Phytosanitary certificate and other measures against plant pests when trading plants, plant products and other objects with countries outside the EU

Swedish

When importing and exporting plants, plant products and other objects, plant pests may be carried, which can have serious consequences in the recipient country. In some cases, the consignment must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary certificate. This certificate certifies that the consignment complies with the recipient country’s requirements not to carry with it regulated plant pests. There are certain plants and plant products that may not be brought into the EU.

Notify import in Traces

Apply for a phytosanitary certificate

These are regulated pests

Plant pests are all kinds of organisms that damage plants, for example, insects, mites, nematodes, fungi, bacteria and viruses. The plant health legislation regulates two categories of plant pests, which are referred to as quarantine pests and regulated non-quarantine pests.

Quarantine pests are plant pests that are not found in the EU, or only to a limited extent, and which can have unacceptable environmental, economic or social consequences if they are spread. If quarantine pests are detected in Sweden, measures shall be taken with the purpose eradication. The Swedish Board of Agriculture co-ordinates the eradication measures.

Plants for planting can also carry other pests besides quarantine pests. There are rules concerning some of these pests as they could have unacceptable economic consequences if they are carried on plants for planting. These pests are referred to as regulated non-quarantine pests.

Quarantine pests

Plant pests affect both production of food and feed, forests, parks, gardens and the surrounding landscape, including social and cultural values. All cultivation becomes more expensive and it may be more difficult for plants to survive. It may also have a negative impact on biological diversity. A number of plant pests increase the need for plant protection products and make organic cultivation more difficult, leading to a further deterioration in the chances for biological diversity and a toxic-free environment.

This is a phytosanitary certificate

A phytosanitary certificate is a document issued by the plant protection authority in the export country and which certifies that the consignment complies with the recipient country’s requirements on pest freedom.

Import from countries outside of the EU

Import prohibition for certain plants and plant products

Certain plants and plant products entail such great risks that they are not allowed to be imported at all if they come from certain countries or parts of the world. This applies to many coniferous trees, the grape family, citrus plants, certain fruit and berry plants and most types of grass. There is also an import prohibition on soil and growing media that wholly or partly consist of solid organic substances, except clean peat and clean coconut fibre. There is also a prohibition against import of seed potatoes except from Switzerland and Northern Ireland. It is accordingly currently prohibited to import seed potatoes from England, Scotland and Wales.

These products require a phytosanitary certificate

When importing from outside the EU, a phytosanitary certificate is required for the following plants and plant products:

all plants for planting, including all seeds intended for sowing
all plants, i.e. fresh fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and other living parts of plants, except fresh fruit of pineapple, banana, dates, durian and coconut
grain from wheat, rye and triticale from certain countries
tree and bark of certain varieties of tree from certain countries
certain used agricultural and forestry machines.

Grain that requires a phytosanitary certificate
Type of grain	Place of origin
Secale (the rye genus) x Triticosecale (the rye genus) Triticum (the wheat genus)	Afghanistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and USA

If you wish to import plants, plant products, soil, growing media or quarantine pests, you can apply for a derogation from the requirement for a phytosanitary certificate or exemptions from the import. You can then obtain an exemption for official testing, scientific or educational purposes, training purposes, experiments, trials, varietal selection or breeding.

In order to obtain an exemption, you must be able to show that you can handle the product you wish to import for your activity in a secure way. This may, for example, concern the appearance of your premises where the material is to be dealt with and how you will destroy the material after completion of experiments.

The activity shall be conducted at a designated containment facility. You should state a facility in your application. If you do not do this, you will automatically apply for your place of operation to be approved as a temporary containment facility.

We may visit the facility to look at the premises and at how routines for the activity are organised before we grant a permit. We may also inspect your activity during the period that it is taking place.

If we grant an exemption, you will receive a document called a letter of authority which you use when importing the material and which should accompany the material to the facility. You will then also receive a permit to process the material at the facility you have stated in the application. The permit is for a set period of time.

