NEW TIGHTER TRAVEL RULES

In 2019, the EU introduced a new Plant Health Regulation with stricter rules for importing plants and plant products from countries outside the EU. The purpose of the rules is to protect our natural and cultural landscape and our plant production from serious diseases and pests.

The new rules mean that it is no longer permitted to import plants, seeds, fruit and other plant products from travel in countries outside the EU unless they are accompanied by a plant health certificate. If you bring plants for planting, including certain types of seeds for sowing from countries outside the EU, you must be able to present a plant health certificate and declare it for import. The product is then subject to import controls by the Danish Agency for Agriculture. You should be aware that there are costs associated with import control.

If you bring fruit, vegetables, cut flowers or other live plant parts not intended for planting from countries outside the EU, a plant health certificate will still be required, but the products will not have to be declared for import.

The only exceptions to the rules are fruits such as pineapple, coconut, banana, durian and dates, which you are free to bring into the country.

The new rules also mean that several types of plants for planting are covered by a ban on imports.