Exporting regulated plants and plant products

From 1 July 2022, consignments of regulated plants and plant products exported to Great Britain (GB) must accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate (PC) and enter the UK through a Border Control Post.

If you export regulated plants, fruit and vegetables to the UK, excluding Northern Ireland, you should:

• Register with the Department to receive a Plant Health registration number
• Check whether a phytosanitary certificate is required by checking on our website and reading our Trader Notices .
• Apply for a phytosanitary certificate via the online Export Certification System (ECS) here
• The Department requires at least 14 days prior notice of intention to export, to allow inspectors time to check the import requirements of the destination country and determine if your plants or plant products require inspections or laboratory testing for certain pests and diseases.
• From 31st May 2023, the UK will be accepting electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto) from Ireland. When an application is approved, the ePhyto will automatically be sent to TRACES, where the UK authorities can access it. A PDF copy of the ePhyto will also be emailed to the applicant.
• In the event that the ePhyto system does not work, a hard copy of the phytosanitary cert will be printed by DAFM and posted to the applicant. When you receive the original phytosanitary certificate in the post, retain the duplicate for your records and post the original to your UK customer who should send it to UK NPPO (DEFRA).
• The UK based importer must use DEFRA’s import IT system, IPAFFS, to pre-notify the arrival of plants and plant products to the UK authorities. Pre-notification must be done at least one working day prior to the arrival of the goods.

If you have any queries, please email plantexports@agriculture.gov.ie or call (01) 505 8885.