Flying with Plants

Bringing plants from Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands

There are some plants and seeds that are/aren't allowed into the US from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. See the table below for more details:

Items ALLOWED into the mainland (after inspection):

• Flowers (fresh, cut or dried)
• Plant cuttings and plants without soil
• Most fruits, vegetables and herbs

Items NOT ALLOWED into the mainland:

• Pigeon peas
• Sweet potatoes
• Cut citrus leaves (fresh)
• Cottonseed, cotton and cotton cuttings
• Cactus
• Citrus and citrus-related plants
• Plants in soil
• Soil
• Sugarcane
• Pulpy seeds or nuts

Bringing plants from Hawaii

There are some plants and seeds that are/aren't allowed into the mainland US or Alaska from Hawaii. See the table below for more details:

Items ALLOWED into the mainland (after inspection):

• Coconut, Irish or white potatoes, pineapple, papaya, abiu, atemoya, banana, curry leaf, dragon fruit, longan, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, starfruit, sweet potato
• Dried seeds
• Plants and cuttings (some require certification)
• Wood (including driftwood and sticks) and wood roses (dried)
• Fresh flowers, leis, and foliage, except citrus or citrus-related flowers, leaves or other plants
• Spanish Moss
• Seed leis and seed jewellery

Items NOT ALLOWED into the mainland:

• All other fresh fruit and vegetables
• Berries of any kind
• Cactus plants or cactus plant parts
• Cotton and cotton bolls
• Fresh flowers of jane vine or Mauna Loa
• Kikania and fresh pandanus
• Seeds with fruit clinging and fresh seed pods
• Soil or any plants in soil
• Sugarcane
• Swamp cabbage
• Sweet potato (raw)
• Mock orange

Bringing plants from Another Country

Plants and Plant Parts for Growing, Seeds, and Fresh Cut Flowers and Greenery
Many plants and plant seeds are allowed into the United States from foreign countries. However, it depends on the plant, the country of origin and its intended use. If you are intending to bring in a plant from overseas, you should contact the APHIS (United States Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) for more information about if you're allowed it and if you should obtain a permit or other documents.

Plants and Plant Parts for Growing (Nursery Stock, Roots, Bulbs, etc.)
Because bringing soil into the U.S. is prohibited, bringing plants inside soil is prohibited. However, you can still bring 12 or fewer plants if they meet the following conditions:

• Bare-rooted (the plants have no soil, sand, earth or other growing material)
• The plant is not prohibited or protected or subject to special restrictions such as post-entry quarantine or treatment
• You have a phytosanitary certificate issued by the country you are departing from the National Plant Protection Organisation, declaring the plant free of pest and disease
• The plant passes an inspection by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, determining that it has met all entry requirements.

Seeds
Travellers are prohibited from bringing tree or shrub seeds. Seeds from fruit, vegetables, flowers and other types are allowed if they meet the following conditions:

• The seeds are not prohibited or protected or subject to special restrictions such as post-entry quarantine or treatment
• You have a phytosanitary certificate issued by the country you are departing from the National Plant Protection Organisation, declaring the seeds free of pest and disease
• The seeds pass an inspection by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, determining that it has met all entry requirements.

Fresh Cut Flowers and Greenery
Freshly cut flowers and greenery must be presented at the first point of entry for inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is up to the officer to determine if the cuttings are free of pest or diseases and to see if it meets entry requirements.

Taking plants into the European Union

There are strict rules and controls on the plant products that can be bought into the European Union (EU). This is because of potentially harmful pests and diseases that could be bought into the region and devastate the environment, landscapes, crops and agriculture.

Travelling within the EU

You can bring any plant products into a European country, providing they were grown in an EU country, and are free from pests and diseases and are for your own use and consumption.

The following plants are prohibited if they are intended for planting:

• Plants and seeds of Fraxinus (Ash)
• Pants and seeds of Castanea (Sweet chestnut)
• Plants of Platanus (Plane)

For the purposes of this guide, the following countries are classed as EU countries:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Channel Islands, Cyprus (but only goods from areas effectively controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Republic of), the Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, the Vatican City.

For these purposes, Gibraltar and the Canary Islands do not count as being part of the European Union.

Travelling to the EU from a non-EU country

Some products are banned completely or are restricted by weight and quantity. If you wish to bring in a restricted product, you must obtain the relevant phytosanitary documents from the country where the plant was grown.

Seeds for planting

• Does not include potato seeds.
• You are allowed to bring 5 x retail packed packets of restricted seeds. However, some seeds are not restricted, but you can contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency for a complete list.

Seeds of Fraxinus (Ash) and Castanea (Sweet chestnut) for planting
These seeds are prohibited to bring into an EU country for planting.

Soil
Soil is not permitted into an EU country from a country outside the EU.

Ash, Citrus and Vine plants
These plants are not permitted in any EU country.

Other trees and plants with or without soil

These plants are not permitted in EU countries unless it is a country listed below:

Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes for planting (excluding potatoes)
From certain countries (listed below), you are permitted 2kg of combined weight per person. If a country is not listed, then they are not permitted.

Cut flowers and foliage
You are permitted one bouquet, of up to 50 stems, of restricted cut flowers. For details of which flowers are restricted, see the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Parts of trees used as decoration (e.g. wreaths, Christmas trees)
You are limited to a maximum of restricted foliage forming 1 spray, wreath or 1 cut in the countries listed below. Also a Christmas Tree up to 3m in height. In all other countries, this is not permitted.

Natural wood and non-manufactured wood
For the listed countries, you are permitted 5 pieces without bark, each measuring no more than 1m in length. However, certain wood types are restricted - contact the Forestry Commission for more information. If the country is not listed below, you are not permitted it.

The restricted countries for this section are:
Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Cyprus (the area not effectively controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus), Egypt, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamrahiriya, Liechtenstein, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic of), Melilla, Moldovia (Republic of), Morocco, Norway, Russia (but only parts of – please check), Serbia and Montenegro, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine

Important Information

The guidelines on this page are to be used for a general summary and outline of what you may be able to take on a plane with you. The laws and government regulations can change at any time, and often suddenly without notice. Therefore, contact the relevant authority, such as the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in the EU, if you are unsure.