Can i bring plants into the uk

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies. Hide this message. Home Passports, travel and living abroad Travel abroad. Bringing food into Great Britain.

Overview There are rules for bringing food or animal products into Great Britain England, Scotland and Wales for your own use. Print entire guide. Explore the topic Travel abroad Travelling to the UK.

Please click here for more details. Border Control Posts will be built and plant health inspectors recruited throughout Great Britain GB during , with the aim of performing physical checks on regulated goods - which include all plants for planting - upon entry into GB from July Border Control Posts will be positioned throughout England, Wales and Scotland, meaning once physical checks have been performed and material cleared, goods can be transported throughout GB.

From 1st July : physical and identity checks of all regulated plants and plant products not just those which are high-priority will move from Places of Destination to Border Control Posts. The requirement for pre-notification and phytosanitary certificates will be extended to all regulated plants and plant products i.

A: The selection process is risk-based. Q: Will plants be watered and cared for if they are held for a long period of time longer than a few hours at Border Control Posts? A: Storage facilities at Border Control Posts are temperature controlled and consignments will be held for the minimum amount of time whilst undergoing inspection.

Each consignment falls under the responsibility and control of the Border Control Post operator whilst being held at a Border Control Post, who are also responsible for maintaining the temperature and structure.

Defra will work with operators to ensure there is no commodity degredation. Q: Who will be responsible for damages to consignments whilst at Border Control Posts?

A: Operators of Border Control Posts will be responsible for damages. There will be no compensation for damage to plants caused by samples being taken for analysis. A: Entire lorry consignments will not be unloaded unless necessary and it is very rare for an entire lorry to be unloaded. APHA inspectors will review genera, and will take a representative sample from each genera.

In a mixed consignment APHA inspectors will only inspect from 10 genera out of a lorry. Operators are experienced in dealing with mixed loads. Q: How will lorries with large items, such as mature trees, be dealt with during the inspection process at Border Control Posts? A: Border Control Posts must provide equipment that is suitable for the commmodities for which they are regulated, meaning they will have a range of equipment at their disposal for movement of consignments.

In addition, the import managers at each Border Control Post can make a judgement based on each consignment, which may mean it can move inland under notice. Q: Is a member of staff required to be present at the Border Control Post during inspection of a consignment? Q: What is the cost of using Border Control Post facilities? A: Whilst Defra has published full details of inspection fees click here , these fees are distinct from the costs of using Border Control Post facilities.

As these facilities are commercially operated, Defra has less control on the fees charged which have yet to be published. No date has been given for the fees. Q: How does the 4 hour pre-notification period work in relation to Border Control Posts?

A: Within 4 hours of the plants being available for inspection i. A: This depends on the site; some sites will only operate when a ferry arrives at port e. Opening hours for each individual Border Control Post will be decided by the operator, although the APHA will ensure sites are manned according to stakeholder demands during hours of operation.

Q: How will hauliers be expected to manage the need to stop at Border Control Posts? A: Defra will communicate clearly with applicants via IPAFFS and Customs will be clearly communicating with declarants and hauliers whether goods need to stop for checks at the border. Q: Will plants for planting require a plant passport from the Border Control Post to the destination? A: No. Plants for planting can move from the Border Control Post to the first place of arrival with the phytosanitary certificate issued in the EU by the exporter.

From the first place of arrival they will need to be plant passported. Q: Who has to arrange the inspection of plant material upon entry to the UK; the importer or exporter? A: The GB importer has ultimate responsibility, although this may be delegated to customs agents or brokers.

Q: If phytosanitary checks have already been undertaken in the country of origin, why is there a need to perform additional checks once at the GB border? Phytosanitary certificates are issued by the national plant protection service in the country from which goods are to be exported. You are allowed to bring into the UK up to 5 plants. As is the case for seeds, if you wish to bring into the UK more than 5 plants you will need to obtain a phytosanitary certificate or a licence.

You are allowed to bring into the UK bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes but not potatoes weighing in total up to 2kg per person. If you wish to bring into the UK more than 2kgs of bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes you will need to obtain a phytosanitary certificate or a licence. You are not allowed to bring into the UK any ash, citrus or vine plants without a phytosanitary certificate.

You are not allowed to bring into the UK any bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, seeds of Fraxinus ash and Castanea sweet chestnut for planting, orcitrus or vine plants without a phytosanitary certificate. If you are bringing any plant products into the UK from a non-EU country you must declare them when you go through Customs.

If you fail to declare them you could be prosecuted.