Form ATF F 6NIA (5330.3 ATF F 6NIA (5330.3 Application/Permit for Temporary Importation of Firearms

OMB NO. 1140-0084

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Application/Permit for Temporary Importation of
Firearms and Ammunition by Nonimmigrant Aliens

(Submit in duplicate; Please print or type all responses, except signature) An approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D)
is valid for one year from the date of approval. See Instruction 26.
Section I - To Be Completed By Applicant
1. Applicant’s full name (last, first, middle)

3. Telephone number (including country code)

7. Date of birth
Month

Day

For ATF Use Only
Permit No.

2. Residential address (number, street, city, country, any other applicable
information; cannot be a post office box)

4. Fax (Facsimile) number (If any, including
country code) (See Instruction 16.)

5. E-mail Address

8. Place of birth (city, country)

9. Country of exportation

6.

Male
Female

Year

10. Country of citizenship (list more than one, if applicable.)

11. Current and/or past U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
admission number(s) or alien number(s) (if any) (See Instruction 21.)

12. Only complete this question if you are applying to temporarily import firearms from Canada. (See Instruction 22.)
Firearms Possession License Number and/or Firearms Possession and Acquisition License Number
13. Do you possess a valid hunting license or permit lawfully issued by a State of the United States? (See Instructions 17-20.)
Yes

No

If you answered Yes, attach a copy of the license or permit to the application and skip to question 15.
If you answered No, go to question 14.
14. Do you possess an invitation and/or registration to attend an upcoming competitive target shooting event or sports or hunting trade show in the
United States sponsored by a national, State, or local organization devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms?
(See Instructions 17-20.)
Yes

No

If you answered Yes, attach a copy of any such invitation and/or registration to the application.
If you answered No, you likely are not in compliance with 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)(B) and therefore likely are prohibited from obtaining an
approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) temporary import permit (call 304-616-4550 for additional information).
15. Description of firearms and ammunition (All the firearms and ammunition you seek to temporarily import may be included on this application.
Attach additional sheets of paper, if necessary. See Instruction 23.)
Firearms (All items in columns a through g must be completed by the applicant; only applicants applying to import firearms from Canada must
complete column h.)
Firearms Registration
Name and Address
Overall
Model
Serial
Barrel
Type
Caliber
Certificate Number
of Manufacturer
Length
Number
Length
(shotgun, rifle,
or
(FRCN)
(inches) (inches)
pistol, revolver) Gauge
g.
h.
a.
c.
d.
b.
f.
e.

ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D)
Revised (
)

Name and Address
of Manufacturer
a.

Ammunition
Type
(ball, shot, wad cutter, etc.)
b.

Caliber or Gauge

Quantity

c.

d.

Certification: Under the penalties provided by law, I declare that I have examined this application, including the documents submitted in support of it,
and to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true, correct, and complete.
16. Signature of applicant
17. Date
Section II - For ATF Use Only (Please do not make any entries in this section.)
The application has been examined and the temporary importation of the firearms and/or ammunition described herein is:
Approved
Partially approved for the reason(s)
indicated here or on attached letter

Denied for the reason(s) indicated
here or on attached letter
Returned without action for reasons
indicated here or on attached letter

18. Signature of the Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Withdrawn by applicant without action
Returned without action for additional
information
No permit required

19. Date

The following restrictions apply to your approved import permit:
The firearms and/or ammunition authorized for importation by this permit are not authorized for permanent importation. The firearms and/or
ammunition may not be transferred to another person within the United States. The holder of this permit MUST take the firearms and any unused
ammunition back out of the territorial limits of the United States upon the conclusion of his/her hunting or sporting activity.
Rifles must have a barrel of least 16 inches and an overall length of not less than 26 inches. This permit does not authorize the importation of a
shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches in length or an overall length of less than 26 inches.

ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D)
Revised (
)

Instruction Sheet For ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D)
(Please detach this instruction sheet before submitting your application)
General Information
Preparation
1.

A nonimmigrant alien is an alien in the United States in a nonimmigrant
classification. The definition includes, in large part, persons traveling
temporarily in the United States for business or pleasure, persons
studying in the United States who maintain a residence abroad, and
certain foreign workers. The definition does not include permanent
resident aliens.

2.

Generally, any nonimmigrant alien temporarily bringing firearm(s) or
ammunition into the United States for legitimate hunting or lawful
sporting purposes must first obtain an approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D),
Application and Permit for Temporary Importation of Firearms and
Ammunition by Nonimmigrant Aliens, from the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

3.

A nonimmigrant alien who is temporarily bringing firearms and
ammunition into the United States for reasons other than legitimate
hunting or lawful sporting purposes should not submit an ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) application. However, the nonimmigrant alien may need to
have a DSP-61, Temporary Import License, from the Department of
State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), obtained for them.
Please contact DDTC at 202-663-1282 or http://pmddtc.state.gov for
further information.

4.

5.

An approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) import permit is not required for
temporary imports of firearms and ammunition by certain diplomats,
distinguished foreign visitors, law enforcement officers of friendly
foreign governments entering the United States on official law
enforcement business, and foreign military officers entering the
United States on official duty. See 27 CFR § 478.115(d)(2)-(5).
An approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) import permit also is not required
for firearm(s) or ammunition brought into the United States or any
possession thereof by a nonimmigrant alien who can establish to the
satisfaction of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection that such
firearm(s) or ammunition was previously taken out of the United States
or any possession thereof by such person. See 27 CFR § 478.115(a).
Note, even if you do not need an import permit because of this
exception, you must fall within an exception to the general prohibition
on nonimmigrant aliens possessing firearms and ammunition. See
paragraph 18 below.

6.

You may not temporarily import unregistered National Firearms Act
(NFA) weapons, such as machineguns, short-barreled rifles or shotguns,
and silencers. If you are not sure if the items you plan to import fall
within this category, please contact ATF’s Firearms and Explosives
Imports Branch.

7.

Firearms which are of U.S. Government origin or that contain U.S.
Government origin manufactured parts or components generally may
not be temporarily imported into the United States. Moreover, firearms
and ammunition may not be imported from certain proscribed countries.
For a list of proscribed countries, see http://pmddtc.state.gov.

8.

You must ensure there are no State or local laws in any State you will
be travelling in or travelling through prohibiting your possession of the
firearm(s) or ammunition you are seeking to import.

9.

You will not need an export permit from the Department of Commerce
or the Department of State when leaving the United States with the
firearm(s) or remaining ammunition listed on your ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) permit.

10. It takes approximately 8 to 10 weeks to process an ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) import application.
11. If you have any questions or concerns about temporarily importing
firearms or ammunition into the United States, please call ATF’s
Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch at (304) 616-4550.
12. Additional ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) are available from the ATF
Distribution Center, 1519 Cabin Branch Drive, Landover, MD 20785.
The forms also can be downloaded at www.atf.gov.

13. Generally, a nonimmigrant alien transiting the United States with a
firearm does not require an ATF Form 6NIA or a DSP-61 issued by the
State Department. If you will be in physical possession of your firearm,
however, you will need to meet one of the exceptions outlined at
18 U.S.C. 922(y). For example if you are a nonimmigrant alien and
you will be driving through the United States as a short cut to get from
one part of Canada to another and will have firearms with you, you do
not need to file a ATF Form 6NIA because you are not temporarily
bringing your gun in for hunting or other lawful sporting purposes.
You also do not need a DSP-61 import license from the State
Department because there is an exception to their license requirement
that applies in this situation. However, you do need to have a valid
hunting license from a State within the United States to make your
possession of the firearm legal while you are in the United States.
14. Nonimmigrant aliens may complete and submit the ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) themselves. You do not need to have a dealer or importer
licensed by ATF complete and submit the form.
15. If a nonimmigrant alien has another person (such as a lawyer or
hunting guide) complete the ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) for him or her, the
person who completes the form must answer the questions with
information about the nonimmigrant alien (e.g., under “Residential
address,” the person should put the address of the nonimmigrant
alien, not his or her own address.) In addition, the nonimmigrant alien
must sign the certification statement in question 15.
16. The application must be prepared in duplicate. The signature required
by question 15 must be in ink on both copies. Other entries must be
printed in ink or be typewritten. All required items on the form must be
completed or your application will not be approved. The application
should be submitted to: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch, 244 Needy
Road, Martinsburg, WV 25405. It also may be faxed to 304-616-4554.
17. If you are able to receive faxed documents, we encourage you to
provide your fax number (including your country code) in question 4.
We often experience delays with international mail. If we are able to
fax you our response it will reduce the possibility of delay.
18. In general, nonimmigrant aliens are prohibited from possessing or
receiving firearms or ammunition in the United States. There are
exceptions to this prohibition, including: (1) a nonimmigrant alien in
possession of a valid hunting license or permit issued by a State
within the United States, and (2) a nonimmigrant alien in possession
of an invitation or registration to attend a competitive target shooting
event or sports or hunting trade show sponsored by a national, State,
or local organization devoted to the collection, competitive use, or
other sporting use of firearms.
19. Accordingly, you must attach documentation to your ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) application that establishes you fall within exception 1 or 2
of paragraph 18 in order to demonstrate your possession of the
firearm(s) and ammunition in the United States will be lawful. In order
for your application to be approved, you must provide ATF with a
copy of either: (1) a valid, unexpired hunting license or permit issued
by a State within the United States (the hunting license/permit does
NOT have to be from the State where you will be importing and/or
using the firearm(s) and ammunition), or (2) an invitation and/or
registration confirmation to attend a competitive target shooting event or
sports or hunting trade show, sponsored by a national, State, or local
organization devoted to the collection, competitive use, or other
sporting use of firearms. If you fax this documentation to ATF, please
make sure the document ATF receives is legible. We suggest you fax a
legible photocopy of the document.
20. Most States issue hunting licenses and permits to nonimmigrant
aliens, often over the telephone or through a website. If you need
information about obtaining a State hunting license or permit, we
suggest you contact a State government.
ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D)
Revised (
)

