Please follow the steps to apply for Plants Soil Sampling on the Plant Health Exports Service (PHES):

Step 1: Log into your Government Gateway Account

1. Enter your Government Gateway ID and password at https://exporter.apply-phytosanitary-certificate.defra.gov.uk/.

2. From the dashboard, click ‘Start a new application’.

Step 2: Application

3. Select the radio button next to the required commodity (Plants) and click ‘Continue’.

4. Enter your choice of application type, we will select ‘Arrange soil sampling’ and click ‘Continue’.

5. Add your own reference then click ‘Save and continue’.

6. Complete section 1 ‘Application Details’. ‘Create a reference’ is completed, click the hyperlink to open ‘What are the inspection details?

7. Select one of the addresses displayed. You can manage or add to the addresses seen here via the hyperlinks. Select yes when correct, then click ‘Continue’.

8. Enter the contact for this application, then click ‘Save and continue’.

9. Enter when the fields will be ready for inspection (freetext, so you could enter a date, month etc), then click ‘Save and continue’.

10.Click on the hyperlink ‘Where is the sampling site?’

11.Either enter the grid reference / GPS or IACS / RLR number and a location identifier, the area of the field in hectares, hectarage to be inspected, GSI number (optional), confirm the landowner’s consent to inspect, add any additional information and yes or no to sending a map, then click ‘Save and continue’. Go to step 13 if no map is uploaded.

12. Click ‘Choose file’, browse to locate, ‘Open’ then click ‘Upload map’ to add. Click yes to keep this once uploaded, or no to delete and repeat this step, then click ‘Save and continue’.

13.Your fields for inspection are displayed. You may change or delete the field, add another location if required, when all are added (up to the hectarage of the location), click ‘Save and continue’.

14.The section 2 hyperlink is live once section 1 is complete. Click to open.

15.The ‘Review your answers’ page opens. Review all the information input – you can amend anything with a ‘Change’ hyperlink. Click ‘Continue’.

16.Tick the declaration and click ‘Submit application’.

17.The application has been submitted. An Inspector will now contact you. Click the ‘View your applications’ hyperlink to return to the dashboard.

18.The application will show on your dashboard as ‘Soil Sampling’. You can open the application by clicking on the application reference number hyperlink (to the left) which then gives you the option to view, copy or delete as for a phyto application. 19.Once your application changes to the status of ‘Certificate issued’, your soil sampling report will be available for you to download.