Phytosanitary certificate: how to get one from USDA APHIS

What a phytosanitary certificate is

A phytosanitary certificate is the plant health document that many countries require before they let plants, seeds, cuttings, bulbs or other plant products cross their border. It is issued by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the country of origin. In the United States that organization is the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, known as APHIS.

According to APHIS, the certificate shows that a plant or plant product was inspected per appropriate procedures, considered free from certain pests, and conforming to the importing country's current phytosanitary regulations. The importing country decides whether it needs one, so the same packet of seeds can need a certificate for one country and none for another.

There are two US versions, the Phytosanitary Certificate (PPQ Form 577) and Phytosanitary Certificate for Reexport (PPQ Form 579). The reexport certificate is for foreign-origin plants or plant products that entered the United States with a valid phytosanitary certificate.

This page is general information about the federal process, not legal or trade advice. Destination rules change often, and state and county agencies that inspect on behalf of APHIS can set their own fees and schedules, so confirm the details with your state's export certification specialist.

When a plant or seed seller needs a phytosanitary certificate

You need a certificate when the country you ship to requires one for that product. APHIS publishes each country's known requirements in the Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD), and that is the first place to check before you quote international shipping to a buyer.

Some products cannot be certified at all. APHIS keeps a published list of commodities deemed ineligible for APHIS certification. If a destination country requires certification for something on that list, APHIS asks you to contact an export certification specialist before you ship.

For an online seller, the question comes up when a buyer in another country orders seeds or a plant. APHIS guidance for selling plants and seeds online says that if you are a US seller shipping abroad, you may need to comply with the destination country's special requirements.

How to get a phytosanitary certificate from USDA APHIS

APHIS describes the process in a few steps. Plan for it before you accept an international order, because the inspection has to happen before the shipment leaves.

1. Check the destination's rules

   Look up the country and the product in the Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD). If the buyer or the destination country sends you an import permit or other official requirement that differs from the database, keep it: you will need to hand it to the inspector.

2. Contact your state's export certification specialist

   APHIS's first step is to contact your State's export certification specialist. The specialist tells you who inspects in your area and what the destination requires.

3. Work with an authorized certification official

   You work with an authorized certification official (ACO) to schedule the inspection, sampling and any tests. Contact the ACO early, because the importing country may set a time limit between inspection and shipping.

4. Apply in PCIT

   The application goes through the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking System (PCIT). Certificates at the point of origin, at a port where the shipment will transit, or at the port of export.

5. Make the shipment available for inspection

   The plants or seeds must be where the ACO can see, sample and inspect them. Shipments cannot be inspected onboard aircraft or ships, and you provide labor to open and close packages and adequate facilities for the inspection.

6. Receive the certificate and ship

   If the certificate is issued, it is available immediately online for you to print. You can also ask for mail, courier, or in-person pickup. Put the certificate with the shipment as the destination requires and ship within any time limit.

Phytosanitary certificate fees

APHIS says certificate fees vary based on the Federal, State, or county authority conducting the inspection and issuing the certificate. The federal amounts are set in 7 CFR 354.3. State and county inspectors can add their own charges, so the total depends on who inspects your shipment.

Example: a seller ships one box of seeds worth $300 to a buyer abroad and asks for the low-value rate. If APHIS issues the certificate, the federal fee is $61 per shipment. If a state inspector issues it through PCIT, the $6 per shipment administrative fee applies, plus whatever the state charges for the inspection. Treatments, lab tests and shipping are separate costs.

What the exporter is responsible for

APHIS lists the exporter's duties in its exporter responsibilities page. For a small seller, these are the ones that cause most delays.

• Timing. If the destination sets no limit, inspections should be done not more than 30 days before export. Many countries set a shorter limit, so check first.
• Paperwork. You provide documents such as import permits, bills of lading, manifests, shipping invoices, foreign phytosanitary certificates, and inspection certificates.
• Treatments. You provide materials and labor for any required treatments, reconditioning, or other actions that the destination requires.
• After inspection. You safeguard the certified shipment from infestation until it ships, and the shipment leaves within the destination's time limit.
• Language. You make sure official communications from the destination are translated into English, because APHIS does not provide translation services.

What APHIS says about selling plants and seeds online

APHIS has a page called How To Sell Plants and Seeds Online. Most of it is written for sellers in other countries who ship to US buyers, but it shows how the system works from the other side, which helps when you buy stock from abroad.

For a sale into the US, APHIS says there are seven steps total, and they may take 2 months or longer. The foreign seller gets a certificate from the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of the country of origin. If the plant needs a US import permit, the buyer applies for it, and the permit can take up to 2 months to be issued. The seller must also make sure the plants or seeds are free from soil before packaging and include an invoice or packing list with the scientific names of the plants and their quantities.

Seeds have one exception worth knowing: small quantities can enter the US under a PPQ 587 permit for small lots of seed instead of a full certificate, if they meet the conditions.

When you are the US seller shipping out, the same logic runs in reverse. The destination country's plant protection organization sets the rules, your buyer may need an import permit from their own government, and APHIS issues the certificate after inspecting your shipment. Agree with the buyer on who handles their import permit before you take payment.

Where Nation fits

Questions about phytosanitary certificates