Bringing plants and seeds into the UK
Importing plants and seeds
There are several restrictions on what plants, seeds and other plant products can be brought back into the UK from other countries. This is important because plants and plant material can carry pests and diseases which, if introduced to other countries, can cause serious environmental and agricultural problems.
Importing from an EU country
When returning from certain countries within the European Union (EU) and other specified countries, you can bring back to the UK any plants, seeds, bulbs and similar plant products if:
- They were grown in an EU country (or a country treated as an EU country for these purposes, below);
- They are free from pests and diseases (as set out in The Plant Health (England) Order 2005);
- They are for your own personal consumption.
- Commercial importers will be required to obtain a licence before they can import such products into the UK.
Which countries are within the EU?
For the purposes of these rules, the following countries are within the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (only those areas effectively controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the UK (including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
EU countries also include: Andorra, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, San Marino, Switzerland and the Vatican City. However, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands do not count as being part of the EU.