Applying for a firearm license on the basis of shooting sports (within 12 months of starting the hobby) in Finland (excluding Åland)
Updated 01.02.2025
The following are quite comprehensive instructions based on my own experience of obtaining the first rifle and shotgun firearms license (ERVA license update and articles on applying for a handgun license will be coming separately). This concerns, in my case, a rifle with a magazine of up to 10 cartridges and a magazine shotgun license obtained a couple of months later.
You can get your own rifle or shotgun right after starting the hobby without having to wait a year for it. For example, an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle (TT3 - operating method 3 self-loading firearm) with a magazine of up to 10 cartridges (if you want a magazine with more than 10 cartridges, then you will have to wait 12 months to apply for that license because a magazine with more than 10 cartridges requires an ERVA license (finnish especially dangerous) and an ERVA license requires 12 months of participation. You can then, after 12 months, update the non-ERVA license to an ERVA license if you wish -> I will address this issue in a later info post (when updating to an ERVA license, a new interview is not required)) or a semi-automatic shotgun, even with a 30-cartridge drum magazine (a shotgun is never considered an ERVA weapon).
From the instructions, you will find the conditions for granting a firearms license, example answers to firearms license application questions and what they mean, as well as a link to the conditions for denying a firearms license. You can submit your firearms license application directly to the police station by making an appointment or by filling out the firearms license application online (double-check that everything necessary is included in the application, as requests for additional information will delay the approval of the application by at least a couple of weeks, and in this case, including a shooting diary is not at least harmful).
It should also be noted that if this is your first firearms license, the process also includes a personal interview at the police station for the granting of the firearms license, and this interview time will be scheduled only after your firearms license application has been received (after submitting it online, it depends a lot on the queue before you, and even if you have personally visited the police station, the procedure varies greatly).
For example, I live in Parainen and would have received an appointment for applying for a firearms license in Turku only about 2 months later (and this would also include the time it would take for them to contact me to schedule the interview once the relevant official had processed the application), so I scheduled an appointment to submit the firearms license application to Forssa police station about 2 weeks later and then drove there. I submitted the application to Forssa police station, and the official kindly scheduled me an interview appointment about 2 weeks later at Hämeenlinna police station (they don't conduct interviews in Forssa, and a little extra drive didn't bother me). A couple of weeks later, I drove to Hämeenlinna for the interview, and after a 20-minute session, the interviewer stated that they wouldn't have time to write the license that day but it would be mailed to me the next day. The interview was on Wednesday, and the acquisition permit was in my mailbox the following Wednesday. On the same day, I redeemed the previously purchased Brownells and made an appointment to present the weapon to Turku police station a couple of weeks later (the weapon presentation must be done no later than 30 days after the purchase date).
When applying for a shotgun license a couple of months later, I scheduled the application submission time at Salo police station because the appointment time for Turku police station would have been significantly later again (from Salo, firearms license matters are transferred to Turku, so the processing takes the same X time, but the matter gets into processing earlier). So I drove to Salo police station and submitted the applications there. They sent the application to Turku, and the purchase permit dropped through the mail slot about exactly 4 weeks after submitting the application. Since this was no longer the first firearm, an interview was not required for the firearms license (the next interview is for a handgun, and an Info post about applying for a handgun firearms license will come later on our website). Then I drove again to pick up my pre-paid magazine shotgun and made an appointment to present the weapon at Turku police station.
So here are the necessary information for applying for a firearms license / conditions within 12 months of starting the hobby based on shooting sports:
Rifle (TT1, TT2 & TT3 max. 10 cartridge magazine), Shotgun (TT1, TT2 & TT3) & Small Caliber Rifle (TT1, TT2 & TT3).
License conditions:
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You have joined an association with a permit as defined in Section 4 of the Associations Act (e.g., reservist associations, shooting clubs).
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You have started shooting as a hobby for which the need for the rifle/shotgun for which the license is applied can be justified, and its operating method is suitable for the said hobby (e.g., TT3/self-loading semi-automatic firearm is well suited for SRA and IPSC).
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You have successfully passed the SRA shooting test, and you have been granted a registered shooter number in the SRA shooter register or have completed the IPSC basic course and final test successfully.