When the activity ceases, the material must be destroyed or kept in a secure way if you plan to continue to use the material. In order to be able to continue to process the material, you must make a new application to be allowed to continue the activity. The new application must be made before the earlier application ceases to apply.

You can apply for an exemption in our e-service. The processing time is approximately one month.

E-service: Exemptions from plant health rules for scientific purposes

E-mail us if you would like more information about exemptions for scientific purposes.

E-post:vaxtinspektionen@jordbruksverket.se

Fee for processing and inspections of exemptions for scientific purposes

The basic fee for processing an application is SEK 700. If the processing takes longer than an hour, an additional fee of SEK 690 per hour commenced will be applied
Inspection prior to the decision costs SEK 3,000. If the inspection takes more than an hour, another SEK 690 per hour commenced will be charged
Inspection of activity costs SEK 3,000. If the inspection takes more than two hours, another SEK 950 per hour commenced will be charged
Laboratory analysis connected to inspection of the activity will be charged for at the actual cost of transport and analysis.

Make sure that a phytosanitary certificate is accompanying the consignment

When you intend to import goods that require a phytosanitary certificate, please contact your supplier. The supplier contacts the Plant Health Authority in the exporting country. They can issue a phytosanitary certificate (PC).

Some countries can issue electronic phytosanitary certificate in Traces. More information about electronic phytosanitary certificate in Traces can be found on the page about e-service.

Notify import

When you import goods that are to be checked at a border control post, you must notify the import to us. A notification of the import must be submitted at the latest at 10 a.m. one business day before the consignment is available for import check. This applies to all border control posts except Arlanda. A list of our border control posts can be found below. When importing via Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the notification must be submitted at the latest at 1 p.m. one business day before the consignment is available for import check. If the consignment consists of wood and arrives at one of our border control posts which is only approved for wood, you must notify us at the latest 10 a.m. five business days before the consignment is available for import check.

Fruit and vegetables

You must also notify all consignments of fresh fruit and vegetables which are subject to EU marketing standards.

EU marketing standards for fruit and vegetables - in Swedish

Notify delays

If the consignment is delayed or there is any other change, you must notify us by e-mail at the latest 08.00 am the same day that the consignment was notified to arrive. If you do not notify in time, we will charge you SEK 800 per consignment.

E-post:importkontroll@jordbruksverket.se

Check of the consignment

After 10 a.m. every business day, we will decide which consignments are to be physically checked the following business day.

You, as an importer or agent, can log in to Traces after 12 p.m. the business day before the wanted day of inspection and see if your consignment will be checked physically.

Box I.3, “Local reference”, in the consignment´s CHED-PP will then state whether the consignment will be checked physically or documentary. All consignments arriving at Arlanda are generally checked physically so for these consignments there is nothing in box I.3. If your consignment is only selected for documentary check, you will need to show the original phytosanitary certificate in order for the consignment to be approved. An electronic phytosanitary certificate can replace the paper copy.

The results of the inspection will be registered in Traces. You can log in and see the status of the consignment. Validated means that the consignment is approved. Rejected or partially rejected means that some product has been rejected during the inspection. .

When the import check is finished with approved result, you can submit the customs declaration for the consignment. You should then state the consignment’s reference number which is stated in box 1.2, for example, CHEDPP.SE.2022.0000001.

The fee amount depends on the type of commodity, the size of the consignment and the frequency of checks for the physical inspection.

The frequency of checks varies depending on the commodity and its origin and depends on the risk is of carrying quarantine pests. The frequency of checks states the lowest share of the consignments that we select for physical inspection. The frequency of documentary checks is always 100 per cent.

The fee for a single consignment is the same regardless of whether we make a physical inspection or a documentary check.

You can see the regulatory framework on the European Commission’s website with a List of commodites with reduced check frequencies.

Extern länk.The Commission’s website and (EC) 2022/2389 (ec.europa.eu)

Fruit and vegetables are usually subject to both plant health checks and quality checks in accordance with the EU marketing standards. The fees for checks are co-ordinated.

There is also a fee for import checks of wood packaging material in consignments of certain products from China, Belarus and India.

