NEW YORK—Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. In some countries, the process takes months. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them.

Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary:

UNITED STATES — 1. Pass an instant background check that includes criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status. 2. Buy a gun.

Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and expanded background checks. Roughly a third of American gun owners buy guns without a background check, which federal law does not require when buying directly from a private seller.

JAPAN — 1. Join a hunting or shooting club. 2. Take a firearm class and pass a written exam, which is held up to three times a year. 3. Get a doctor’s note saying you are mentally fit and do not have a history of drug abuse. 4. Apply for a permit to take firing training, which may take up to a month. 5. Describe in a police interview why you need a gun. 6. Pass a review of your criminal history, gun possession record, employment, involvement with organized crime groups, personal debt and relationships with friends, family and neighbours. 7. Apply for a gunpowder permit. 8. Take a one-day training class and pass a firing test. 9. Obtain a certificate from a gun dealer describing the gun you want. 10. Buy a gun safe and an ammunition locker that meet safety regulations. 11. Allow the police to inspect your gun storage. 12. Pass an additional background review. 13. Buy a gun.

Some countries, like Japan, require buyers to accurately hit a target or demonstrate safe handling procedures.

SOUTH AFRICA — 1. Join an accredited hunting or shooting club, or document a need for self-defence. 2. Complete firearm safety training and pass a written test and practical assessment. 3. Give two employers, friends or community leaders as references. 4. Get fingerprinted. 5. Pass a review of criminal behaviour, history of domestic violence and drug abuse and, in some cases, interviews with family and neighbours. 6. Buy a gun safe that meets safety regulations. 7. Allow police to inspect your storage. 8. Wait several months for a federal review of your application. 9. Buy a gun.

Authorities in South Africa, Australia and India may talk to people you know who can vouch for you or raise red flags.

MEXICO — 1. Get a letter from the local authorities confirming that you do not have a criminal record. 2. Submit a letter showing your employment status and pay. 3. Pass a background check that considers criminal history, employment and current gun ownership. 4. Travel to Mexico City, where the only store authorized to sell guns is located. 5. Get fingerprinted. 6. Buy a gun.

Mexico, Russia and South Africa have thriving black markets for guns. Only one store in Mexico sells guns legally, compared with more than 50,000 retail stores in the United States.

AUSTRALIA — 1. Join and regularly attend a hunting or shooting club, or document that you’re a collector. 2. Complete a course on firearm safety and operation, and pass a written test and practical assessment. 3. Arrange firearm storage that meets safety regulations. 4. Pass a review that considers criminal history, domestic violence, restraining orders and arrest history. Authorities may also interview your family and community members. 5. Apply for a permit to acquire a specific type of weapon. 6. Wait at least 28 days. 7. Buy the specific type of gun you received a permit for.

In response to a 1996 mass shooting, Australia made guns a privilege, not a right. Gun owners must provide a valid reason for owning a weapon, such as farming or hunting, and gun clubs must inform the authorities of inactive members.

AUSTRIA — 1. Join a hunting club, or prove you need a gun for self-defence. 2. Pass a review of criminal history. 3. Fill out a mental health survey, and complete a psychological and physical test. 4. Complete a course on safe gun handling and storage. 5. Install safe gun storage. 6. Allow the police to inspect your gun storage. 7. Buy a gun. 8. If you bought a rifle or shotgun, wait three days before coming back to pick it up.

Austria’s three-day “cool off” period is intended to reduce the likelihood of impulsive violence.

CANADA — 1. To buy a handgun, join an accredited shooting club. 2. Complete a safety course and pass both a written and a practical test. 3. Ask for two references. 4. Apply for a permit, and wait 28 days before processing begins. 5. Pass a background check that considers your criminal record, mental health, addiction and domestic violence history. 6. Buy a gun. 7. If you bought a handgun, register it with the police before taking it home.

In addition to two character references, Canadians must list the names of partners they have lived with in the last two years, all of whom must sign the application or be notified by the police before you can buy a gun.