As soon as the aforementioned points are met, you are entitled to apply for a rifle license with a magazine of up to 10 cartridges, a shotgun, and a small caliber rifle based on shooting sports, and you will need the following documents:
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A fully completed justification form for applying for a license under the Firearms Act for shooting sports or hobby (Ase 07 fi can be found on the Police's website: Passports, identity cards, permits → Apply for a firearms license → Firearms license forms). Fill out the following sections of the form:
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Previous shooting sports hobby: Information on when you joined the association, passed the SRA shooting test, and since when you have been practicing with the weapon type applied for (it's recommended to leave out non-hobby-related activities like occasional visits to the shooting range at company parties as they are not considered as participation, so only note from when you started the hobby through the association and you have a completed shooting diary for those times).
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Shooting sports hobby with the weapon to be acquired: Explain here what shooting sports discipline you practice with the weapon and justify why the weapon applied for is suitable for it, for example: "I practice SRA, and my own rifle/shotgun (TT3 self-loading semi-automatic firearm) is essential for full participation in the sport because the scoring is based on the accuracy and speed of hits." Or "I practice SRA, and training with my own small caliber rifle (TT3 self-loading semi-automatic firearm) is more affordable considering the number of shots." (Do not add here what you might possibly intend to practice with the weapon in a year or five years because it is not relevant to the application; only the current need for the hobby is taken into account, and other factors may just confuse the application).
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Shooting range/other area: List the shooting ranges where you have access to use the weapon type in question through the association you belong to. This information is usually found on the association's website, and if you are unsure, ask them directly. For example: "SRA rifle practice mainly takes place at the Blaablaa, Diibadaaba, and Liipalaapa shooting ranges, which are currently used by members of your club/association." You are also entitled to participate in shootings at other associations' shooting ranges with the weapon type if they separately state that you do not need to be a member of the club to participate, e.g., with a shotgun for skeet shooting. You can note this by writing: "At other shooting ranges where the association responsible for the shooting range has separately stated that the weapon type is suitable for their designated shooting range and that access is granted to enthusiasts outside the association." You can also add, for example: "I also participate in competitions organized by other associations at shooting ranges designated for those events."
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Additional justifications for a handgun and especially dangerous firearm: Leave blank, you are not applying for this weapon now.
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Justifications for another type of firearm: Leave blank, you are not applying for this weapon now.
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Signature: Fill in the submission date, location, and your signature on the form.
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Passport/ID card (it is advisable to make a photocopy in advance when submitting the license application, as it speeds up the process. ALSO BRING THE ORIGINAL, online PDF).
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Proof of completed military or civilian service, e.g., military passport (it is advisable to make a photocopy in advance when submitting the license application, as it speeds up the process. ALSO BRING THE ORIGINAL, online PDF).
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Proof of membership in an association (e.g., if you practice SRA and have joined a reservist association, you can print the necessary information from the Reservists' Association website where the membership associations and their joining dates are visible. Also, paid insurances such as Toimintaturva are visible on the same page. You can print the SRA shooter number by logging into the Finnish Reservists' Sports Association's website, online PDF).
- I also included the following documents with the application to avoid possible requests for additional information:
- Shooting Diary and Copies of All Pages. I had already accumulated 15 shooting sessions in two months when I applied for the firearms license. It's an easy way to demonstrate participation (even less is sufficient because later, 4 sessions per 12 months are enough to demonstrate participation) (to avoid requests for additional information and speed up the process). NOTE! For a shotgun / rifle with a magazine of up to 10 cartridges, a separate certificate of participation from the association's or club's firearms instructor is not needed.
- Printed screenshot of the gun safe I ordered from the online store and the receipt of the ordered product (because I was sure the firearms license would be granted to me and to avoid requests for additional information and speed up the process). NOTE! It's enough to know how to store the weapon applied for.
- Printed screenshot of the firearm I was buying from the online store. NOTE! Not necessary because the license is granted for the operating method and caliber of the weapon, not the brand/model. Since I knew what I was buying, it didn't hurt to include it.
P.S. Before submitting and paying for the license application, it's worth checking Annex 1, the Police Board's published document on disqualifying conditions (https://poliisi.fi/ampuma-aselupakaytantojen-yhtenaistaminen-liite-1-estevaikutukset) to avoid any surprises, especially if you're the type of person who "always finds themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time" or if you've had your share of mishaps in life.
I hope these instructions are helpful to someone. We do not take responsibility for the different practices of various police stations; the published information is based fully on personal experiences.
