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Airgun law · World

Are Airguns Legal in Vanuatu?

Mostly no, or only under severe restrictions.

Treated at or near firearm level, with an effective ban or major criminal-law exposure for ordinary ownership. Watch the restricted access rule in particular.

Tier 1: Severely Restricted

Effective civilian ban or extreme criminal penalties for unlicensed possession.

VU

The picture at a glance

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

ClassificationUnclear
Age rule18+
PossessionRestricted access
Transfer / saleVariable
TransportVariable
AuthorityUnclear
Before you buy or sell
  • Air weapons have been banned outright since 28 March 1988 (Firearms Act s.5).
  • Import of any air weapon or its ammunition is an offence; there is no permit route.
  • Air weapons are also inside the customs firearms definition.

The rules in detail

Classification
Unclear
Vanuatu's Firearms Act [Cap. 198] defines 'air weapon' as an air rifle, air gun or air pistol, and its definition of 'firearm' expressly includes any air weapon. Section 5 bans air weapons outright instead of licensing them. Customs Prohibited Import Regulations also include air weapons in the firearms definition.
Age rule
18+
Not applicable: air weapons are banned for everyone (Firearms Act s.5). For other firearms, s.4 bars anyone under 18 from possessing, buying or acquiring a firearm or ammunition.
Possession
Restricted access
Prohibited. Firearms Act s.5(1): since 28 March 1988 no person may possess, purchase, acquire, manufacture, sell or import any air weapon or air-weapon ammunition. Air weapons held in 1988 had to be surrendered to police within 12 months (s.5(2)). The only exemptions are government service and ship/aircraft signalling gear (s.32).
Transfer / sale
Variable
Prohibited for air weapons: s.5(1) bars selling, buying, acquiring, manufacturing and importing air weapons and their ammunition, and there is no licence route. For other firearms, no person may import without a firearms import licence (s.7), and sale and purchase are regulated.
Transport
Variable
Not viable: an air weapon cannot lawfully be possessed in Vanuatu (s.5), so there is no lawful way to transport one. Do not carry airguns or pellets into or through the country.
Authority
Unclear
National Firearms Act and customs regime; police/customs authorities control import and licensing.

Hunting with an airgun

Prohibited.

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
No threshold: all air weapons are banned (Firearms Act s.5).
Caliber rule
No specific airgun caliber rule found.
Travel note
Do not bring any airgun or pellets to Vanuatu. Air weapons are banned outright there, not just licensed.

Local & import notes

Visitor procedure
Do not import an airgun into Vanuatu: the Firearms Act effectively prohibits it. Section 5(1) bans importing any air weapon or air-weapon ammunition, with no permit route. The customs prohibited-import regulations also treat air weapons as firearms.

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.