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Firearms are not defined the same way in each country.

Some terms are used in several countries in the context of gun laws. These include the following:

  • shall-issue: granting of a required license or permit is subject only to the applicant’s meeting determinate criteria laid out in the law; the granting authority has no discretion in the awarding of licenses.
  • may-issue: granting of a required permit or license is partially at the discretion of local authorities. Some jurisdictions may provide administrative and legal avenues for an applicant to appeal a permit denial, while others may not.
  • no-issue: granting of a required permit or license is forbidden, or, at most, allowed only in certain very limited circumstances.

Gun laws might be classified by countries according to some specific common characteristics:

  • Yemen and the majority of U.S. states do not require any permit for acquisition of a majority of types of firearms, meaning that any non-prohibited person may buy them from licensed dealers.
  • Some countries including Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland are partially licensed, meaning that any non-prohibited citizen may buy repeating rifles and break-action shotguns from licensed dealers and a permit is required only for handguns and semi-automatic firearms.
  • Some countries allow firearm ownership without good reason or with a simple declaration of reason. For example, in Austria, while the law requires an applicant to have good reason to acquire a license for a handgun, self-defense at home is accepted as a good reason. Canada and New Zealand do not require good reason for applicants’ acquisition of most types of long guns, although they require it for restricted weapons like handguns.
  • Some countries require an applicant to show good reason to secure a firearm license. In some, like Poland and Malta, the list of good reasons and conditions that must be met is explicitly stated in the law, while in others, like Kenya and the United Kingdom, the law does not specify what constitutes a good reason but leaves it at discretion of authorities.
  • In some countries, like China, Japan, and Myanmar, only people meeting narrow conditions are allowed to own firearms, and few licenses are issued.
  • In a few countries, including Cambodia, Eritrea, and the Solomon Islands, ownership of firearms by civilians is completely prohibited.
Country Which civilians can own
Good reason to own
Background check
Registration
Handguns
Semi-automatics
Full automatics
Open carry
Afghanistan Licensed buyers only Not required Required Regulated Allowed w/ permit
Albania Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Algeria Required
American Samoa Licensed buyers only Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Andorra Required
Angola Required Required
Antigua And Barbuda Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Argentina Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ few exceptions Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions
Armenia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Aruba Any licensed or conditionally licensed Required Required Prohibited
Australia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ strict requirements Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited if operable Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions
Austria Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Azerbaijan Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited
Bahamas Licensed buyers only Required Required Not required Allowed w/ strict requirements Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Bahrain Licensed buyers only Required
Bangladesh Licensed buyers only Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Barbados Licensed buyers only Required Required Not required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Belarus Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited
Belgium Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Belize Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license (most types) Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Benin Required
Bermuda Licensed buyers only Required Prohibited
Bhutan Licensed buyers only Required Required
Bolivia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited
Bosnia And Herzegovina Required
Botswana Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited w/ few exceptions
Brazil Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ few vexceptions Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
British Virgin Islands Licensed buyers only Required Prohibited
Brunei Licensed buyers only Required Prohibited Prohibited
Bulgaria Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed Allowed
Burkina Faso Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license (most types) Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Burundi Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Cambodia None (prohibited) Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Cameroon Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Canada Licensed buyers only Only for restricted firearms Required (extensive) Firearm-dependent Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited after 1978 Allowed w/ permit
Cape Verde Certain license classes only Required Required (extensive) Required Prohibited Prohibited w/ rare exceptions
Cayman Islands Licensed buyers only Not required Required Not required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Central African Republic
Chad Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Chile Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license (non-automatics) Prohibited w/ rare exception Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
China None (prohibited) Required Required Required Allowed for hunting only Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ restrictions Allowed
Colombia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ rare exception Prohibited w/ exceptions Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Comoros Not required
Cook Islands None (prohibited) since 1992 Required Prohibited
Costa Rica Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license (w/ exceptions) Allowed w/ license (w/ exceptions) Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Croatia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Cuba Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Cyprus Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Czech Republic Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Denmark Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed Requires special authorization Prohibited
Djibouti Licensed buyers only Required
Dominica Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Dominican Republic Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Dr Congo Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Ecuador Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Egypt Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
El Salvador Licensed buyers only Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea None (prohibited) Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Estonia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Eswatini Required
Ethiopia Any of-age, non-disqualified person Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Falkland Islands Licensed buyers only Required Required
Fiji Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited
Finland Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license (some cases) Allowed w/ license (some cases) Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions
France Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Gabon
Gambia Members of firearms clubs only
Georgia Licensed buyers only Required
Germany Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited
Ghana Required
Greece Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Grenada Licensed buyers only Required Required Required
Guadeloupe Licensed buyers only Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Guam Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed Allowed w/ permit
Guatemala Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Guinea Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license (rare instances)
Guinea Bissau
Guyana Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ restrictions
Haiti Licensed buyers only Required Not required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed Allowed
Honduras Licensed buyers only Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Hong Kong Licensed buyers only
Hungary Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed (some professions)
Iceland Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited
India Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license & major restrictions Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed
Indonesia High-level officials, military, and police only Required Required Required Allowed for specific uses only Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Iran Licensed buyers only Required Required Requires government permission Regulated Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ permit
Iraq Required
Ireland Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Israel Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Italy Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited
Ivory Coast Required
Jamaica Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Japan Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Jordan Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Prohibited w/ exceptions
