Importing and exporting plants and plant products

If you are travelling in the EU, you can bring live plants and plant products (such as cut flowers, fruit or vegetables) into Northern Ireland without any documentary or physical checks, as long as they have been grown in an EU country, are free from pests or diseases and are for your own personal use.

However, you are advised to retain any receipt(s) and/or pot label(s) relating to plant purchases made in the EU, for movement into NI. In this context, “EU” includes the 27 member countries plus Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland.

Bringing some plants and plant products into Northern Ireland from areas within the EU is restricted because of the Northern Ireland ‘Protected Zone’ status against a range of pest and diseases.

See a list of pests and diseases for which NI has PZ status.

There is no personal allowance for plants in personal baggage when entering Northern Ireland from a non-EU (“third”) country. If you intend to bring plants or plant products (including cut flowers) with you into Northern Ireland from a non-EU country (including England, Scotland or Wales), then they must be accompanied by a valid phytosanitary (plant health) certificate, attesting that they are free from specific pests and diseases.

An exemption exists for fruits of banana, coconut, durian, date and pineapple, which do not require a phytosanitary certificate for importation from outside the EU.

Since April 2022, phytosanitary certificates can only be issued for plants grown and inspected on registered, professional premises until their time of sale / export.

Hence, private individuals are no longer eligible to apply for a phytosanitary certificate to cover such plant movements and cannot legally bring these items with them from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.

The above rules also apply if you want to order live “plants for planting” (including seeds, bulbs, tubers and corms) online or have them sent by mail.

Read a summary of personal food import restrictions

DAERA inspectors at ‘points of entry’ (ports and airports) are authorised to seize any materials deemed to be a potential risk to plant health, at their discretion.