Transporting vegetable products to the Netherlands
Do you want to transport vegetable products to the Netherlands? Products such as plants, cut flowers, flower bulbs, vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits? There is no restriction on their transport within the European Union (EU). For this type of transport, you do not need a phytosanitary certificate (a certificate of plant health). However, you do need a phytosanitary certificate if you are transporting products from outside the EU.
Last updated on 25 April 2022
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Conditions for issue of a phytosanitary certificate
Apply for the phytosanitary certificate in your country of departure. You can contact the authorities in that country for this. If you are entering the EU, then your products will be inspected by a plant health inspectorate. Provided you have a phytosanitary certificate, you are allowed to bring the following products with you in your baggage:
- fresh fruits, such as banana, coconut, dates, pineapple and durian;
- fruits that have been turned into food products by being boiled, blanched, fried or fermented, as well as frozen, cut into pieces or pureed; check with the Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit – NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) what products are classed as 'fruits that have been turned into food products'
- dried flowers;
- all fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers from Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
If you do not have a phytosanitary certificate plant health certificate, you are not allowed to bring any of the following plant products with you into the EU:
- fresh vegetables
- fruits
- fruit
- plants
- seeds
- nuts
- flowers.
Plants and plant products cannot simply be brought with you from outside the EU, even in small quantities. There are rules that apply to the importing of plants and plant products. If you intend to take plants and plant products with you on holiday, please visit the NVWA website first. There you will find the rules for importing plants and plant products (in Dutch).
Applying for a phytosanitary certificate
You can apply to the NVWA for a phytosanitary certificate (in Dutch).
Laws and regulations
European Plant Health Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, Article 71
Plantgezondheidswet (in Dutch)
Regeling fytosanitaire uitvoeringsbesluiten (in Dutch)