Private individuals

Plants and parts of plants brought in from abroad may be contaminated with dangerous diseases and pests. Healthy cultivated and wild plants supply us with food and oxygen, protect against natural hazards, contribute to biodiversity and provide other vital services. For this reason, domestic and international movements of plant material are subject to legal restrictions.

On the following pages, you can find out what goods you, as a private individual, are allowed to transport from one country to another, and under what conditions. 

Frequently asked questions related to the import and export of plant products.

I Would like to order a house plant from Indonesia. I am allowed to?

The import of live plants from non-EU countries is subject to registration and inspection. Moreover, it is only possible under certain conditions (see below). The plants must be inspected by the Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service upon importation. This inspection is subject to a fee.

Note: Some plants may not be imported or are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Requirements

The plants must be:

-          free of organic substrate

-          marked with their botanical name

-          accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate and, in some cases, by a CITES certificate

For further information on importation requirements please send an e-mail to [e-mail] or call [phone]

I am currently in Thailand and would like to bring some mangos back to Switzerland. I am allowed to?

Since 1 January 2020, plant products (plants, vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, seeds, etc.) from non-EU member states can only be imported if they are accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate. The only exceptions are pineapples, bananas, dates, durians and coconuts; these fruits do not require a phytosanitary certificate. To import mangos, you therefore require a phytosanitary certificate issued by an official body (phytosanitary service) in the country of origin. In addition, the fruit must be inspected by the Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service when you enter Switzerland.

Please contact [e-mail] or call [phone] in advance to clarify the exact import requirements.

I am going on holiday to Turkey soon. Am I allowed to bring spices and tea back to Switzerland for my own use?

Yes. Plant products that have already been processed (e.g. dried, powdered, frozen, pickled or otherwise processed) do not require a phytosanitary certificate and may be imported without an inspection by the phytosanitary service.

I am on holiday in the Canary Islands. Do the same rules apply here as in the EU?

The Canary Islands do not belong to the European Union in terms of phytosanitary regulations and are therefore subject to the phytosanitary regulations for non-EU countries. This means that plant products (e.g. fruits) cannot circulate freely between the Canary Islands and the EU.
For further information please contact [e-mail] or [phone].

Can I buy balcony plants in a garden centre in Austria and bring them across the border to Switzerland?

Yes, you can. Goods requiring a plant permit (e.g. plants) may in principle only be imported into Switzerland or exported to the EU with a plant permit. However, goods imported in your personal luggage do not require a plant permit.

Note: Some plants may not be imported or are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

 

I would like to order some seeds from an online shop. Can I import them into Switzerland?

In online shops it is not always obvious at first glance which country the seeds come from. It is therefore important to clarify this beforehand so that they can be imported into Switzerland. The following possibilities exist:

1. Seeds from the EU or Switzerland:

The sale or purchase of seeds between Switzerland and the EU is in principle possible without further phytosanitary requirements. However, the seeds of the following genera and species require a plantpassport:

• Capsicum spp. (pepper)
• Pinus spp. (pine)
• Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir)
• Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)
• Solanum tuberosum (potato)

Forest seed is partly subject to authorisation by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN); see Forest propagation material (German, French, Italian).

All other seeds for distance selling (including online) by private individuals between the EU and Switzerland do not require a plantpassport.

2. Seeds from a third country (including the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, French overseas territories)

Seeds from non-EU member states may only be imported with a valid phytosanitary certificate issued by an official body (phytosanitary service) in the country of origin within 14 days of the seeds being imported.

Certain plant seeds require a phytosanitary certificate with an additional declaration.

Please contact [e-mail] or call [phone] for the exact regulations.

Some seeds may not be imported or belong to protected species that require a CITES species protection certificate.

I will soon be moving to Switzerland from England. Can I bring my houseplants with me as removal goods?

The import of live plants from non-EU countries is generally subject to registration and inspection.

There is no exception for removal goods.

Upon import, the plants are subject to inspection by the Swiss Federal Plant Protection Service or the plant protection service of the country of first entry into the EU.

Requirements

The plants must be:

-          free of organic substrate

-          marked with their botanical name

-          accompanied by a valid phytosanitary certificate and, in some cases, by a CITES certificate

 International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).          

Please contact [e-mail] or call [phone] in advance to clarify the exact import requirements.

 

I will soon be moving to Switzerland from France. Can I bring my houseplants with me as removal goods?

Yes, you can. Goods requiring a plantpassport (e.g. plants) may in principle only be imported into Switzerland or exported to the EU with a plantpassport.
Exception: If the plants are imported as moving goods and are not used for professional or commercial purposes, then no plant passport is required.

This means that plant-based removal goods from the EU are not subject to any phytosanitary measures.

Note: Some plants may not be imported or are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

 

Last modification 19.09.2023