Terms and conditions

Apply for plant export certificates and inspections

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) may on plant health grounds refuse any application for inspection or for the issue of a certificate. A certificate will not be issued if APHA has reason to believe that any information supplied or if any conditions by the applicant is incorrect or inaccurate or if any conditions prescribed relating to the treatment or movement of the material intended for export have not been complied with. APHA also may require an exporter to produce any information in connection with any plant or plant product for export.

No liability shall attach to APHA or any of its officers for any delay in granting or failure to grant a certificate or any delay in inspecting or failure to inspect or non-delivery, delayed delivery or mis-delivery of any documents.

No certificate issued shall be used in respect of any plants or plant products except those to which it relates.

It is the exporter’s responsibility to ensure that the health standard of any plant or goods is maintained after a certificate has been issued.Exporters should be aware that inspections are often made by overseas plant health services of material entering their country.

Value of consignment: this information is for statistical purposes only and will be regarded as confidential.

We aim to deliver phytosanitary certificates by the date requested, providing we receive a properly completed application form seven working days in advance and fully subject to any laboratory examinations that maybe required by the importing country.

Fees will be charged for paper applications, inspection and certification of consignments. For details please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plant-health-controls#fees an invoice will be sent to you. Prompt settlement of this invoice will help to meet the overall cost of providing these services and may, therefore, affect the level of fees. Non-payment may result in the withholding of future services.

Trade in some plants (e.g. orchids and cacti) is controlled internationally by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). For more information about CITES contact: Defra, Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service,1/17 Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol, BS1 6EB Telephone No. 0117 372 8691/8168