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Importing Plants and Plant Products from the UK
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Importers of certain plants and plant products from Great Britain are required to be register with the Horticulture and Plant Health Division of the Department. Register to Import or Export
To protect human health, plant health and the environment, EU rules restrict the import of certain goods from third countries including some plants, plant products and wood packaging. EU Regulation 2016/2031 sets out the protective measures against the introduction into the Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the Community.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine performs the necessary checks and controls and processes the necessary authorisations and licences when importing from Great Britain.
Plants and plant products must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. This is required under European Union regulations aimed at protecting plant health.
Professional operators are involved in:
• breeding
• planting
• production
• trading or distributing
Personal consignments of plants originating outside the European Union have the potential to endanger plant health as well as impact the biodiversity and the wider environment. EU Regulation 2016/2031 and EU Regulation 2017/625 govern the movement of plants into and within the European Union by either commercial or private means.
Regulated plants, parts of plants, fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, seeds and grain may not be brought into the State without a valid phytosanitary certificate (with the appropriate declarations) being presented to the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine at the point of entry.
Fees apply to imported consignments arriving in Dublin Port, Dublin Airport and Rosslare Port.
In accordance with Regulation 71 of S.I. No. 459/2020 - European Union (Plant Health) Regulations 2020 , the schedule of charges/fees for inspections carried out on regulated plants, plant products and other objects introduced into the State from Third Countries is set out at Annex B of this notice. The plants, plant products and other objects to which charges apply are listed in Annex A.
Each inspection charge comprises: (a) documentary check fee, (b) an identity check fee and (c) a plant health check fee based on the volume/quantity of material as set out in Annex B of this Notice.
Note : As per Article 3 of Regulation 2017/625 “consignment” means a quantity of goods of the same type covered by the same official certificate, conveyed by the same means of transport from the same third country or territory.
To reduce the administrative burden, registered importers will be invoiced once in the second week of the month for all consignments inspected in the preceding calendar month.
Details of the payment methods will accompany each invoice. A remittance slip will be provided with each invoice for your convenience. Please ensure that you quote your customer number, located at the top left of the invoice, together with the invoice number when completing the remittance slip.
Payment by cheque, draft or money order (in euro only) should be made payable to:
The Accountant, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The remittance slip together with payment should be forwarded to:
Cash Office
Address:
Accounts Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham Road
, Cavan
, Co. Cavan
Summary:
Accounts Division,
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,
Farnham Road,
Cavan, Co. Cavan.
Remittances should be sent to this address only. Failure to do so may result in delays in the registering of payments.
A facility to make payments by EFT or credit/debit card can only be made in accordance with a set protocol.
Information on payment by EFT can be obtained by contacting +353-(0)49-4368239
Details on payment by credit/debit card can be obtained by contacting +353-(0)49-4352053.
Registered importers are reminded of the provisions of Trader Notice 4 of 2015 and specifically the requirement of ensuring that the original Phytosanitary Certificate for each consignment is received by the Department within five working days of the Department issuing the associated Clearance Certificate.
If you have any queries, please contact plantandpests@agriculture.gov.ie or alternatively by telephone (01)5058885.
Annex IVAI of the Plant Health Directive and Emergency Commission Decisions also include additional phytosanitary measures to prevent the introduction of specific plant pathogens into the EU.
If an item within Annex IVAI or an Emergency Commission Decision includes two or more options, the National Plant Protection Organization must record which option has been complied with in the Additional declaration section of the accompanying Phytosanitary certificates
Border Control Post designated for animals, products of animal origin, composite products, germinal products, animal by-products, hay and straw referred to in Article 47(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 or covered by conditions or measures referred to in Article 47(1)(d), (e) or (f) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.
Border Control Posts designated for the categories of animals and goods
This list includes live animal BCPs, animal products BCPs, and products of non-animal origin BCPs.
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These import procedures cover procedures for Dublin Airport for all consignments of plants and plant products imported directly from third countries.
Only registered professional operators with Department approval to import may import regulated plants and plant products directly from third countries.
It is the responsibility of the operator responsible for the consignment (acting on behalf of the trader, customs agent) to ensure they are registered on TRACES NT (The Trade Control and Expert System New Technology). Guidelines on how to create an EU login and sign up to use TRACES NT can be found here .
Please carefully note the following information when importing or otherwise risk delays or entry refusal at the Irish border. Registered traders are required to follow the steps and advice below:
1. Complete the CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) part 1 via TRACES NT (The Trade Control and Expert System New Technology).
Instructions can be found here.
2. Necessary documents and logistical information must be submitted 24 hours in advance via the Department’s agfood Portal.
