Updated guidance on which plants and seeds require plant passports for movement within GB
2023-0045
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has updated its guidance on plants and wood that need a plant passport for movement within Great Britain.
To find out which plants and seeds require a plant passport, visit the GOV.UK website. There are exceptions for movement of seed, which can be be found in Section 7.
Members can issue UK plant passports themselves, but they must be authorised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Further information in addition to the below, such as imports with EU plant passports, can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Supplying retailers
If your business sells directly to retailers, it needs to be authorised to issue passports for any plants which require one.
Supplying customers for personal use
If your business sells plants through distance contracts (for example, online) directly to customers buying for personal use, a plant passport is still needed.
You do not need a plant passport for other retail sales - for example, if you sell plants to customers paying in person.
The EU plant passport is no longer recognised as an official label in Great Britain, unless they are attached to Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods (QNIGs).
In Northern Ireland, EU plant passports are used for internal Northern Ireland movements, and for movements to the EU or Great Britain.
UK Plant passport content and format
Passports issued before 14 December 2019 under the old regulations are valid in the old EU content format until 14 December 2023.
The content and format of plant passports has changed to show the difference between UK plant passports and EU plant passports.
UK plant passports have these changes:
- include the words ‘UK Plant Passport’
- include the letters ‘A, B, C, D, E’, known as ‘parts A to E’, with information following each letter
- part B (registration number) must not have a ‘GB’ prefix because this was only necessary on EU plant passports to differentiate between member states
- the words ‘UK Plant Passport’ must be printed in English at the top of the plant passport
- no flag
The UK plant passport must be distinct and separate from information included on other labels.
Plant passports and certification labels
Some seeds that need a plant passport also need certification. The plant passport can be merged with the certification label.
The label must have the words ‘UK Plant Passport’ with the remaining certification information below that.
To find out if you trade in seeds that need certification check the list of the agricultural and vegetable seeds.
If you’re unsure whether your consignment needs a UK plant passport, contact APHA at [email protected].
Author
Rose Riby
Rose Riby is Head of Combinable Crops and Seed. Having worked across these sectors for many years, she has a depth and breadth of experience in roles in grain trading, plant breeding and knowledge exchange at AHDB.