Issue plant passports to move regulated plant material in Great Britain

Professional operators in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) no longer issue EU plant passports. UK plant passports are issued in place of EU plant passports.

A UK plant passport is an official document you need to move plants and certain regulated wood within Great Britain, to the Isle of Man or to the Channel Islands. This includes:

You can issue UK plant passports yourself, but you must be authorised by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) or the Forestry Commission, depending on the goods.

This APHA guidance is for operators in England and Wales. Operators in Scotland should follow guidance from Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA).

Check the following lists for more detail on the:

You may be eligible to use the Northern Ireland plant health label (NIPHL) scheme if you’re moving:

There is no exemption when you directly supply retailers.

If you sell directly to retailers, you need to be authorised to issue plant passports for any plants which have plant passport requirements.

If you’re selling 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.

Seed potatoes must have a plant passport at every stage of the trade chain in Great Britain. If you grow seed potatoes you must be registered as a professional operator by APHA. If you grow seed potatoes read the Seed Potato Classification Scheme (SPCS) for more information on how the SPCS works.

Register as a professional operator and get authorised to issue UK plant passports

Every business that works with plants must be registered as a professional operator. You can register to become a plant health professional operator online or by email.