Printing UK plant passport labels: which sheets and printer to use
There is no official size or label stock for a UK plant passport. What matters is that it is readable, durable and separate from the rest of the label. Here is how the common A4 label sheets and label printer rolls compare, and which suits how many parcels you send.
Short answer
Any printer and label stock will do if the passport can be read without a magnifying glass, stays legible and is kept separate from other information (Regulation 2017/2313). For a few parcels a week, print on A4 label sheets with your office printer: 99.1 × 67.7 mm (8 per sheet, such as Avery L7165) leaves room for several plants in a parcel. For daily dispatch, a label printer such as a Dymo LabelWriter or Brother QL prints one passport at a time on a roll, 57 to 90 mm wide.
What the rules say about size and printing
The law sets what a UK plant passport contains and how it is laid out, but not its size, font or paper. It must be a distinct label with the heading "UK Plant Passport" and elements A to D, clearly separate from any other information on the label or delivery note (GOV.UK).
Retained Regulation 2017/2313 adds that the passport must be readable without a visual aid, and that its information must be durable and not changeable (Article 2). In practice, that means printed or written in clear capitals, large enough to read at arm’s length, and on a label that will not smudge or peel off in the post.
Your logo, prices and care tips can share the sticker, but they go outside the passport border. See UK plant passport label requirements.
Common label sizes, side by side
These are the A4 sheets and label printer rolls most UK sellers already own or can buy from any stationer. The drawing shows them at the same scale, each with a passport laid out to fit.
| Label stock | Size | Per sheet or roll | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avery L7165 (or any 8-up A4 sheet) | 99.1 × 67.7 mm | 8 per A4 sheet | Parcels with several plants; long botanical names |
| Avery L7163 (14-up) | 99.1 × 38.1 mm | 14 per A4 sheet | One or two plants per parcel |
| Avery L7160 (21-up) | 63.5 × 38.1 mm | 21 per A4 sheet | Single plants with short names; tightest fit |
| Dymo LabelWriter 99012 | 89 × 36 mm | Roll | Daily dispatch, one parcel at a time |
| Brother DK-11201 | 90 × 29 mm | Roll | Daily dispatch, one or two plants |
| Brother DK-11209 / Dymo 11354 | 62 × 29 mm / 57 × 32 mm | Roll | Single plants with short names |
| Plain A4 paper | Any | 8 or 12 per sheet | Passports packed inside with the delivery note |
A4 sheets or a label printer?
A4 label sheets need no new hardware. Print a batch after the day’s orders, peel and stick. Avery’s L-codes are for laser printers; the J-codes with the same numbers (J8165, J8163, J8160) are the inkjet versions. Other brands sell the same layouts, often called "8 per sheet" or "14 per sheet".
A label printer prints one passport per label, with no half-used sheets. Dymo LabelWriter and Brother QL printers use direct thermal rolls, so there is no ink. Thermal print can fade with heat and strong sunlight over months, which is fine for a parcel’s journey but not for a pot label that stays outdoors.
- Under about 20 parcels a week: A4 sheets on the printer you have.
- Daily dispatch or 50+ parcels a week: a label printer saves time and wasted labels.
- Many plants per parcel: use the larger 99.1 × 67.7 mm label, or list the plants on the delivery note passport instead.
Printing tips that keep labels legible
A few settings cause most misprints:
- Print PDFs at 100% / actual size, not "fit to page", or the passports drift off the die-cut labels.
- Print one test sheet on plain paper and hold it against a label sheet before using the real thing.
- Keep the botanical name readable. If a long name only fits at a tiny size, use a larger label rather than shrinking the text.
- Use capitals if you hand-write any element; Defra accepts handwriting as long as it is legible (Defra FAQ Q4.8).
Printing passports from your orders
Whatever the label, each passport must match what is in the parcel and your records. Plant Passport Ops prints passports straight from Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce or CSV orders onto all of the label stock above: the Avery-compatible A4 sheets, plain A4 and the Dymo and Brother rolls. It also keeps a record of every passport for the 3 years the rules require. It is free to start for up to 20 passports a month. If you prefer to fill labels by hand, the free UK plant passport template prints 8 per A4 sheet.
Change ahead: under the UK–EU SPS agreement, the government says EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports, with the agreement intended to take effect in mid-2027 (subject to negotiations). Until new guidance is published, the UK rules on this page apply. See EU plant passports in 2027.
Common questions
What size should a UK plant passport label be?+
There is no fixed size. The passport must be readable without a magnifying glass and contain the heading and elements A to D. Labels from about 57 × 32 mm upwards work for one plant; 99.1 × 67.7 mm gives room for several.
Can I print plant passports on a thermal label printer?+
Yes. Thermal printers such as Dymo LabelWriter and Brother QL models print legible, durable labels for a parcel’s journey. Keep the text large enough to read and print at 100% scale.
Do I need special label paper?+
No. You can print on plain paper and pack the passport inside with the delivery note, or use sticker labels on the outside of the parcel. An invoice on its own does not count as a passport.
Can the plant passport be on my shipping label?+
It can share the same sticker if the passport is a separate, bordered block with its own heading, kept apart from the address and courier barcode.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Issuing plant passports to trade plants in Great Britain
- Retained Regulation (EU) 2017/2313, Article 2 (plant passport format)
- Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Annex VII (plant passport content)
- Defra Plant Health Portal: Plant passport FAQ
- GOV.UK: SPS agreement, horticulture industry: preparing your business
This guide summarises official guidance for Great Britain as of 14 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.
Make plant passport labels from your orders
Connect Shopify or Etsy, or import a WooCommerce or CSV order export, fill in the passport details once and print labels in batches. Free for 20 passports a month.
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