INDIA — 1. Join a shooting club, or show that you or your property are under threat. 2. Attend a practical training course on firearm handling and shooting, the exact steps vary depending on how local officials choose to enforce the law. 3. Obtain a certificate of physical and mental health from your doctor. 4. Affirm that you have a safe place to keep the firearms. 5. Pass a review that considers three years of tax returns, criminal history, mental health history and domestic violence, and includes interviews with you, your family and neighbours. 6. Buy a gun.

The Indian authorities may impound guns during an election to ensure that the vote is peaceful. Guns must be returned to their owners one week after the results are announced.

GERMANY — 1. Join a shooting or hunting club, obtain a collector’s license or prove that your life is threatened. 2. Demonstrate specialized knowledge of firearms, which may involve a written exam and practical demonstration of safe handling. 3. If you’re under 25, submit a certificate of mental fitness from a public health officer or doctor. 4. Arrange proper firearm storage. 5. Pass a background check that considers criminal history, mental health and drug addiction. 6. Apply for a permit to purchase a specific gun, which may include an additional short background review. 7. Buy a gun.

Germans who keep firearms in their homes agree to let the police conduct unannounced home inspections to check that they are kept safely. The United States has no requirement for how firearms must be stored.

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BRITAIN — 1. Join a shooting club, or document hunting arrangements. 2. Ask for a character reference. 3. Arrange proper firearm storage. 4. Pass background check that includes a police interview at your home. They may check your storage arrangements. 5. Buy a gun.

Some police forces may handle the background check with more diligence than others. The exact procedure varies.

BRAZIL — 1. Write a statement about why you need a gun for self-defence. 2. Complete a course on firearm handling and demonstrate that you can strike a target​ from five and seven metres away with ​60 per cent accuracy. 3. Obtain a statement from an accredited psychologist certifying that you are mentally fit to fire a weapon. 4. Obtain a certificate confirming that you have no criminal record​ and are not under criminal investigation. 5. Buy a gun. 6. Register your gun with federal police. 7. Fill out an online form in order to transport your gun. 8. Return to the dealer and pick up your gun.

Brazil requires authorization every time you transport a gun, including the first time you take it home from a gun dealership.

RUSSIA — 1. Get a hunting license, or explain why you need a gun for self-defence. 2. Pass a test of relevant laws, handling and first-aid skills. 3. Get a doctor’s note saying you have no mental illness or history of drug abuse. 4. Attend a firearm safety and handling class and pass an exam. 5. Apply for a license. 6. Pass a background check. 7. Buy a gun.

Many Russian gun buyers skip this process. Illegal guns in Russia are estimated to outnumber legal guns by a factor of 3 to 1.

ISRAEL — 1. Join a shooting club, or prove that you live or work in a dangerous area authorized for gun ownership, including certain settlements. 2. Get a doctor’s note saying you have no mental illness or history of drug abuse. 3. Install a gun safe. 4. Release your criminal and mental health history to the authorities. 5. Buy a gun and a limited supply of bullets, usually around 50. 6. Demonstrate that you can use your gun or a similar gun at a firing range before taking it home.

Many countries, including Israel, also allow people with certain jobs to more easily obtain guns, including security, research and pest control.

CHINA — 1. Establish a specific reason to possess a firearm, such as hunting or sports shooting. 2. Arrange to store your gun at a gun range, remote hunting ground or pastoral area. 3. Demonstrate knowledge of safe gun use and storage. 4. Pass a background check that considers mental illness, criminal record and domestic violence. 5. Buy a gun.

In China, most civilians are prohibited from keeping guns in their homes. Guns must be kept at gun ranges or in other authorized locations.

YEMEN — 1. Go to a gun market or find a seller online. 2. Buy a gun.

Yemen has the second-highest gun ownership rate in the world, after the United States. While Yemeni law states that buyers must obtain guns from licensed dealers and register with the authorities, the law is largely unenforced.

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