More than 175 countries allow civilians to own firearms in some form, and roughly 857 million firearms are estimated to sit in civilian hands worldwide.1Small Arms Survey. Estimating Global Civilian-held Firearms Numbers The countries where citizens can own guns fall along a wide spectrum: a few write the right into their constitutions, most treat ownership as a regulated privilege granted through licensing, and a handful come close to a total civilian ban while leaving narrow exceptions for hunters and sport shooters. The harder question is not whether a country permits civilian ownership but what you have to prove, and to whom, before you can walk out with a firearm.
Countries with a Constitutional Right to Own Firearms
Four countries embed a firearms right in their constitutions. That legal foundation matters, but the day-to-day experience of buying a gun in each of them looks nothing alike.
United States
The Second Amendment protects “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,” and the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller confirmed that this right belongs to individuals rather than only to militia members.2Congress.gov. U.S. Constitution – Second Amendment3Legal Information Institute. Second Amendment Federal law prohibits ownership by people with felony convictions or those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility, but the baseline assumption is access.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Prohibition Under 18 USC 922(g)(4)
Mexico
Article 10 of Mexico’s Constitution grants inhabitants the right to possess arms in their homes for security and legitimate defense, but the practical process is unusually restrictive. The Directorate of Arms and Ammunition Commerce (DCAM), a military branch, is the only legal seller of firearms to civilians. Handguns are limited to smaller calibers, and most types and calibers common in the U.S. are reserved for the military. Carrying prohibited instruments without a legal purpose draws three months to three years in prison, and smuggling firearms into the country can carry five to thirty years.5Library of Congress. Mexico – Firearms Laws
Guatemala
Article 38 recognizes the right to own arms for personal use that are not prohibited by law and not reserved for the military.6Constitute Project. Guatemala 1985 (rev. 1993) Constitution Every civilian firearm must be registered with DIGECAM, the firearms control directorate under the Ministry of National Defense. Unregistered possession carries two to four years in prison. A registered gun can be kept at home and transported unloaded to authorized ranges, but public carry requires a separate DIGECAM license.
Czech Republic
A 2021 constitutional amendment guarantees “the right to defend one’s life or the life of another person, even with a weapon” under conditions set by law. The country’s Firearms and Ammunition Act operates on a shall-issue basis: police must grant a license to any applicant who passes a written proficiency exam and medical evaluation.7Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic. Firearms and Ammunition Legal Framework Self-defense is explicitly a valid basis for a concealed carry permit, which is rare in Europe. As of January 2026, Czech firearm licenses no longer expire, but holders must submit updated medical paperwork every five years.
Countries with Permissive Licensing but No Constitutional Right
Some countries make firearms broadly accessible through ordinary statute rather than a constitutional provision. Switzerland is the clearest example of a functioning permissive system; Yemen is the clearest example of one that exists mostly on paper.
Switzerland
Swiss citizens aged 18 and older can obtain a weapons acquisition permit through their canton of residence, provided they have no criminal record for violent offenses and pose no apparent danger.8ch.ch. Owning a Weapon in Switzerland The permit covers pistols, revolvers, and semi-automatic rifles with small magazines. Military reservists may keep their issued service rifles at home. Fully automatic weapons require a separate special permit with a stated reason, and owners may face unannounced police inspections to verify safe storage.
Panama
Under Law 57 of 2011, Panamanian citizens and legal residents can obtain firearm permits for personal protection or sport after background checks.9National Assembly, Republic of Panama. Law 57 of 2011 – General of Firearms, Ammunition, and Related Materials Permits cover handguns and long guns bought from authorized dealers.
Yemen
Law No. 40 of 1992 technically requires arms dealers to secure Ministry of the Interior licenses and prohibits open carry in cities over 100,000 people. In practice, enforcement is negligible, tribal custom prevails, and most firearms change hands without government involvement. Civilian ownership is estimated at roughly 53 firearms per 100 residents.
Countries with Strict Licensing and Real Civilian Ownership
A larger group treats gun ownership as a regulated privilege. Applicants can qualify, but they should expect paperwork, waiting times, and repeated interactions with the police.
Canada
Canadian law sorts firearms into non-restricted (most rifles and shotguns), restricted (most handguns and shorter semi-automatics), and prohibited (automatic weapons, certain small-caliber handguns, and military-pattern semi-automatics made after December 2023).10Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Classes of Firearms in Canada Every civilian owner needs a Possession and Acquisition Licence, which requires a safety course and a background check. Restricted firearms need additional PAL privileges and registration. New civilian acquisition of prohibited weapons is effectively closed; only grandfathered owners can keep them.
Israel
Israel does not recognize a right to bear arms. Every applicant must show a specific need, meet at least three years of residency (waived for military or national service veterans), submit a doctor-signed health declaration, and pass a training course with written and live-fire components. Most licenses authorize a single pistol with a 50-round ammunition limit. Minimum ages range from 18 for those who completed military service to 45 for permanent residents who did not serve. If a holder no longer meets the eligibility criteria, the firearm must be surrendered to police within 72 hours.11Government of Israel. Firearm Licensing in Israel
Brazil
The Statute of Disarmament sets the minimum age for acquisition at 25 and requires clean criminal records from multiple courts, proof of employment and fixed residence, and certificates of technical competence and psychological fitness.12UNODC. The Statute of Disarmament – Law No 10.826/03 A registered firearm may only be kept inside the owner’s home or business.