21. If you are attending a shooting event or trade show and are not sure
if it qualifies for the exception, please contact ATF’s Firearms and
Explosives Imports Branch prior to submitting your application. ATF
can tell you whether the event qualifies. If it does not qualify, you may
instead support your application with a hunting license or permit from
a State within the United States.
22. Question 11 requires the applicant to provide any known admission
number or alien number he or she has received from the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services. Not every nonimmigrant alien
will have an admission number or alien number. In particular,
Canadians often will not have one of these numbers. If you do not have
one of these numbers or cannot recall a past number, answer question
11 “N/A.” For your information, an admission number is the number on
an USCIS Form I-94 or USCIS Form I-94W, the arrival/departure form
U.S. Customs and Border Protection completes at a port of entry. An
alien number is an U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services file
number certain nonimmigrant aliens are given, such as nonimmigrant
aliens with employment authorization documents.
23. Only nonimmigrant aliens seeking to temporarily import firearms from
Canada should answer question 12. This question requires all
nonimmigrant aliens seeking to import firearms from Canada to
provide their Firearms Possession License Number and/or Firearms
Possession and Acquisition License Number. In addition, only
nonimmigrant aliens seeking to import firearms from Canada should
answer question 15h, listing the Firearms Registration Certificate
Number of each firearm they seek to temporarily import. If you
do not have a Firearms Registration Certificate Number for a particular
firearm, you should write “N/A”.
24. You may list all the firearms and ammunition you seek to temporarily
import on one application. If necessary, attach additional pages to
provide the information requested in question 15. Write your full name
in the upper right hand corner of any additional pages.
Approval
25. If your application is approved, ATF will send you an approved ATF F
6NIA (5330.3D) import permit. Please note, the approved permit will
state that the firearm(s) and ammunition authorized for importation
must be taken back out of the United States when you leave the
country, excluding any ammunition that is used while in the United
States. It also will state that you may not transfer the firearm(s) or
ammunition to another person while in the United States. ATF also will
notify you if your application is denied (or partially denied) and the
reason(s) for denial. In some cases ATF will inform you that it needs
additional information to process your application.
26. An approved ATF F 6NIA (5330.3D) import permit is valid for one year
from the date of approval (the date listed in item 19). During that year
you can use the permit repeatedly to import the firearm(s) and
ammunition listed on the permit, as long as one of the following
conditions is met at the time of importation: (1) you possess an
unexpired valid hunting license or permit issued by a State within the
United States, or (2) you possess a current invitation and/or registration
to attend a competitive target shooting event or sports or hunting trade
show sponsored by a national, State, or local organization devoted to the
collection, competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms. The
invitation and/or registration must have been submitted with your
application to ATF and approved by ATF as a qualifying event.

Privacy Act Information
The following information is provided pursuant to Section 3 of the Privacy
Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. section 552(a)(e)(3)).
1.

Authority. Disclosure of the information requested on ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) is mandatory pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(5)(B) and
925 for a nonimmigrant alien to obtain a permit to temporarily import
firearm(s) and ammunition.

2.

Purpose. To determine if a nonimmigrant alien can lawfully obtain a
permit to temporarily import firearm(s) and ammunition, and if the
firearm(s) and ammunition qualify for temporary importation.

3.

Routine Uses. The information will be used by ATF to make
determinations set forth in “purpose” section above. In addition,
information may be disclosed to other Federal, State, foreign and local
law enforcement and regulatory agencies personnel to verify information
on the application, to conduct a background check on the applicant, and
to aid other law enforcement and regulatory agencies in the performance
of their duties with respect to the enforcement and regulation of firearms
and/or ammunition where such disclosure is not prohibited by law. The
information may further be disclosed to the U.S. Justice Department if it
appears that the furnishing of false information may constitute a violation
of Federal law. Finally, the information may be disclosed to members of
the public in order to verify the information on the application when
such disclosure is not prohibited by law.

4.

Effects of Not Supplying Information. Failure to supply complete
information will delay processing and may cause denial of the
application.
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

This request is in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The
purposes of this information collection are: (1) to allow ATF to determine if
the firearm(s) or ammunition described on the application qualify for
temporary importation; (2) to certify that a nonimmigrant alien is in
compliance with 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)(B); and (3) to serve as the
authorization for importation.
The estimated average burden associated with this collection of information is
30 minutes per respondent or recordkeeper, depending on individual
circumstances. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden estimate
and suggestions for reducing this burden should be addressed to Reports
Management Officer, Document Services Branch, Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington, DC 20226.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number.

27. When you are ready to enter the United States with your firearm(s)
and ammunition, you must present your approved ATF F 6NIA
(5330.3D) to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You also must
present U.S. Customs and Border Protection with documentation
demonstrating that you fall within an exception to the nonimmigrant
alien prohibition (i.e., State hunting license/permit; invitation and/or
registration).

ATF Form 6NIA (5330.3D)
Revised (
)