Kazakhstan Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Unaddressed by laws Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Kenya Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Kiribati Licensed buyers only Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Kuwait Licensed buyers only Required (extensive) Prohibited
Kyrgyzstan Licensed buyers only Not required Required (extensive)
Laos Licensed w/ high social status only Required Required (extensive)
Latvia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license (up to 9mm) Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Prohibited
Lebanon Licensed buyers only Required Required Not required Allowed for specific uses only Prohibited
Lesotho Licensed buyers only Required Required Required
Liberia Professional hunters only Required Required (extensive) Required
Libya Militia members only Required
Liechtenstein Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit
Lithuania Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Luxembourg Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Requires special authorization Prohibited
Macau Licensed buyers only Police and military only Police and military only
Madagascar Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit
Malawi Licensed buyers only Required Required
Malaysia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Unmentioned in law Unmentioned in law Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Maldives Required
Mali Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Malta Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited
Marshall Islands Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Martinique Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Mauritania Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Mauritius Licensed buyers only Required
Mayotte Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Mexico Registered buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ exceptions Allowed Prohibited Prohibited
Micronesia None (prohibited) (but poorly enforced) Not required Required (extensive) Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Moldova Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Monaco Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license
Mongolia Required
Montenegro Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Montserrat Licensed buyers only Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Morocco Required
Mozambique Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license
Myanmar Ethnic Chin hunters only
Namibia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed
Nauru None (prohibited)
Nepal Licensed buyers only Required
Netherlands Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
New Caledonia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
New Zealand Licensed buyers only Firearm-dependent Required (extensive) Firearm-dependent Heavily restricted Heavily restricted Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Prohibited
Nicaragua Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Niger Required
Nigeria Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Prohibited
Niue Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Prohibited
North Korea None (prohibited)
North Macedonia Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Allowed w/ license & restrictions Allowed w/ license & conditions Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Norway Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited
Oman Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license
Pakistan Licensed buyers only Not required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited w/ rare exceptions
Palau None (prohibited)
Palestine Licensed buyers only Required (extensive) Requires government permission Requires government permission Allowed w license (rare)
Panama Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ rare exception Allowed w/ permit
Papua New Guinea Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ pre-1999 license Allowed w/ pre-1999 license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Paraguay Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Peru Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ restrictions
Philippines Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited
Poland Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed for specific uses only Requires special authorization Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Portugal Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited
Puerto Rico Licensed buyers only Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Qatar Licensed buyers only Required
Republic Of The Congo Licensed buyers only Required Required Not required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited w exceptions Prohibited w/ rare exceptions
Reunion Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Romania Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Russia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Unaddressed in legal code Prohibited Prohibited w exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions
Rwanda Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Saint Kitts And Nevis Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited
Saint Lucia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Licensed buyers only Required Required Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Samoa Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
San Marino Licensed buyers only Required Required Required
Sao Tome And Principe
Saudi Arabia Licensed buyers only Required
Senegal Licensed buyers only Not required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited w/ exceptions
Serbia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ rare exception Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Seychelles Licensed buyers only Not required Required
Sierra Leone Licensed buyers only Required Required Required
Singapore Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Unaddressed by laws Unaddressed by laws Unaddressed by law Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Slovakia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Firearm-dependent
Slovenia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ restrictions
Solomon Islands None (prohibited) Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Somalia Licensed buyers only Not required Allowed w/ license
South Africa Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited w/ exceptions Prohibited Prohibited Allowed
South Korea Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Prohibited Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Prohibited
South Sudan Licensed buyers only Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Spain Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Requires special authorization Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Sri Lanka Licensed buyers only Required Required Required
Sudan Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ restrictions Allowed w/ permit
Suriname Licensed buyers only Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited
Sweden Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license & restrictions Requires special authorization Prohibited Allowed in rare circumstances
Switzerland Firearm-dependent Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited w rare exceptions Firearm-dependent Prohibited w/ rare exceptions
Syria Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ restrictions
Taiwan Fishermen and indigenous only Required Required (extensive) Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited
Tajikistan Licensed buyers only Firearm-dependent Required Required Prohibited
Tanzania Licensed buyers only Not required Required Prohibited Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Thailand Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Timor Leste Licensed only w/ rare exceptions Required Required Prohibited Prohibited
Togo Required
Tokelau Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Firearm-dependent Allowed w/ strict requirements Allowed w/ strict requirements Prohibited w/ rare exceptions Prohibited Prohibited
Tonga Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed by law, prohibited in practice Allowed by law, prohibited in practice Prohibited Prohibited
Trinidad And Tobago Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ license Prohibited Allowed w/ permit Allowed w/ permit
Tunisia Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit
Turkey Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited Allowed w/ permit
Turkmenistan Licensed buyers only Firearm-dependent Required
Tuvalu Licensed buyers only Not required Required Required Prohibited Unaddressed by laws Unaddressed by law
Uganda Licensed buyers only Required Required (extensive) Required Allowed w/ license Unaddressed by laws Prohibited
Ukraine Licensed buyers only Required Required Required Allowed w/ license Allowed w/ permit
United Arab Emirates Licensed buyers only Required (extensive)
United States Non-prohibited individuals of age State-dependent State-dependent Allowed in most jurisdictions Allowed (most jurisdictions) Allowed w/ license Varies by jurisdiction Varies by jurisdiction
United States Virgin Islands Licensed buyers only Required Required
Uruguay Licensed buyers only Required Required Allowed w/ license (most types) Allowed w/ license (most models) Allowed w/ license Prohibited Prohibited

Notes: 1.) Handguns: Countries marked “specific uses” allow handguns for hunting, protection, and/or security use only. 2.) Registration: Countries marked “firearm-dependent” have different regulations for different types of firearm (pistol, sport rifle, semi-automatic rifle, automatic rifle, etc.) 3.) Concealed carry: Ireland legally allows concealed carry for those with a valid permit, but no evidence exists that any such permits have been issued.