Guides / Plants and seeds · Updated 30 September 2026

Importing plants and seeds into Great Britain: phytosanitary rules

Plants, seeds and plant products face plant health controls on top of customs. This guide explains the risk categories, when a phytosanitary certificate is needed, how IPAFFS pre-notification works and what travellers can bring for personal use.

This guide is also available in Polish.

Why plant imports are treated differently

Plants, seeds, cut flowers, fruit and vegetables can carry pests and diseases that are not present in Great Britain. For that reason they sit under plant health controls that run alongside the normal customs process. A correct CDS import declaration and an EORI number are still needed for commercial goods, but they do not on their own clear a plant consignment. The plant health side has its own documents, its own pre-notification system and its own inspection points.

The four risk categories

Every plant or plant product imported into Great Britain falls into a risk category, and the category decides what paperwork and checks apply. GOV.UK guidance groups goods as follows:

Category	Phytosanitary certificate	Controls
High risk	Required	Full controls, entry through a port or airport with a border control post
Medium risk A	Required	Full controls, entry through a port or airport with a border control post
Medium risk B	Required	Certificate only
Low risk	Not required	No plant health controls

Which band a product falls into depends on the species, the type of material (for example plants for planting versus cut flowers or produce) and, in some cases, the country of origin. Check your specific product against the plant health guidance before you agree terms with a supplier, because the category drives both lead time and routing.

The phytosanitary certificate

A phytosanitary certificate is issued by the plant health authority in the exporting country. It confirms that the consignment has been inspected and meets the import requirements. Under GOV.UK guidance the exporter must obtain one for each consignment of high risk, medium risk A and medium risk B goods, whether they come from the EU or from outside it. Low risk goods do not need one, and neither do certain medium risk fruit and vegetables covered by a temporary easement for EU goods.

For goods from non-EU countries, the guidance adds a timing rule: the certificate must have been issued no more than 13 days before or after the date the consignment left the country of export. A certificate outside that window is a common reason for a hold at the border, so ask your supplier to confirm the issue date against the shipping date.

The certificate belongs to the consignment. If a shipment is split, consolidated or re-routed after the certificate is issued, check with your supplier whether the document still matches what is actually arriving.

IPAFFS pre-notification

Before regulated plant goods arrive, the importer must pre-notify them on IPAFFS, the import of products, animals, food and feed system. For non-EU goods, GOV.UK states that you must register to use IPAFFS to import high risk or medium risk A plants and plant products. The minimum notice periods set out in the guidance are:

at least 4 working hours before the goods land in Great Britain, for air freight and roll-on roll-off freight;
at least 1 working day before arrival, for all other freight.

These are working hours and working days, so a Friday evening sailing or a bank holiday can move the practical deadline much earlier than it looks. Many importers submit the notification as soon as the booking is confirmed and the certificate details are known, then update it if anything changes.

IPAFFS pre-notification and the customs declaration are separate filings. If you use an agent for the customs entry, agree in writing who is responsible for the IPAFFS notification, because a missing plant health notification can stop goods even when the customs side is complete. Our guide on whether you need a customs broker covers how that split of tasks usually works.

Checks at border control posts

Physical and documentary plant health inspections take place at border control posts (BCPs) or at inland control points. GOV.UK guidance states that all high risk and medium risk A plants and plant products must enter through an airport or a port with a BCP; for non-EU goods, that BCP must be able to handle plants and plant products. This matters when you plan the route: a port that is convenient for your haulier may not have the right facility for your product.

For roll-on roll-off movements through the short straits, the plant health timing also has to fit with the GVMS process for the vehicle. Build in time for a possible inspection, and make sure the driver and the receiving warehouse know the goods may be held.

Prohibited and restricted material

Some plants and plant products cannot be imported at all because of the pest risk they pose. GOV.UK directs importers to check whether goods are prohibited through the plant health portal before shipping. In limited cases, material can be brought in under an authorisation for scientific or trial purposes, but that is a separate application and not a route for ordinary trade.

Personal imports: travellers and small quantities

If you are bringing fruit, vegetables, nuts or seeds for your own use, the rules depend on where you are travelling from.

From the EU, Switzerland or Liechtenstein

GOV.UK guidance on bringing food into Great Britain says you can bring in fruit, vegetables, and nuts and seeds for personal consumption without additional requirements.

From other countries

From outside those countries, you cannot bring in most fruit or vegetables without a phytosanitary certificate from the plant health authority of the country you are leaving. The guidance lists fruits that are exempt from this, including pineapple, kiwi, coconut, citrus fruits, kumquat, persimmon, durian, banana and plantain, mango, dates, passion fruit and guava. For nuts and seeds, only peeled and processed nuts or nut butters and certain grains, such as rice, are listed as allowed without a certificate. Processed and packaged plant products, such as packaged salads and frozen plant material, are not restricted.

Plants for planting and wood brought in by travellers are covered by separate GOV.UK guidance, so check that before packing cuttings, bulbs or seedlings.

Commercial imports: a practical checklist

Identify the risk category of each product line before ordering.
Confirm the supplier will obtain a phytosanitary certificate where required, and check the issue date.
Register on IPAFFS if you import high risk or medium risk A goods.
Route high risk and medium risk A goods through a port or airport with a suitable BCP.
Submit the IPAFFS pre-notification within the minimum notice period.
Agree who files the customs declaration and who handles IPAFFS.
Check whether any product is prohibited before it ships.

If you want more detail on how the categories and paperwork fit together, Plutos has published a closer look at phytosanitary rules for plant imports, which also covers controlled and prohibited material.

Related guides

Sources

General information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements on gov.uk or with a registered agent before you ship.