxes and pit it in with their rifle cases no issues at all ?

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

You were right, your 4 friends were lucky , very lucky.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I just checked in with United in Houston. Advised ammo in bag and all they said was OK. Never weighed or asked how much. It is all packed according as should be tho.
TSA guys were easy and talkative on rifle check in.

 

[Philip Glass]

Phillip, that is what I did but my 4 partners just put their ammo in plastic 20 round boxes and pit it in with their rifle cases no issues at all ?

They are lucky they didn’t get their rifles confiscated. This is a huge no no for international travel. Sure we do this domestically but not internationally.
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

I just checked in with United in Houston. Advised ammo in bag and all they said was OK. Never weighed or asked how much. It is all packed according as should be tho.
TSA guys were easy and talkative on rifle check in.

Isnt Texas great!

 

[JimP]

I think that people are getting away with the ammo just in their checked bag by just flying into Joberg in South Africa and then being picked up by their PH/Outfitter. If they had a connecting flight they would be scrambling trying to figure out what to do.

But even if they were connecting to another flight in South Africa they may get away with it. On my first safari they didn't even ask about ammo when we rechecked out bags for the flight to Port Elizabeth. However on our flight home one of the first things that the agent asked us is if we had ammo. When we stated that we did they asked us to remove it from our bag and they then tagged it to fly with the rifle case. Once we retrieved out bags in Joberg we placed the box of ammo back into our checked bags for our flight home.

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Isnt Texas great!

Yes it is. TSA guy was just going thru the motions. Asked about each one when it was unpacked and what I was hunting with it. (I’m carrying 3 rifles this trip)

 

[Graham Hunter]

Yes it is. TSA guy was just going thru the motions. Asked about each one when it was unpacked and what I was hunting with it. (I’m carrying 3 rifles this trip)

Good thing they don't allow 4 guns. Have a great Hunt and a great time. Best luck Mark. We leave Monday.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Last year (2021) flying Qatar out of Houston it was in a locked pelican within my checked luggage separate from my firearm & bow. They also asked me to remove it and weighed it all.

I’ll be flying this July; Dallas to Atlanta to Jburg via Delta and plan to travel the same way, except with a 300H&H & 375H&H instead of the 375H&H + Bow. I’ll also have a flight from Jburg to Windhoek after a week of hunting in RSA to hunt in Namibia. I’ll return on Qatar from Windhoek to Dallas via Doha.

Locked/tagged pelican incase I need to check the ammo completely separate since I’m flying with several different airlines.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Yes it is. TSA guy was just going thru the motions. Asked about each one when it was unpacked and what I was hunting with it. (I’m carrying 3 rifles this trip)

Glad you got to take your trip! Send some pictures once you start putting stuff in the salt!

 

[Mnovak]

Last year (2021) flying Qatar out of Houston it was in a locked pelican within my checked luggage separate from my firearm & bow. They also asked me to remove it and weighed it all.

I’ll be flying this July; Dallas to Atlanta to Jburg via Delta and plan to travel the same way, except with a 300H&H & 375H&H instead of the 375H&H + Bow. I’ll also have a flight from Jburg to Windhoek after a week of hunting in RSA to hunt in Namibia. I’ll return on Qatar from Windhoek to Dallas via Doha.

Locked/tagged pelican incase I need to check the ammo completely separate since I’m flying with several different airlines.

After many suggestions from people who have traveled with multiple airlines on trips to Africa and back I’m going to pack the ammo separate in a Pelican case as a separate checked bag. I’ve traveled to Mexico and Canada with the ammo in the checked luggage, this is why I was asking to be sure.
Going over I think it could be in the checked baggage. Coming back is a different story but not worth the heartache. I have noticed when traveling over the years that airport to airport in the US TSA rules and procedures are different from one to another. Hard to know what they expect when they don’t even follow their own procedures for things. Thanks for all the input, heading over in July.

 

[MMAL]

What everyone else said. Personally I would plan on shooting or leaving the left over ammo at the end of the trip and not worry about Amsterdam or any of that in the way home.