The documents and information required are as follows:
- Contact details of Operator Responsible for the consignment
- Date and time of arrival of consignment
- Country of dispatch
- Entry Point on arrival
- CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) number
- Plant Health Registration (PHR) number of the importer
- Customs Movement Reference Number (MRN)
- Customs SAD (Single Administrative Document) number
- Copy of the Original Phytosanitary Certificate (colour scan of original) with appropriate additional declarations
- Copy of the Invoice
- Copy of the Airway bill
- Copy of Customs SAD (Single Administrative Document)
3. The importer or customs agent will receive an automatic confirmation email that the Department has received an application. This email will contain a case reference number. This is an automated reply and only refers to receipt of application and is not an approval for entry.
4. If the application is incomplete or documents are missing, the operator responsible for the consignment will be notified of this via email. The email will outline what information or documents are still required. In this case, to proceed the operator responsible for the consignment must resubmit the outstanding information via the link attached on the email.
Please note incomplete applications will likely lead to delays in the processing applications.
5. On arrival, consignments will be subject to documentary, identity and physical checks by a department official.
6. On the date of arrival of the consignment, the operator responsible for the consignment will be notified of the allocated inspection time at the Border Control Post. It is the responsibility of the operator responsible for the consignment to ensure that the consignment is presented at the allocated time at the Border Control Post to avoid delays.
7. On successful completion of Department’s checks, a clearance certificate will be issued to both Customs and the operator responsible for the consignment.
8. If a consignment is rejected at any stage of the checking process, the operator responsible for the consignment will be notified via email outlining the reasons for rejection. In the event of a rejection of an application the Customs SAD (Single Administrative Document) is also rejected. If the operator responsible for the consignment wishes to reapply, they must supply a new Customs SAD and reapply to the Department via the process outlined above.
9. The original phytosanitary certificate must be presented to a department inspector at the Border Control Post, Cargo Terminal 3, Dublin airport on the day of arrival of the consignment.
Note : It is the responsibility of the operator responsible for the consignment to ensure that any additional documentary processes necessary to clear Customs Control have been completed.
Please carefully note these import procedures in Dublin port for all consignments of plants and plant products imported directly from third countries.
Only registered professional operators with Department approval may import regulated plants and plant products directly from third countries.
It is the responsibility of the person responsible for the consignment (acting on behalf of the trader) to ensure they are registered on TRACES NT (The Trade Control and Expert System New Technology). Guidelines on how to register and use TRACES NT can be found here
1. Complete the CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) part 1 via TRACES NT (The Trade Control and Expert System New Technology).
2. Necessary documents and logistical information must be submitted 24 hours in advance via the Department’s agfood Portal.
The documents and information required are as follows:
- Contact details of Operator Responsible for the consignment
- Date and time of arrival of consignment
- Country of dispatch
- Entry Point on arrival
- CHED-PP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) number
- Plant Health Registration (PHR) number of the importer
- Customs SAD (Single Administrative Document) number
- Copy of the Original Phytosanitary Certificate (colour scan of original) with appropriate additional declarations
- Copy of the Invoice
- Copy of the Airway bill
- Copy of Customs SAD (Single Administrative Document)
3. The importer will then receive an automatic confirmation email that the Department have received an application. This email will contain a Case Reference Number. This is an automated reply and only refers to receipt of application and is not an approval for entry.
4. If the application is incomplete or documents are missing, the person responsible for the consignment will be notified via email. To proceed the person responsible for the consignment must resubmit the outstanding information via the link attached on the email.
Please note incomplete applications will likely lead to delays in the processing applications.
5. On arrival, consignments will be subject to documentary, identity and physical checks by a department official.
6. On successful completion of checks by the Department, a clearance certificate will be issued to Customs and the person responsible for the load.
7. If a consignment is rejected at any stage of the checking process, the person responsible for the load will be notified via email outlining the reasons for rejection. In the event of a rejection of an application the Customs SAD is also rejected. If the person responsible for the load wishes to reapply, they must supply a new Customs SAD and reapply to the Department via the process outlined above.
8. The original phytosanitary certificate together with a copy of the relevant clearance certificate must be received within 5 working days from the date of issue of the clearance certificate at the address below:
Phytosanitary Certificate Section
Address:
Horticulture & Plant Health Division, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, 2nd Floor, Administration Building Backweston Campus
, Celbridge
, Co. Kildare
, W23 X3PH
Note : It is the responsibility of the importer to ensure that any additional documentary processes necessary to clear Customs Control have been completed.
