EU plant passports in 2027: what UK plant sellers need to know
The UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement will change how plants are passported in Great Britain. Here is what the government has said so far, what stays the same for now and how to prepare.
Short answer
The government says that under the UK–EU SPS agreement "EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports", with the agreement intended to take effect in mid-2027, subject to negotiations. Nothing changes yet: keep issuing UK plant passports in the current format until official guidance says otherwise. The new label details for Great Britain have not been published.
What has been announced
Defra’s guidance for the horticulture industry says that "EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports" and that "it is our intention that the agreement will take effect in mid-2027", subject to negotiations (GOV.UK, updated 30 July 2026).
The same guidance says there will no longer be border checks on plants moving between Great Britain and the EU, and that for now businesses are "not expected to make detailed changes".
What stays the same for now
Until new rules take effect, the current GB rules apply. Online sellers still need to be registered and authorised, still attach a UK plant passport to each parcel and still keep records for 3 years. The UK label requirements are unchanged.
How the EU plant passport looks today
The EU format, still used in Northern Ireland, differs from the UK one in a few visible ways (Annex VII). How these will apply to operators in Great Britain has not been confirmed, so treat the comparison as a guide to what may change, not as instructions.
| Feature | UK plant passport (GB, now) | EU plant passport (EU and NI, now) |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | "UK Plant Passport" | "Plant Passport" |
| Flag | None | EU flag |
| Registration number (B) | APHA number, no country prefix | Two-letter country code, a hyphen, then the registration number |
| Elements | A to D | A to D |
Extra inspections in 2026
The guidance warns that "there may be additional growing season inspections needed in 2026 to meet EU plant passport requirements in 2027", so inspectors might be on site for longer. It says businesses will not be charged for additional work carried out before the SPS agreement takes effect.
Sending plants to Northern Ireland
For moves from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, the guidance says the Northern Ireland Plant Health Label (NIPHL) scheme "will not be needed at all", and that export health and phytosanitary certificates will no longer be required for these movements.
How to prepare now
None of this needs action today, but a few steps will make the switch easier:
- Sign up for Defra email alerts so you see the final guidance as soon as it is published.
- Keep your plant list complete with botanical names, suppliers and countries of origin. Those details carry over whatever the label looks like.
- Keep passport records easy to search, so an inspection or format change does not mean digging through old PDFs.
- Avoid ordering large stocks of pre-printed passport labels in the current layout.
- If you generate labels with software, check that it can switch layout. Plant Passport Ops supports both UK and EU templates, so sellers can change format when the rules change.
Common questions
When will EU plant passports replace UK plant passports?+
The government intends the UK–EU SPS agreement to take effect in mid-2027, subject to negotiations. No final date for the plant passport change has been published.
Should I change my plant passport labels now?+
No. Keep issuing UK plant passports in the current format until official guidance sets out the new rules and a start date. GOV.UK says businesses are not expected to make detailed changes yet.
Will I need to register again?+
The guidance published so far does not say. Watch for Defra and APHA updates on registration and authorisation.
Sources
- GOV.UK: SPS agreement, horticulture industry: preparing your business
- GOV.UK: Issuing plant passports to trade plants in Great Britain
- Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Annex VII (plant passport content)
This guide summarises official guidance for Great Britain as of 12 Oct 2026. Rules can change, so check the linked GOV.UK pages or contact APHA (Scotland: SASA) for your own situation. Plant Passport Ops does not grant official authorisation or provide legal or regulatory advice. It helps sellers organise label and record workflows based on the information they enter.
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