Check whether plants or plant products you import into GB from all countries are categorised as high, medium or low risk
Scroll to the bottom of this page to access information on prohibited goods, frequency of plant health inspections, the New Plant Health Information (PHI) service and additional guidance on importing.
Plant and plant products imported from all countries to Great Britain are categorised into high, medium risk and low categories. The medium-risk category is split into two subcategories, A and B reflecting a difference in plant health controls.
- High-risk
- Medium-risk A
- Medium-risk B
- Low-risk
Plant health controls apply to imports of high and medium risk A and B plants and plant products.
Low risk plants and plant products from all countries are exempt from plant health controls.
If your products are high risk or medium risk A:
- Goods must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate (PC)
- Good must be pre-notified via IPAFFS
- Goods will be subject to Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checks (documentary, identity, physical) at a Border Control Points (BCP) or Control Point (CP)
If your products are medium risk B:
- Goods will require a PC but will not need to be pre-notified.
This guidance also applies to goods imported via post or courier for commercial purposes (to be sold onwards). Contact your post or courier service to find out if they offer an import service for commercial imports. See this page for more information.
Note: There is currently an easement implemented for EU, Switzerland and Liechtenstein medium-risk fruit and vegetables meaning that they are not required to pre-notify or have a PC. To give EU businesses more time to prepare for new controls, the end date for the easement has been extended and is planned for 1 July 2025.