Export of Forestry Plants, Wood and Wood Products from Ireland into the UK (Great Britain)
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Appendix to Trader Notice Bulk import of roundwood from Great Britain
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Import requirements for coniferous plants, wood and wood products (including WPM)
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The EU requires all Wood Packaging Material (WPM) from third countries entering the Union territory to be ISPM 15 compliant: Wood Packaging Material and ISPM 15
•What is a phytosanitary certificates?
A phytosanitary certificate is a legal document issued by the NPPO (National Plant Protection Organization) of the country of export for goods and commercial consignments of plant origin certifying that they are free from certain / specified harmful and quarantine pests and diseases. Click here to see an example of a phytosanitary certificate.
•What is a third country?
A third country is referred to in EU treaties as a country that is not a member of the European Union. When the UK left the European Union it became a third country.
•What do I need to do to import regulated plants and plant products into Ireland from a third country? How do I get a phytosanitary certificate for my products?
Contact the competent authority National Plant Protection Organization of the country of origin of the goods. Alternatively, your seller in the country of origin can arrange this locally with the competent authority.
A link to contact details can be found here
•I am working in retail and import a number of consignments of plants per week into Ireland from GB. Do I need to get a phytosanitary certificate from each supplier of plants, or will one phytosanitary certificate cover the entire consignment?
The National Plant Protection Organization in Great Britain issue phytosanitary certificates for consignments of plants and plant products for export to countries outside their jurisdiction. Consignments of plants and plant products travelling from third countries are typically accompanied by one phytosanitary certificate that covers the entire consignment. However, it is up to the GB authorities to decide how many phytosanitary certificates they issue.
Please note that in situations where we receive multiple phytosanitary certificates for a consignment, it will result in processing delays.
•My company imports plants for planting from GB in grouped consignments. When the UK leaves the EU, will fees be charged for the entire consignment?
You will only be charged for the plants and plant products element of the consignment as set out in the fees section on this page.
•My company imports plants for plating from GB and EU member states in grouped consignments. When the UK leaves the EU, will I require a phytosanitary certificate for the entire consignment?
No, a phytosanitary certificate will only be required for the plants and plant products that were produced in the UK. The plants and plant products that were produced in another EU member state will be considered to be transit goods and will continue to be covered under the plant passport system.
In the event of a grouped consignment containing regulated plants and plant products the Department may have to carry out a full strip/breakdown of the container/side curtain/refer. To ensure speedy processing we encourage importers to ensure that the regulated plants and plant products in the consignment are easily accessible to enable the phytosanitary inspectors to carry out their work in an efficient manner and avoid having to carry out a full strip/breakdown.
When importing plants and plant products from the UK you will have certain obligations to fulfil from a customs perspective.
Please click here for more details
•What is a SAD?
SAD stands for Single Administrative Document which is a form used for customs declarations in the EU. Please click here for more details.
•What is a CN code and where to find the correct CN code for a product?
CN stands for combined nomenclature. It is the common nomenclature of the EU and is an 8 digit product classification of goods in export declarations to meet the requirements of Common Customs Tariff and the EUs external trade statistics. To find out what CN code applies to your commodity, using the advanced search option, you can access the EU database for CN codes here .
Bord Bia is also running a customs training programme.
•What are the requirements for non-commercial importers bringing cut flowers home from a third country (non-EU)?
There are many thousands of species of cut flowers, some are regulated others are not, so it’s not possible to tell you what you need to do until we know the specific details. Please submit your query via email to plantandpests@agriculture.gov.ie
•What would I do if I noticed a harmful organism (pests or diseases) on consignments during post import checks
Immediately contact the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at email address plantandpests@agriculture.gov.ie or by telephone 01-5058885.
•What is a Plant Passport?
A Plant Passport is an official label issued by the producer and authorised by the competent authority or National Plant Protection Organization(NPPO), which gives evidence that the provisions of the EU Directives relating to plant health standards and special requirements are satisfied and which are:
- standardised at community level for different types of plants or plant products
- issued in accordance with the implementing rules governing the details of the procedure for issuing plant passports
Typically, a plant passport can be attached to the plant in the format below or referenced in the associated documentation i.e. the invoice or the delivery docket.
•What is a protected zone?
A protected zone is an area in the Community which has been recognised by the EU as being a:
- zone in which one or more harmful organisms referred to in the Plant Health Directive, which are established in one or more parts of the Community, do not occur despite favourable ecological conditions for them to establish
- zone in which there is danger that certain harmful organisms will establish themselves, given propitious ecological conditions, for particular crops despite the fact that these harmful organisms are not endemic or established in the European Community.