Countries Where Civilian Ownership Is Nearly Impossible
A few democracies have moved as close to a total civilian ban as any government has gone. Ownership is technically possible, but the exceptions are narrow and the process is demanding.
Japan
Japan’s Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law prohibits civilian firearms as a baseline. The narrow exceptions are hunting guns and sport guns, held under permits that require annual police inspections and storage in approved gun lockers.13Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Firearms and Swords Control Law Handguns are entirely off-limits to civilians. Roughly 400,000 firearms are held in a country of over 125 million people.
United Kingdom
Any rifle or shotgun requires a police-issued firearms certificate, background checks, and an inspection of secure storage.14Government of the United Kingdom. Firearms Licensing Handguns have been effectively banned for civilians since the Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997. Semi-automatic and pump-action rifles above .22 rimfire are prohibited. Shotguns are the most accessible category, and even those require a certificate and a demonstrated reason for ownership.
Australia
After the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, Australia adopted the National Firearms Agreement, which banned most semi-automatic and pump-action long guns for civilian use.15Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. 1996 National Firearms Agreement Category A covers air rifles, rimfire rifles, and single or double-barrel shotguns. Category B adds muzzle-loaders and repeating center-fire rifles. Categories C and D, covering semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, are limited to occupational users such as farmers dealing with feral animals. All handguns fall under the restricted Category H.
What Most Licensing Systems Require
The paperwork differs country to country, but most systems ask for a similar core.
Background Checks and Disqualifications
Almost every country that allows civilian ownership runs applicants through criminal record databases. Felony convictions, histories of domestic violence, and involuntary mental health commitments are common disqualifiers.4Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Federal Firearms Prohibition Under 18 USC 922(g)(4) Some systems reach further. Brazil requires clearance certificates from federal, state, military, and electoral courts.12UNODC. The Statute of Disarmament – Law No 10.826/03 Israel checks whether the applicant still meets each eligibility criterion on an ongoing basis.
Training and Proficiency Testing
Most countries require a safety course before issuing a license. These range from a few hours of classroom instruction to multi-day courses with live-fire evaluations. Failing the exam blocks the application until the applicant retakes and passes it.
Medical and Psychological Evaluations
Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Israel all require a health declaration or psychological screening. The Czech Republic requires updated medical documentation every five years even though licenses no longer expire.
Secure Storage
Japan requires approved gun lockers and conducts annual inspections. Switzerland can inspect the homes of fully automatic weapon owners without notice. Australia’s licensing categories carry storage requirements police verify. Even where inspections are not routine, failing to secure a firearm that is later used in a crime can create serious legal exposure for the registered owner.
Which Firearm Types Are Usually Allowed
Countries regulate not just who can own firearms but which ones, often in granular detail.
- Handguns are broadly available where self-defense is a recognized reason for ownership, including the United States, Czech Republic, and Panama. They are banned outright for civilians in the UK and Japan and heavily restricted in Australia and Canada.
- Bolt-action rifles and shotguns are the most widely permitted category worldwide. Even Japan and the UK allow them for hunting and sport under licensing.
- Semi-automatic rifles are where laws diverge most sharply. The EU Firearms Directive places center-fire semi-automatics with detachable magazines holding more than ten rounds in the prohibited category. Australia bans them for most civilians, Canada recently moved many models to the prohibited class, and the United States and Switzerland still allow broad civilian access.16European Union. Directive (EU) 2017/853
- Automatic weapons are prohibited for civilians in nearly every country. Switzerland allows acquisition with a special permit. The United States permits ownership of pre-1986 automatic weapons under the National Firearms Act, though the limited supply makes them extremely expensive.
Magazine and caliber restrictions are common. Several jurisdictions cap rifle magazines at ten rounds. Latin American countries often reserve military-standard calibers for armed forces and limit civilians to smaller sporting rounds; Mexico’s civilian handguns are generally capped at .38 caliber, excluding higher-powered variants like .38 Super and .357 Magnum.
Owning a Gun in One Country Does Not Let You Bring It Into Another
A legal firearm at home carries no rights across a border. Every country sets its own import rules, and many require permits arranged weeks in advance through an embassy or consulate. Austria, for instance, requires non-EU residents to apply through an Austrian embassy, present a home-country weapons permit, submit to a background check, and pay a permit fee before importing any firearm; the weapon must then be transported unloaded and stored separately from ammunition.17Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria. Guns, Rifles, Firearms, and Ammunition Travelers within the EU can use a European Firearms Pass to simplify the process, but it only works between member states and still requires the destination country’s approval. U.S. travelers taking personal firearms abroad must present them to a CBP officer and complete CBP Form 4457 before departure, which serves only as proof of prior possession for re-entry and does nothing for the destination country’s requirements.18U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Temporarily Taking a Firearm or Ammunition Outside the United States Arriving at a foreign border with an undeclared firearm is treated as smuggling in most jurisdictions, with penalties that range from confiscation to years in prison.