Guidance

Plant species by import category

Find out the import restrictions that apply to each species of plant, seed, produce or other material depending on where you're bringing it to GB from.

• From: Animal and Plant Health Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 26 May 2015
• Last updated: 12 June 2023 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on 21 December 2023

We have withdrawn this guidance because the information is no longer up to date. For information about import controls for plants and plant products, read:

• Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain
• Import plants and plant products from non-EU countries to Great Britain

Documents

Import requirements for plants, plant produce and products

HTML

Details

Detailed list of plant species by import category, depending on the country you’re bringing it into Great Britain from. Read this guidance with:

• how to import plants and plant products from non-EU countries to Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• how to import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Published 26 May 2015
Last updated 12 June 2023 + show all updates

1. 12 June 2023

   Updated 'Import requirements for plants, plant produce and products' - definition of 'the Americas' now includes the Caribbean.

2. 14 March 2022

   Updated the 'Plants for planting' section in 'Import requirements for plants, plant produce and products' guidance.

3. 20 December 2021

   Added information about how to get help with your customs declaration.

4. 15 December 2021

   New import requirements information added for: all fruits of Cucurbitaceae (Cucumber family includes Cucumbers, Squashes, Gourds), Asparagus and Polymnia sonchifolia (Yacón). Import requirement changes to: Fraxinus (Ash), Juglans (Walnut), Pterocarya (Wingnut) and Ulmus davidiana (David Elm). A correction to: Prunus (Includes Cherry, Plum, Peach, Apricot, Flowering Almond).

5. 11 October 2021

   Corrected entry for Vitis in the “Plants for planting” section to make clear that Vitis plants are only allowed in from EU Member States, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Also removed “West of the Bosphorous” from “Turkey” in the country list.

6. 14 September 2021

   Updated with new date for the introduction of controls on imports of plants and plant products.

7. 1 March 2021

   Updated entry for solanum tuberosum under 'Seeds for planting' section.

8. 31 December 2020

   Multiple changes according to Plant Health (Phytosanitary Conditions) (Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020. 'All third countries' changed to 'all other third countries', addition of species’ exemptions legislation, addition of EU Member States as origin. Removal of many genera of Seeds (Section 3); Cut flowers, parts of plants and vegetables (Section 4); Removal of Punica granatum and Annona from Fruit (Section 5); Removal of Potato Breeding Material row from Section 5; Unregulated list expanded to 15 commodities.

9. 8 October 2020

   Updated the import requirements for plants, plant produce and products guide,

10. 15 September 2020

    Updated the import requirements for plants, plant produce and products guide,

11. 4 February 2020

    Fraxinus seeds now only ‘Notifable’. The only ‘True seed’ that requires to be notifiable is Solanum tuberosum, the only Solanaceae seed that requires to be notifiable is Capsicum spp and Solanum lycopersicon. All other Solaneceous seed is subject to 1% SRSF and not notifiable. Allium ascalonicum is not listed in Annex XI Part A and is only subject to 1% SRSF and so not notifiable. Brassica napus , Brassica rapa, and Sinapsis alba have their own separate entries to make it clear that they are notifiable from all countries.

12. 31 January 2020

    Plant species and objects by Import Category updated

13. 13 February 2019

    Document updated

14. 26 May 2015

    First published.