Checks of wood packaging material in consignments from China, Belarus and India

If you submit a customs declaration in Sweden, the Swedish Customs will charge the fee for checks. Otherwise, the Swedish Board of Agricultural will invoice the fee.

In the following table, you can see the minimum fee per consignment depending on the frequency of checks for your commodities and the weight of the consignment.

Minimum fees for checks
Kg/consignment	Reduced fee¹	Normal fee	Increased fee²
Less than 25 000 kg	SEK 700	SEK 1,200	SEK 1,700
25 000 kg–75 000 kg	SEK 1,050	SEK 1,800	SEK 2,550
More than 75 000 kg	SEK 1,400	SEK 2,400	SEK 3,400

1) Reduced fee is applied on goods that is only subject to plant protection checks and with a frequency of checks that is less than 10 percent.

2) Increased fee is applied on goods that is subject to both plant protection checks and quality checks and with a frequency of checks that exceeds 50 percent.

In the following table, you can see the minimum fee per consignment depending on the frequency of checks for your good.

**Fees in connection with checks, per kilo**
Frequency of checks	Grain, growing media and wood	Fruit and vegetables subject to both plant protection checks and quality checks	Other consignments
Higher than 50 %	SEK 0.03 per kilo	SEK 0.09 per kilo	SEK 0.08 per kilo
10–50 %	SEK 0.02 per kilo	SEK 0.06 per kilo	SEK 0.05 per kilo
Lower than 10 %	SEK 0.01 per kilo	SEK 0.06 per kilo	SEK 0.03 per kilo

There is no maximum fee for consignments of fruit and vegetables and consignments of other goods than the above-mentioned.

Consignments of fruit and vegetables which are only subject to quality check pay SEK 0.06 per kilo for each consignment checked, although at least SEK 1,000.

**Fees for different measures**
Measure	Fee
Extra investigation/additional work	SEK 950 for each initiated hour.
Laboratory analyses	The actual cost for analysis and cost of transport of samples..
Checks outside of ordinary working hours	SEK 3,000 in addition to the ordinary fee for checks. If the checks take more than 2 hours, an additional SEK 950 is charged for each initiated hour.
Additional checks which were not originally planned	SEK 3,000 for checks that take at most 2 hours. If the checks take longer, an additional SEK 950 per initiated hour will be charged.
Follow-up measures, not exceed 30 minutes (additional inspection of documents).	SEK 1,250.

Import checks of invasive alien species

The Swedish Board of Agriculture can, when needed, make checks to ensure that a consignment is free of invasive alien species. This is done for imports in connection with plant health checks or inspections according to the EU marketing standards.

You pay SEK 950 for each initiated hour for every checked consignment.

The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for the rules concerning invasive alien species.

Extern länk.EU Regulations on Invasive Alien Species (naturvardsverket.se) - In Swedish

Certain plants and plant products need plant passports when moved within the EU

All plants for planting shall have a plant passport before they are moved between professional operators in Sweden or other EU Member States. Some other plant products also need plant passports.

Plant passports, traceability and other measures against pests when trading in Sweden and the EU

Export to countries outside the EU

If you intend to export plants or plant products which are regulated in the recipient country’s plant protection legislation, you need a phytosanitary certificate from the country where the consignment leaves the EU.

The phytosanitary certificate is issued by the plant protection organisation in the respective EU Member State. In Sweden, the phytosanitary certificate is issued by the Import and export control unit at the Swedish Board of Agriculture.

Find out the recipient country’s rules

To enable us to issue a phytosanitary certificate for export, we must know the recipient country’s import requirements. You therefore need to find out the requirements that the recipient country has for the product you are intending to export and then notify us. Contact in the first place the importer in the recipient country who, when necessary, can contact its country’s plant protection authority or the country’s customs authority.

You can find information about official website and other contact details for the recipient country's plant protection authority in the list of official contact points, so-called IPPC Official Contact points.

Extern länk.List of plant protection authorities in other countries (ippc.int)

Phytosanitary certificate is sundhetscertifikat in Swedish and the plant protection authority is called växtskyddsmyndighet.

