Guides
Plant passport guides for UK plant sellers
Short, sourced answers to the questions online plant sellers in Great Britain ask most, plus practical workflows for turning orders into labels and records. Each guide links to the official GOV.UK and Defra pages it is based on.
Plant passport rules for UK sellers
Do you need a plant passport to sell plants online in the UK?
Selling plants online in GB? Parcels to home buyers need a UK plant passport, but in-person sales do not. Who counts as a seller and which plants are covered.
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UK plant passport label requirements, with an example
What a UK plant passport must show: the "UK Plant Passport" heading, botanical name, registration number, traceability code and origin, with an example label.
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How to get a plant passport in the UK: steps and costs
Register with APHA as a professional operator, get authorised to issue UK plant passports, pass the inspection and renew yearly. Steps, timings and fees.
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EU plant passports in 2027: what UK plant sellers need to know
Under the UK–EU SPS agreement, EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports, intended from mid-2027. What has been announced and what to do now.
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Free UK plant passport template (PDF and Word)
Download a free UK plant passport template: 8 labels per A4 sheet with the correct heading and elements A–D. Fillable PDF and editable Word file.
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Do you need a plant passport for cuttings or seeds?
Cuttings sold for planting need a UK plant passport when posted. Only listed seeds do, such as tomato, pepper, onion, peas and beans. The GB list explained.
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The plant passport traceability code (element C), explained
What goes in element C of a UK plant passport, which codes you can use, when it can be left off and how it links to your records. With examples.
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Am I a professional operator? Hobby plant sellers vs businesses
Defra’s test for UK plant sellers: when selling plants regularly for profit makes you a professional operator who must register, and when a hobby does not.
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Plant passports for Etsy, eBay, Vinted and Facebook Marketplace sellers
Selling plants on Etsy, eBay, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace in GB? When a parcel needs a UK plant passport, who issues it and how to label each order.
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Printing UK plant passport labels: which sheets and printer to use
Which labels and printer to use for UK plant passports: A4 sheets such as Avery L7165, L7163 and L7160, or Dymo and Brother label printer rolls.
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Five ways to make UK plant passport labels, compared
Handwritten, Word or PDF template, spreadsheet mail merge, label printer software or a plant passport app: costs, time per order and record keeping compared.
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UK plant passport record keeping, with a free template
What records UK plant passport holders must keep, for how long, and a free spreadsheet template for passports received and issued. For online plant sellers.
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The APHA plant passport inspection: what to expect and how to prepare
What happens at an APHA plant passport inspection, what inspectors check, what it costs and a checklist to prepare. For small UK nurseries and plant sellers.
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Plant passport labels
Generate printable plant passport labels from online order data and keep each passport batch searchable and exportable.
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Keep plant passport batches searchable and exportable with a lightweight record workflow for online plant sellers.
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Turn Shopify order exports into printable plant passport labels and searchable batch records for online plant sales.
Read guideEtsy plant passport labels
A lightweight workflow for Etsy plant sellers who need printable plant passport labels and organised batch records.
Read guideUK online plant sellers
A lightweight order-to-passport workflow for UK online plant sellers who need cleaner labels and searchable batch records.
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