Guidance

Plants and wood that need a plant passport for movement within Great Britain

Updated 9 September 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-plants-plant-products-and-objects-which-need-a-plant-passport-for-movement-within-gb/plants-plant-products-and-other-objects-which-need-a-plant-passport-for-movement-within-great-britain

This is a detailed list of plants, seeds and wood products that need a UK plant passport for movement within Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Plants

All plants for planting. These include:

  • plants that have been planted and the intention is for them to remain planted
  • whole plants or living parts of plants (for example, cuttings) that are not planted and the intention is for them to be planted
  • plants that have been lifted and the intention is to replant them

Wood and wood products

Round wood – such as whole trees, small round wood and saw logs.

Brash from felled trees – such as cut branches, discarded stem wood and treetops.

Wood processed from brash, round wood or stumps on harvesting or aggregation sites. This includes wood chips, particles, shavings and sawdust.

Wood and wood products from all or part of the following genera or species:

  • Pinales (conifer) with bark
  • Castanea (sweet chestnut) with bark
  • Juglans (walnut) either with or without bark
  • Platanus (plane) either with or without bark
  • Pterocarya (wingnut) either with or without bark

Cut Christmas trees over 3 metres in height (with or without roots) from the following species:

  • Abies (fir)
  • Larix (larch)
  • Picea (spruce)
  • Pinus (pine)
  • Pseudotsuga (Douglas fir)

Cut foliage sourced from trees over 3 metres in height from the following species:

  • Abies (fir)
  • Larix (larch)
  • Picea (spruce)
  • Pinus (pine)
  • Pseudotsuga (Douglas fir)

Isolated bark (bark from a living, felled or fallen tree)

Isolated bark from the following genera or species, including when mixed with other material or bark from other species:

  • Pinales (conifer)
  • Castanea (sweet chestnut)
  • Juglans (walnut)
  • Pterocarya (wingnut)

Seeds

Allium cepa (onion and shallot).

Allium porrum (leek).

Brassica napus (oilseed rape).

Brassica rapa (turnip).

Capsicum spp. (peppers).

Castanea (sweet chestnut).

Glycine max (soya bean).

Helianthus annuus (sunflower).

Linum usitatissimum (flax/linseed).

Medicago sativa (lucerne).

Phaseolus coccineus (runner bean).

Phaseolus vulgaris (French beans).

Pisum sativum (peas).

Solanum lycopersicum (tomato).

Solanum tuberosum (seed potatoes).

Sinapis alba (white mustard).

Vicia faba for vegetable use (broad bean).

Exceptions for movement of seed

You do not need a plant passport for certain types of movement of seed. This includes:

  • the supply of seed to official testing and inspection bodies
  • the supply of seed for processing and packaging
  • the supply of seed to produce certain agricultural raw materials, or seed propagation for that purpose
  • the movement of seed intended for scientific purposes, selection work and other test or trial purposes
  • the movement of seeds not yet finally certified
  • the movement of species for which the UK has a marketing derogation
  • movement of seed intended for export outside of the EU

Pest free areas – additional requirements

There are additional requirements for moving specified plants and seeds into and within pest free areas in Great Britain.

Issuing plant passports

Read guidance on:

Contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for further details.

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