Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in Switzerland?

Yes, with conditions.

Generally legal, but with real rules to follow, usually age verification and, in some places, a low-power threshold.

Tier 3: Moderate

Threshold-based licensing: a permit-free band for low-power airguns, with a licence required above it.

The picture at a glance

Each measure below scores how restrictive Switzerland is on that part of owning or transferring an airgun, from permissive (green) to firearm-level (red).

ClassificationThreshold-based

Age rule18+

PossessionVariable

Transfer / saleVariable

TransportVariable

AuthorityNational statute

Before you buy or sell

'Confusable with real firearm' is a parallel trigger: a 12 J realistic-looking pistol is regulated regardless of energy.

The rules in detail

Classification

Threshold-based

Swiss weapons law: air/CO2 weapons are 'weapons' if energy ≥7.5 J OR if confusable with a real firearm.

Age rule

18+

18+ baseline for citizens; foreign-national permit overlays apply.

Possession

Variable

Below 7.5 J and not confusable: outside the weapon framework. At/above 7.5 J or confusable: legally a 'weapon' (WG Art. 4(1)(f)) but no acquisition permit is needed (WG Art. 10(1)(d)); transfer requires a written contract kept 10 years (WG Art. 11), buyer 18+ with ID check (Art. 10a). Carrying in public needs a carry permit (Art. 27); transport to/from clubs, ranges and dealers is exempt (Art. 28).

Transfer / sale

Variable

Written contract required for each transfer and kept for 10 years (WG Art. 11); no acquisition permit needed (Art. 10(1)(d)).

Transport

Variable

Declare at the border; online ordering without required permits is risky.

Authority

National statute

Federal statute; cantons administer hunting.

Hunting with an airgun

Hunting with airguns is prohibited nationwide.

Deer

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Turkey

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Small game

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Predators

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Other big game

Unresolved / not addressed

Not listed

Import & travel

Energy threshold

7.5 J OR confusable with a real firearm

Caliber rule

No specific national caliber limit below threshold.

Travel note

Most competition airguns exceed 7.5 J.

Local & import notes

Visitor procedure

Declare at the border. Below 7.5 J and not confusable: not a weapon under the Weapons Act. At/above 7.5 J or confusable: a non-commercial import permit from fedpol's Central Office for Weapons (Zentralstelle Waffen) is required (WG Art. 25; WV Art. 39): max three weapons per permit, valid six months.

Keep exploring

Open the interactive mapSee how this compares across the map and switch between legal and hunting views.Ballistics toolkitCheck energy, velocity, and range for any airgun and load.Ammo databaseBrowse 600+ pellets and slugs by caliber and weight.

This is a plain-language summary compiled from primary statutes and official guidance. It isn't legal advice. Laws change and local rules vary, so verify the current rules with the relevant authority before buying, selling, or hunting.