The Spain Forums

Scoot

Well, it took me 6 months from start to finish. I will not go into detail as regards form numbers etc, mainly as I cannot remember them but basically it was as follows for all catagories but pistol:

First consideration: don't bother applying if you have a criminal record as they look when you sign the background check permission form.

Step 1: Go down the Gaurdia Civil Intervencion de Armas and tell them what you want to do. Fill out the paperwork they give you and supply the necessary copies of passport, residencia etc. Pay the fees at the nearest bank.

Step 2: Get yourself booked up for the written exam, these dates are fixed in advance (fill in appropriate form and pay fee) choose the best date for you.
Swot for exam and pass it. You can do it in English but I did it in Spanish. The exam covers gun use and care plus all the laws - it is difficult as there is so much of it. At my exam only 12 out of 50 passed it.
If you pass this (it's multiple choice) you are given the address of a club right away so you can go for the practical test. This test consists of assembling your shotgun and hitting a lump of wood from 25m with two shots in a safe manner. Wait for your certificate to arrive.

Step 3: You have to justify your desire to own a shotgun and/or rifle by joining the hunting federation for your area. No membership, no licence.
So you have to attend a five night course (6 dates per year, fill out the form and pay the fee) in hunting craft and shooting law. There is a test after every stage and a final test that covers everything. You have to pass this. Assuming you pass after the week you wait for the certificate. In the meanwhile you need to take out liability insurance in case you shoot someone by mistake, shooting sprees are not covered.

Step 4: Armed with the forms filled out from the Gaurdia, the copies of passport etc, plus your shooting exam/test certificate, hunting federation licence and insurance you go back to the Intervencion de Armas and give them it all.

Now you wait for the phone call telling you to come and pick up your licence. This take 2 months.

I may have missed something, but that's the gist of it....

It's a bit different to get your pistol licence but I'll go into that another time cos I now need a drink!

Scoot

El Sid

Have one on me

The criminal background check is a bit worrying if they don't exercise any discretion. I've got a criminal record, but it's far enough in the past that the UK licensing authorities didn't see it being a problem - I've got a UK FAC and I'm a Registered Firearms Dealer.

I'd better try to get a definitive answer on that ASAP, because if I can't own a firearm in Spain then I'm not emigrating there. End of. I might try the consulate, see if they can tell me anything.

You didn't mention the psychological test, I thought that was needed for every class of license ?

__________________
When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle.
I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer.
Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger.
Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter.

Lee

Thanks for posting that. I never knew they had the option to do the exam in English. So it opens up the doors to more people

What areas can you hunt on. Is there common land as such

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Scoot

One G&T later.........

If you got a UK ticket with your record then you'll get one here I think, but don't take my word for it. You'd be better off getting someone to call the Gaurdia Civil Intervencion de Armas dept in the area you intend to move to.

There is no pysch test per se, it's a physical but the Doc does obviously make a pysch judgment on you during his time with you.

This test is ONLY for the pistol catagory.

Scoot

You can do the test in English but the reading material is all in Spanish. so you'd need to translate all that.

Not much common land about. Contact your local hunting federation for areas to shoot or hunting clubs to join.
Theoretically you have to pay a fee for every thing you shoot, the bigger the animal the bigger the fee.
I'm only up for shooting vermin, I've no desire to shoot a wild boar/mountain goat etc

Lee

Is there any where you can obtain the material you need to study for the exams? A book or something from a book shop. It would also be a great way for picking up Spanish, if your studying for something worth while.

..

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El Sid

Ok, cheers again for the information, much appreciated. The idea of a physical doesn't fill me with joy - usually the only way to get me anywhere near the medical profession is if I am nigh upon death or shot with a tranquiliser dart

I'm not exactly sure what checks are performed for the Registered Firearms Dealer license I hold, but I believe it's well above what is required to get an FAC or shotgun certificate.
The thing is, the UK licensing authority then make a value judgement on what you did wrong and how long ago it was - getting on for 20 years in my case.

If in Spain it's a hard and fast rule like " no clean record, no gun " then I'm fucked. I'm going to have to get this sorted out ASAP.

A mate of mine came off a drink driving ban a year ago and was asking me about getting an FAC. I advised him to apply, get knocked back ( which he would around here ) take it politely on the chin and then reapply in another year, see what happened.
I'm not a big fan of gun laws but there is a good argument that if you don't have the basic self control needed to drive a car without being pissed then maybe you shouldn't own a firearm either ( although the car is much more dangerous )
Silly sod has just got another driving ban - he reckons he was 'being good' only 2 cans at home and 4 pints in the pub - so when I said he was screwed for about the next decade for getting an FAC his face dropped a bit.
In the UK it comes down to which you like most - shooting or driving while pissed, pick your option.
I don't even like driving when I'm sober

__________________
When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle.
I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer.
Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger.
Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter.

El Sid

Not that I know of. There's a website in Spanish ( I don't have the link, it was on my laptop that died ) which gives all the questions for the exam but when you try and translate it through Google or Babelfish the result is pretty much useless because it contains too many specialised words.

I started working through it last year, and made about 10 pages of notes, which I have lost

The questions aren't too bad, as long as you know stuff about firearms, your experience with airguns won't be a great deal of help I'm afraid.

__________________
When I was here I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle.
I've been here a week now. Waiting for a mission, getting softer.
Every minute I stay in this room I get weaker. And every minute Charlie squats in the bush he gets stronger.
Each time I look around the walls move in a little tighter.

Scoot

All the info is on the Gaurdia Civil website:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Of course it's all in Spanish and El Cid is right about auto-translate software; which is no good at translating technical Spanish, especially the legal stuff.

Scoot

As far as I know you have actually have to have done bird.
Time elapsed must count for something.
Spain is not (yet) a police state like the UK.