Hunting in France as a foreigner: licence, validation and guns

Is a foreign hunting licence valid in France?

Not as it stands: it has to be validated. Article L423-21 of the French Environmental Code states that non-residents, French or foreign, who hold a hunting licence issued abroad, or “an administrative document serving in its place”, must have it validated “under the conditions that apply to hunting licences issued in France”. In practice your licence is treated like a French permis de chasser: there is no French exam to sit, but validation is compulsory, exactly as it is for a French hunter.

Two conditions frame this. First, it is reserved for non-residents: anyone who lives in France must take the French exam, which is open regardless of nationality, after training with a departmental federation. As one example, the Var federation treats as resident anyone whose home or main place of stay is in France, who works there, or whose main economic interests are there. Second, your foreign licence must be valid in the issuing country for the current season.

For clients who divide their year between several countries, residence is therefore the first question to settle. We raise it in our very first conversation; the final answer rests with the federation.

Annual, nine days or three days: which validation do you need?

Validation comes in three forms, each of which can be national (the whole of France) or departmental (a single département). Annual validation covers the season, from 1 July to 30 June. Temporary nine-day validation, for nine consecutive days, can be obtained only once per season. Three-day validation, for three consecutive days, can be renewed twice in the same season, three times in all. Nine-day and three-day validations cannot be combined in the same season.

There is no such thing as a one-day licence: for a single shooting day, the three-day validation is the shortest option. For a trip that strings together several days on estates in different départements, a national validation avoids repeating the process. For the 2026-2027 season, validations have been open since 2 June 2026 and apply from 1 July 2026.

Each validation carries a state fee, halved for a first validation, and a federation contribution. The amounts are revised every season, so we do not quote them here: the departmental federation confirms them when you apply.

Where do you apply, and what do you need?

Validation is requested from a fédération départementale des chasseurs, which acts as a one-stop desk, for instance the federation of the département where your day takes place. According to the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), the file consists of a completed and signed validation form, payment, and a sworn statement of insurance. Some federations let hunters living abroad create their own record online; the Haut-Rhin federation is one example.

Several points are not set by any national source we have been able to verify: the exact list of documents (a copy of your foreign licence, for instance), whether a translation is required, and processing times. These are to be confirmed with the departmental federation, case by case. The same goes for countries where hunting is licensed by a state or province, such as the United States or Canada: the law refers to “an administrative document serving in its place” but does not say which titles are accepted.

On the day, every gun carries their licence, their validation and their current insurance certificate. All three must be with you throughout the day in the field.

What insurance do you need to hunt in France?

Hunting liability insurance is compulsory to validate a licence. It covers bodily injury for an unlimited amount, as well as damage caused by dogs. For a visiting gun, it must cover hunting on French territory and be taken out with a company authorised to operate in France.

A policy bought at home is therefore only suitable if the insurer meets that condition. Some federations offer insurance at the time of validation, which often makes things simpler; check with the federation concerned.

Can you bring your own guns to France?

Yes, under precise customs rules that depend on where you live. A resident of another EU member state needs no prior customs approval if they hold a European Firearms Pass listing the guns carried, hold a hunting licence, and can show the purpose of the trip, for example with an invitation to a shoot. This exemption covers three category C hunting guns and one hundred cartridges per gun; beyond that, an application is made through the French customs online service, SOPRANO. The European Firearms Pass proves lawful possession: it does not entitle you to hunt, and licence validation is still required.

A resident of a non-EU country in principle needs an import authorisation (AIMG). There is an exemption for hunters: two category C hunting guns and one hundred cartridges per gun, with proof of the purpose of the trip. The guns are then placed under temporary admission at the first customs office on entering the European Union. Beyond those limits, an AIMG is requested through “SOPRANO Accès Simplifié”. French customs give no processing time, so it pays to start early.

In transit, guns must be unloaded and not immediately usable (in a case or slip, or with a part removed), with ammunition ideally kept separately; by air, they travel in the hold.

No licence: what can your guests do?

A hunting licence and its validation are personal: nobody can provide them on your behalf. France does have an “accompanied hunting” authorisation, open to adults, issued free of charge for one year and only once per person by the president of the federation. It requires prior practical training with the federation, a companion who has held a licence for at least five years, and a single gun shared between the two. It is not something that can be arranged on the day, and we have found no source that expressly opens it to non-resident foreigners: this is to be confirmed with the departmental federation.

Guests who do not shoot can spend the day alongside the guns, following the safety instructions set by the organiser. On a driven boar or deer day, everyone present, armed or not, wears high-visibility clothing, as French rules require. According to case law, helpers who do not shoot, such as beaters, do not need a licence, provided they stay in a supporting role.

For guests who would like to hold a gun, a clay shooting lesson supervised by a qualified instructor can be arranged privately at an affiliated club, often in the morning or alongside the day. Lunch, the end of each drive and the moment the day's bag is laid out then bring everyone together, guns and guests alike.

At a glance: your situation, your next step

The table below covers the most common cases. It does not replace the answer of the departmental federation, which alone has the authority to validate a licence.

Our part starts well before the day: we coordinate these formalities with the estate that receives you, send you the up-to-date list of what the relevant federation asks for, and plan the timetable so that everything is ready before you arrive, without ever standing in for the authorities. Around the day itself, the concierge side does the rest, with complete discretion: arrival from London, Geneva, the Gulf or New York, private jet, chauffeur, a hotel or a private house for the night.