Different types of export certificates

There are three different types of certificates that may come into question when the recipient country has requirements that the plants should be certified to be free from pests.

The phytosanitary certificate for export

The phytosanitary certificate för exports is used for plants, plant products and other objects originating in the EU. It is also used for goods originating in other countries but which have been so long in the EU that their health status is no longer the same as in the country of origin. It shall be issued by the last EU Member State that the consignment is in before it is exported to a country outside the EU, for example, from Sweden to Norway.

The phytosanitary certificate for re-export

The phytosanitary certificate for re-export is used for plants, plant products and other objects originating in a country outside the EU but which have been imported here and are to be subsequently re-exported to a country outside the EU again.

It shall be issued by the last EU Member State that the consignment is in before it is exported to a country outside the EU, for example, from Norway to Sweden and then on to China. Sweden then issues a phytosanitary certificate for re-export to China based on the original phytosanitary certificate for export issued by Norway. A pre-requisite for being able to issue a phytosanitary certificate for re-export is that the goods’ plant health status is the same as at the time of import to the EU. Otherwise, a phytosanitary certificate for export is used.

Pre‑export certificate

The pre-export certificate is used for plants, plant products and other objects originating in one EU Member State which are subsequently sent to another EU Member State before being exported from there to a country outside the EU, for example, from Sweden to France and then on to Morocco. We can then issue a pre-export certificate that certifies that cultivations or treatments have been inspected and comply with Morocco’s import requirements. France can subsequently use this as a basis for issuing a phytosanitary certificate for export to Morocco.

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

You can apply for an electronic phytosanitary certificate (ePhyto) through the EU common system Traces. You can read more about it further down on this webpage. This webpage will be updated regularly as more countries accept electronic phytosanitary certificates and no longer need paper certificates.

How you apply for a certificate

You must apply for a phytosanitary certificate for export, re-export or pre-export certificate at the latest 5 weekdays before the planned export. The application shall at least have the status preliminary (in our e-service) and you must have stated the date for the planned export and information on where and when the consignment is available for inspection. You must always state the botanical name in the application.

In connection with the application, you must notify us of the requirements made by the recipient country on the plants or plant products that you are intending to export. This serves as the basis for the inspection and what the certificate should certify.

In order for us to process your application and issue the certificate, the application needs to have the status definitive.

The certificate is an original document and sent by post to you. It is valid for 2 weeks from the date of issue. If something occurs regarding the shipment which means that the information in the certificate is no longer correct, you must return the certificate and apply for a replacement certificate.

An application for a phytosanitary certificate for re-export shall be submitted at the latest 10 am the weekday before the planned export if the plants or plant products that are to be re-exported have undergone import control within the past two weeks and comply with the recipient country’s import requirements without further inspections or investigation.

E-service: Application for a phytosanitary certificate

Register to be able to use the e-service

To be able to use the e-service, you must first be a registered user. Fill in the registration form, sign it and e-mail it to us.

When we have registered you in the system, you will receive an automatically generated password sent to your registered e-mail address.

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

From the 1st of July 2023 it is mandatory to apply for electronic phytosanitary certificates (ePhyto) via the common EU system Traces for consignments being exported to a country which accepts ePhytos. Today, the following countries accept ePhytos: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom.

Click on this link for more information on how to register in Traces and apply for an ePhyto.

E-service: Apply for a phytosanitary certificate

Fees for a phytosanitary certificates and pre‑export certificates

The fee for processing an application for a phytosanitary certificate and pre‑export certificates is SEK 450 per certificate.

If the certificate concerns any of the following categories, the fee is instead SEK 350:

Frozen fruit, berries and vegetables
Cut fruit and vegetables
Peat moss and substrate products
Starch products

If processing a certificate takes more than an hour, a fee of SEK 950 for each initiated hour will be charged. To reduce the need for a long processing time, it is important that you ensure that your application is complete with the required documentation when you submit it.

