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State Plant Health
and Seed Inspection Service

Rules for Importing Goods of Plant Origin From Third Countries and Certain Overseas Territories of the EU by Private Individuals for Personal Use

Green pears view from the top

General rules for entry of plant goods into the European Union are governed, in particular, by Regulations (EU) 2017/625 and 2016/2031.

Please note, that certain overseas territories of the EU, such as: Ceuta, Melilla, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Saint-Barthelemy and Saint-Martin are treated as other third countries (i.e. as non-EU territories) from the point of view of phytosanitary rules.

In contrast, the same rules as for other EU Member States (i.e. rules on free movement of goods within the Single Market) apply to Madeira and the Azores (part of Portugal), Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
From the perspective of phytosanitary requirements plant goods may be divided into:

  1. Goods the import of which into the EU is prohibited
    Plants, plant products and objects the import of which into the EU from all or certain third countries is prohibited are listed in Annex VI to Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and in Regulation (EU) 2018/2019.
  2. Goods that may enter the EU without phytosanitary restrictions
    Fresh fruit listed in Annex XI, Part C of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072, namely: bananas, durians, coconuts, pineapples and dates. Phytosanitary requirements also do not apply to dried and frozen, or otherwise processed, fruit, vegetables and other plant parts (e.g. leaves, flowers).
  3. Goods that may enter the EU after meeting certain phytosanitary requirements and procedures

The following rules apply to entry (import) of the listed plant goods for personal use by private individuals (so-called end users) in luggage, and as postal and courier consignments, including when purchased online.
Plants, other than plants for planting, e.g. fresh fruit (other than listed in point 1), as well as fresh vegetables, cut flowers, leaves, require a phytosanitary certificate (FC) issued by the competent authority in the country of origin/export and may be introduced through any border crossing post (i.e. not necessarily the post(s) designated for border phytosanitary inspection).

  1. Plants for planting, i.e. “plants that are intended for planting or replanting, or are planted”, e.g. potted plants, seeds for sowing, seedlings, cuttings, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate (FC), issued by the competent authority in the country of origin/export, and must enter the EU through a post (crossing point) designated for border phytosanitary inspection, as they are subject to such inspection. This is because when plants for planting are introduced into the EU by private individuals for their own use, there are no derogations and the same rules apply as for commercial consignments.
  2. A person introducing such plants must set up an account in TRACES NT (EUPO role - EU professional operator other than EU registered professional operators)
  3. However, they are not required to register in the official Professional Operators Register kept by the State Plant Protection and Seed Inspection (SPPSI).
  4. In order to be inspected, plants for planting must be notified at a point designated for border phytosanitary inspection through which they will enter the EU (the first point at the EU's external border). The notification must be made by the so-called “person responsible the load” (Responsible For The Load may be the person entering goods if he/she selects this role in TRACES NT (RFL - Responsible For the Load), or an entity authorised to make the notification, e.g. a customs agency). Consignment notification is done by the person “Responsible For The Load” completing Part I of CHED-PP. In CHED-PP use 'unregistered operator’ for importer/consignee. Notification must be made at least 24 hours (4 hours for air transport) prior to the arrival of the consignment (plants) at the point of entry into the EU.
  5. After border phytosanitary inspection, inspector decides whether or not plants may enter into the EU.
  6. A fee is charged for border phytosanitary inspection, the amount of which is set out in Annex IV to Regulation (EU) 2017/625.