Collection

Importing and exporting wood and timber products

Collection of plant health guidance and forms for trading in wood, wood products, firewood, bark, dunnage or wood packaging.

• From: Forestry Commission
• Published: 26 September 2018
• Last updated: 13 February 2025 — See all updates

If you import or export certain wood and timber products to or from the UK you need to comply with plant health regulations, restrictions and requirements.

The regulations are designed to protect the natural environment and plant-based industries of receiving countries from introductions of harmful organisms that can be present in wood. These include certain species of insects, bacteria and fungi.

Contact Plant Health Forestry

For general queries, or to find details of plant health inspectors: points of entry, contact Plant Health Forestry.

To complain about Plant Health Forestry, follow our complaints procedure.

Import and export guides

• Import timber, wood products or bark
  • 30 April 2024
  • Guidance
• Import firewood into England, Scotland or Wales
  • 13 January 2021
  • Guidance
• Export wood, wood products and bark from Great Britain
  • 17 January 2023
  • Guidance
• Wood packaging material for import and export
  • 5 January 2021
  • Guidance
• Plant health legislation for forestry
  • 14 August 2024
  • Guidance
• Importing firewood: requirements for landing material into Great Britain
  • 20 July 2020
  • Guidance
• Interception of non-compliant solid wood packaging material and other material imports
  • 12 September 2023
  • Guidance

Forms for importing and exporting wood products

• Register as a professional operator to trade in wood, issue plant passports and apply ISPM15 marking
  • 22 June 2023
  • Guidance
• Notify the Forestry Commission about a timber import
  • 30 April 2024
  • Form
• Apply for a credit account
  • 6 April 2021
  • Form
• Notify the Forestry Commission about a firewood import
  • 13 January 2021
  • Form
• Export plant health phytosanitary certificate application form
  • 19 January 2021
  • Form

Latest news

If you import or export wood, timber products, wood packaging and dunnage, stay up to date with changes in legislation, regulations and requirements. Read and subscribe to ‘Plant Health News’.

• Plant Health News
  • 13 February 2025
  • Guidance

Published 26 September 2018
Last updated 13 February 2025 + show all updates

1. 13 February 2025

   Added a latest news section.

2. 11 September 2024

   Updated contact details and added a link to our complaints procedure.

3. 25 July 2024

   Added link to import timber, wood products or bark guidance.

4. 11 July 2024

   Removed a link to 'Importing wood, wood products and bark' as the webpage has been withdrawn as it's out of date.

5. 18 June 2024

   Added section on phytosanitary certificates being required for North America imports from 28 June 2024.

6. 9 January 2024

   Added information about withdrawal of 999L waiver code to CTA box.

7. 22 July 2021

   Apply for an export credit account form removed. There is now only one type of credit account, which can be accessed through the link in the collection.

8. 21 October 2020

   Links to the 'Register a Place of Destination' form and ‘Register as a Professional Operator to issue Plant Passports’ page have been added to this page,

9. 26 March 2019

   The following call for evidence has been added to this page: - Prevent the introduction of oak lace bug into Great Britain: call for evidence

10. 23 October 2018

    The following publication has been added to this page: Importing firewood: requirements for landing material into Great Britain

11. 26 September 2018

    Removed information about email subscriptions to plant health news.

12. 26 September 2018

    First published.