Animal Plant Health Agency
Export plants and plant products
When you export regulated plants and plant products from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland to other countries, you need to:
- check if your plants need a phytosanitary certificate by contacting the plant health authority in the destination country (and if you cannot find details on the IPPC website or are unsure of the requirements, contact your UK plant health authority or inspector if you know them)
- check if your plants need laboratory testing of samples to make sure theyre free from pests and diseases or for growing season inspections - contact your local plant health inspector
- apply for a phytosanitary certificate from the relevant UK plant health authority before export
- register as a professional operator, if you have not already done so
If you export as a private citizen (you are not registered as a company or sole trader), please contact APHA for information on the process of how you can apply. Email planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk.
UK plant health authorities
You can contact the UKs plant health authorities to check if plants and plant products you intend to export need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.
England and Wales
The relevant plant authority in England and Wales is the Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Contact your local APHA plant health and seeds inspector (PHSI) or contact the Centre for International Trade (CIT):
CIT Plants Headquarters
Foss House
Kings Pool
1-2 Peasholme Green
York
Telephone: 0300 1000 313 - select option 2 when calling
Email: planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk
Scotland
The relevant plant authority in Scotland is SASA (plant health), a division of the Scottish Government Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate. Contact SASA:
Telephone: 0131 244 8890
Email: info@sasa.gov.scot
Northern Ireland
The plant authority in Northern Ireland is the plant and tree health department in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Contact the DAERA Plant Health Inspection Branch:
Telephone: 0300 200 7847
Email: planthealth@daera-ni.gov.uk
Channel Islands and Isle of Man
The Channel Islands and Isle of Man have their own plant health authorities. Find more plant health information from plant health authorities in:
Apply for a phytosanitary certificate
You may need a phytosanitary certificate if youre exporting:
- plants, including fruit, vegetables and cut flowers
- plant products
- seeds
- grain
- bulbs
- potatoes
- used farm and forestry machinery or vehicles which have been operated for agricultural or forestry purposes
- wood and wood products
All these goods must be inspected before you can get a phytosanitary certificate.
Read Forestry Commission guidance if you want to export wood, wood products and bark.
You can use the Apply for plant export certificates and inspections service for:
- plants, including fruit, vegetables and cut flowers
- plant products
- grain
- seeds
- bulbs
- potatoes
- used farm or forestry machinery or vehicles which have been operated for agricultural or forestry purposes
If youre exporting certain fruits and vegetables, you may need a certificate of conformity as well as a phytosanitary certificate.
You apply a different way to export plants from Scotland and Northern Ireland. Contact the plant health authorities in Scotland and Northern Ireland for more information.
Apply for a certificate to re-export goods
Re-export (also known as re-forwarding) is when goods are imported into a country and then exported to another country.
If youve imported goods to Great Britain and then want to move them to a different country, it may be possible to apply for a re-forwarding certificate.
Plant health inspectors will only be able to issue a re-forwarding certificate if they can be confident that the goods meet the destination countrys import requirements.
If you apply for a re-forwarding certificate, the inspector will decide whether a further inspection is needed. You may need a further inspection if the:
- destination countrys rules say you must
- goods have been exposed to a risk of infestation or contamination after being imported
It may be that the destination country has certain import requirements that include testing or growing season inspections. You should check this before you import the goods into Great Britain, as the phytosanitary certificate you use to import the goods will need to include this information if you wish to forward them on. This original phytosanitary certificate, or certified copies, will need to accompany the goods when they are re-exported.
You can apply for a re-forwarding certificate using the plant health export service, Apply for plant export certificates and inspections service.
Register and apply with online export services
If youre exporting from England or Wales, you must register as a professional operator and apply for a phytosanitary certificate with:
- apply for plant export certificates and inspections service for plant products, plant produce, grain, seeds, bulbs, potatoes and used agricultural or forestry machinery with APHA
- the timber and wood export certificates service for wood and wood products with the Forestry Commission
If youre based in England or Wales, contact your local APHA inspector if you want to do a paper-based application form.
If you do not know your local APHA inspector, contact APHA plant health by:
- telephone on 0300 1000 313
- email atplanthealth.info@apha.gov.uk
They will arrange for the inspector to contact you.
There is an extra charge of 14.86 for paper-based applications.
You apply a different way to export plants from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Exporting wood, wood products or isolated bark
If you export certain types of regulated wood, wood products and bark from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), youll need to register as a professional operator and then apply for phytosanitary certificates.
Exporters in