We inspect your consignment

In order to be able to issue a phytosanitary certificate for the consignment, we may need to make an inspection of consignment. You must ensure that the consignment is available for inspection, at the latest 3 weekdays before the planned export.

The cost of an inspection that takes at most two hours is SEK 3,000. If the inspection take longer, an additional SEK 950 for each initiated hour will be charged.

Please note when trading

In addition to the rules on a phytosanitary certificate and import prohibition, there may be other things that you need to know when you trade with plants and plant products.

Are you intending to trade with endangered species?

Many animals and plants are threatened by extinction. To protect the endangered species and the biological diversity, the countries of the world have reached agreement on trade restrictions. The agreement is called CITES.

Trading with endangered species, CITES - in Swedish

Questions and answers

Contact us if you have any questions

If you have questions, you are welcome to e-mail us.

Questions about import checks:

E-post:importkontroll@jordbruksverket.se

Questions about exports and issuance of phytosanitary certificates:

E-post:exportkontroll@jordbruksverket.se

Questions about exemptions, the purpose of rules or other overarching issues:

E-post:vaxtinspektionen@jordbruksverket.se

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Revision date: 2024-04-03

Phytosanitary certificate and other measures against plant pests when trading plants, plant products and other objects with countries outside the EU

These are regulated pests

This is a phytosanitary certificate

Import from countries outside of the EU

Import prohibition for certain plants and plant products

These products require a phytosanitary certificate

Fee for processing and inspections of exemptions for scientific purposes

Make sure that a phytosanitary certificate is accompanying the consignment

Notify import

Fruit and vegetables

Notify delays

Check of the consignment

Import checks of invasive alien species

Certain plants and plant products need plant passports when moved within the EU

Export to countries outside the EU

Find out the recipient country’s rules

Notify exports in good time

Different types of export certificates

The phytosanitary certificate for export

The phytosanitary certificate for re-export

Pre‑export certificate

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

How you apply for a certificate

Register to be able to use the e-service

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

Fees for a phytosanitary certificates and pre‑export certificates

We inspect your consignment

Please note when trading

Are you intending to trade with endangered species?

Questions and answers

Contact us if you have any questions

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Phytosanitary certificate and other measures against plant pests when trading plants, plant products and other objects with countries outside the EU

These are regulated pests

This is a phytosanitary certificate

Import from countries outside of the EU

Import prohibition for certain plants and plant products

These products require a phytosanitary certificate

Grain

Wood and bark

Operated agricultural and forestry machines

Soil accompanying plants for planting

Exemptions from import bans or the requirement for phytosanitary certificates for scientific and certain other purposes

Permits to import plant pests

Make sure that a phytosanitary certificate is accompanying the consignment

Notify import

These goods must be notified for plant health checks at a border control post

Fruit and vegetables

Notify delays

Check of the consignment

Fees for import checks at the border control post

Fee for follow-up of deficiencies and in the event of additional work

Import checks of invasive alien species

Certain plants and plant products need plant passports when moved within the EU

Export to countries outside the EU

Find out the recipient country’s rules

Export of wood to Morocco

The phytosanitary certificate for export of heat-treated sawn wood from a company with a permit to use the KD 56°C/30 min marking

The phytosanitary certificate for export of sawn wood goods from companies which do NOT have a permit to use the KD 56°C/30 min marking

Export of apple and pear trees to Norway

Brexit affects the export of plants, plant products and other objects that can spread pests

Different types of export certificates

The phytosanitary certificate for export

The phytosanitary certificate for re-export

Pre‑export certificate

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

How you apply for a certificate

Register to be able to use the e-service

Electronic certificates (ePhyto) to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zeeland, Norway, Panama and the United Kingdom

Fees for a phytosanitary certificates and pre‑export certificates

We inspect your consignment

Please note when trading

Are you intending to trade with endangered species?

Questions and answers

Which areas in the EU are not treated as being in the EU when it concerns plant health rules?

From which countries outside the EU do the same plant health rules apply as from an EU Member State?

How is the UK treated as regards the plant health rules?

How is Norway treated when it comes to plant health rules?

Contact us if you have any questions