Phytosanitary inspections on import of plants and plant-based products

Do you import plants or plant-based products from outside the EU into the Netherlands? Under the European plant health and control rules, all plants and living parts of plants must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate to enter into the EU. Only 5 fruits  are exempt: pineapples, coconuts, durians, bananas, and dates.

High-risk plants are banned from entering the EU until a full risk assessment has been carried out.

What is a phytosanitary inspection?

In the Netherlands, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel en Warenautoriteit, NVWA) will check the phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin and the identity of a shipment. The NVWA has a checklist detailing the requirements for a phytosanitary certificate (pdf, in Dutch).

This phytosanitary inspection ensures the shipment does not contain harmful organisms (in Dutch). Besides checking the phytosanitary certificate, the NVWA performs a physical inspection. They may take samples from some plant materials or shipments..

You can request a phytosanitary inspection through the NVWA’s CLIENT system (in Dutch).

Electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto’s)

Some countries are authorised to issue ePhytos (in Dutch). An ePhyto is an electronic phytosanitary certificate. If you import plants, vegetables, fruits, or plant material from such a country, you do not need a paper phytosanitary certificate. An ePhyto (in Dutch) is sufficient.

Location of inspections

The phytosanitary inspection usually takes place at the EU border. All points of entry of the Netherlands can be used for the import of plants or plant products. Do you want the inspections to be carried out at a different location? The NVWA must first approve of alternative inspection locations (in Dutch). This might be your company's premises. You, or a person or company authorised by you, then becomes the operator of the alternative inspection site.

Transfer to the location of inspection

Do you want to transport plants from an external border of the EU to another inspection location, either within or outside the Netherlands? This transfer is called overbrengen in Dutch.

If you transfer your import consignment within the Netherlands, you just need approval for release within EU borders. You receive this approval after your pre-registration in the CLIENT Import system.

If you transfer from another EU country to the Netherlands, you need to pre-register in CLIENT Import and you need a Common Health Entry Document for plants and plant-based products (CHED-PP, in Dutch). 

Do you transfer from the Dutch border to another EU country? Besides pre-registering in CLIENT Import and having a CHED-PP, the Quality Control Bureau Fruit and Vegetables (Kwaliteits-Controle-Bureau, KCB) needs to check your phytosanitary certificate. 

Import of plants with attached growing medium

Specific requirements apply to the import of plants with attached growing medium, such as soil, peat, coco peat and perlite.