UK plant passport record keeping, with a free template
Issuing a passport is only half the job. Here is what you have to record, how long to keep it, how online sellers can do it without extra admin, and a free spreadsheet to start with.
Short answer
Keep a record of who supplied every passported plant you receive, and for every passport you issue, who supplied the plants, who you supplied, and what the passport said. Keep each record for at least 3 years after the plants were supplied, on paper or digitally, and show it to APHA on request. Download the free plant passport records template (Excel): one sheet for passports received and one for passports issued, linked by your batch code.
Download the records template
The records template (.xlsx) is free, with no sign-up. It opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers and LibreOffice. It has two sheets, with grey example rows you can type over:
- Passports received: one row per delivery of passported plants you buy in, with the supplier, their registration number, the details on their passport and the batch code you give the plants.
- Passports issued: one row per parcel or order, with what your passport said (A to D), who you supplied and where the plants came from.
- A Keep record until column works out the date 3 years after each row, so you know when a record can go.
The template helps you keep records. It does not authorise you to issue passports: you need APHA authorisation first. See How to get a plant passport.
What you have to record
The rules are in Article 69 of the plant health regulation, and Defra explains them in its plant passport FAQ (Q2.7 and Q5.3). What you record depends on what you do with the passport:
| When you… | Record |
|---|---|
| Receive passported plants | The professional operator who supplied each passported unit. |
| Issue a passport | Who supplied the plants (if anyone), who you supplied them to, and the information on the passport. |
| Pass on a passport you did not issue | Who you received it from and who you supplied it to. |
| Replace a passport | The original passport, so the plants stay traceable (Defra FAQ Q5.5). |
How long to keep plant passport records
At least 3 years after the date the plants were supplied to you or by you (Article 69). Records have to be available to APHA (or SASA in Scotland) when asked. GOV.UK says your records must let APHA investigate any pest or disease outbreak (GOV.UK).
In practice that means three years of rolling records. A plant sold in April 2026 stays in your records until at least April 2029.
- You do not need a physical copy of every passport. Recording the information is enough (Defra FAQ Q5.3).
- Paper and digital records are both fine (Defra FAQ Q5.4).
- Retailers who never issue passports still have to record who supplied their passported plants (Defra FAQ Q2.7).
Record keeping for online plant sellers
Most online sellers already have half of the record without noticing: the order history in Shopify, Etsy, eBay or WooCommerce shows who bought what and when. What it does not show is the passport. The simplest complete record links the two:
- One row per parcel in Passports issued, with the order number and the passport details A to D.
- The order number points to the customer in your shop, so you do not need to copy names and addresses into the spreadsheet.
- For business buyers, such as another nursery or a shop, write down their name and registration number as well.
- Use your batch code as the traceability code (C), and record the same code in Passports received against the delivery it came from. Then any parcel traces back to its supplier in two steps. The traceability code guide explains which codes work.
- Export your orders from your shop every few months. If you close the shop or change platform, the order history may go with it, and you still need it for 3 years.
Getting records ready for an APHA inspection
APHA inspects shortly after you are authorised, then regularly after that, and inspectors audit your records (GOV.UK). Inspections are charged by time, so tidy records also save money. Before a visit, try this test: pick a parcel from a few months ago and trace it back to the supplier and their passport. If that takes more than a minute or two, fix the gap first. The APHA inspection guide has a full checklist.
Common gaps are deliveries with no supplier passport noted, batches without a code, and orders that list a plant by its common name only. Write botanical names (genus and species) in the record, just as on the label.
When a spreadsheet gets too slow
A spreadsheet is fine for a few parcels a week. With more orders, the copying adds up: every parcel means typing the same passport details twice, once on the label and once in the record. Plant Passport Ops does both in one step. It imports your Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce or CSV orders, prints the labels and saves every passport with its order number, batch code and date, searchable and exportable for inspections. It is free to start for up to 20 passports a month.
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
How long do you keep plant passport records in the UK?+
At least 3 years after the plants were supplied to you or by you. The records must be available to APHA, or SASA in Scotland, on request.
Do I need to keep a copy of every plant passport I issue?+
No. You need a record of the information on each passport, who supplied the plants and who you supplied. Defra says this does not have to be a physical copy of the passport.
Can plant passport records be kept digitally?+
Yes. Defra accepts physical or digital records, so a spreadsheet, an app or your order system all work if the information is complete and you can show it to an inspector.
Do I need to record the names of retail customers?+
Your records must show who you supplied with each passport you issue. For online orders, the order number usually does this, because it links to the customer in your shop. Keep that order history, or an export of it, for 3 years.
I only resell plants with the supplier’s passport. Do I need records?+
Yes. You must record who supplied each passported unit you receive, and if you pass the passport on to another business, who you supplied it to.
Sources
- Retained Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Article 69 (traceability)
- Defra Plant Health Portal: Plant passport FAQ
- GOV.UK: Issuing plant passports to trade plants in Great Britain
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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