🌏 Buying Plants from Australia? A Guide to Legal Plant Importing

🌱 A practical guide to checking plant-import and biosecurity requirements before you order

We love seeing plant lovers from around the world discovering our Australian plants. 🌿🌏

If you have found a plant on Evercare Australia that you would love to add to your collection, there is one very important step before placing an order:

Check your country's current plant-import and biosecurity requirements first.

Live plants can carry insects, fungi, bacteria, diseases, seeds, soil and other organisms that could affect agriculture, native plants and the environment. For this reason, countries around the world have strict rules governing the importation of live plants and other plant material.

A plant that is perfectly legal to purchase in Australia may not necessarily be permitted to enter another country.

🌿 Why can't plants simply be posted overseas?

International movement of plants is regulated by biosecurity authorities in both the exporting and importing countries.

Depending on the plant and destination, importing a live plant may involve:

🌱 An approved plant species
📋 An import permit
🔎 Official inspection
📜 A phytosanitary (plant health) certificate
🧹 Removal of soil or growing media
🦠 Pest or disease treatment
🏡 Post-entry quarantine
📦 Specific packaging or shipping requirements
⚠️ Additional documentation for certain protected plant species

Requirements can vary according to the plant species, plant material, country of origin, destination and intended use.

For this reason, information found on a marketplace, social media post or another customer's experience should not be treated as confirmation that a particular plant can legally be imported.

Always check the current requirements with your country's official biosecurity authority.

🇸🇬 Singapore

Singapore has detailed requirements for importing plants and plant products, including plants brought into the country by individuals through parcel post, courier or freight.

Singapore's National Parks Board (NParks) provides current information about plant-health requirements, import permits and other conditions that may apply.

🌱 Before importing a plant into Singapore

Check:

🌿 Whether the particular plant species is permitted
📋 Whether an import permit is required
📜 Whether a phytosanitary certificate is required
🔎 Whether inspection is required
🪴 Whether growing media or soil is permitted
📦 Any additional requirements applying to the particular plant

NParks states that its import requirements apply to individual hobbyists as well as researchers and commercial traders. Requirements should be checked for the specific plant or plant product before importation.

🔗 Official Singapore resources

Singapore NParks — Import of plants or plant products

NParks — Check plant health import requirements

NParks — Apply for an import permit

Tip: Check the requirements for the exact botanical name of the plant you are interested in before making a purchase.

🇲🇾 Malaysia

Malaysia regulates the importation of plants, planting material and other regulated agricultural products under its plant quarantine and biosecurity framework.

The Department of Agriculture Malaysia provides import-condition information through its plant biosecurity systems, while the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) is responsible for import permits, inspection and enforcement at entry points.

🌱 Before importing a plant into Malaysia

Depending on the plant and type of planting material, requirements may include:

🌱 An import permit from MAQIS
📜 A phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country
🔎 Plant quarantine inspection
🦠 Specific pest and disease requirements
🌿 Requirements applying to particular planting material
📦 Additional documentation or treatment

Malaysia's Department of Agriculture states that planting material such as seeds, seedlings, cuttings and tissue culture requires an import permit and phytosanitary certificate, subject to the conditions specified in the import permit.

Malaysia also prohibits the importation of soil with planting material; only approved sterile, soil-free growing media may be permitted where applicable.

🔗 Official Malaysia resources

Malaysia Department of Agriculture — MyImport

Malaysia Agriculture Import Control System (MyAICS)

MAQIS — Plants and import procedures

Before ordering, Malaysian customers should check the current requirements for the exact plant species and Australian origin with the relevant Malaysian authority.

🇨🇳 China

China has comprehensive plant quarantine requirements designed to prevent the introduction and spread of pests, diseases and other harmful organisms.

The General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) is responsible for animal and plant quarantine at China's borders and regulates the entry of plants, plant products and other regulated articles.

Depending on the plant and circumstances of importation, quarantine approval, inspection and other requirements may apply.

🌱 Before importing a plant into China

Chinese customers should check the current requirements for the specific plant and intended import method before purchasing or arranging shipment.

Do not assume that a plant available for sale in Australia can automatically be imported into China.

🔗 Official China resources

China Customs — Animal and Plant Quarantine

China Customs — Service Centre

🇳🇿 New Zealand

New Zealand has comprehensive biosecurity requirements for plants and plant material entering the country.

The New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) provides detailed information about importing plants for planting.

🌱 Plants for planting can include:

🌱 Whole plants
🌿 Tissue-cultured plants
✂️ Cuttings and scions
🌱 Budwood and marcots
🌿 Offshoots
🌱 Root divisions
🧅 Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes

🔎 Before importing a plant into New Zealand

Check:

1️⃣ Whether the plant species can be imported.

MPI's Plants Biosecurity Index (PBI) is a searchable database containing information on whether particular plant species can be imported into New Zealand as seeds or nursery stock.

2️⃣ The applicable Import Health Standard (IHS).

Read the requirements for the particular plant species carefully and make sure the importer can meet all applicable conditions.

3️⃣ Whether an import permit is required.

4️⃣ Whether a phytosanitary certificate is required.

5️⃣ Whether treatment or post-entry quarantine applies.

6️⃣ Any requirements relating to growing media, packaging or inspection.

🔗 Official New Zealand resources

New Zealand MPI — Importing plants for planting

MPI — Steps to importing plants for planting

MPI — Plants Biosecurity Index (PBI)

Tip: Search the PBI using the plant's botanical name whenever possible. You can search by genus, species, full or partial scientific name, or common name.

🇺🇸 United States

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) regulates the importation of live plants, cuttings, seeds and other plant products.

USDA APHIS states that people buying plants or seeds online from another country are considered importers and are responsible for ensuring their purchases meet US import requirements.

🌱 Before importing a plant into the United States

Check:

🌿 Whether the particular plant species is permitted
📋 Whether an APHIS import permit is required
📜 Whether a phytosanitary certificate is required
🧹 Whether soil or growing media are prohibited or restricted
🦠 Whether treatment is required
🏡 Whether post-entry quarantine applies
⚠️ Whether the plant has additional restrictions

USDA APHIS states that most plants and seeds for planting require a PPQ 587 import permit unless an exemption applies. Some plants are prohibited or subject to special requirements.

Plants for planting shipped to the United States must also meet applicable requirements concerning growing media. In particular, USDA APHIS states that plants for planting shipped to the United States must be free of sand, soil, earth and other growing media unless a specific approved exception applies.

🔗 Official United States resources

USDA APHIS — How to Buy Plants and Seeds Online

USDA APHIS — Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR)

USDA APHIS — Plants with Special Requirements and Prohibited Plants

Important: Do not assume that a plant being available for sale in Australia means it can be sent directly to the United States. Check the current USDA APHIS requirements for the particular plant first.

🇦🇺 What about the Australian side?

Import requirements are only one side of an international plant shipment.

The Australian exporter may also need to meet Australian export requirements before a plant can legally leave Australia.

The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) provides information for exporters of plants and plant products, including export requirements, inspections and phytosanitary certification.

DAFF explains that export requirements can depend on the type of plant or plant product and on the requirements of the importing country.

📜 What is a phytosanitary certificate?

A phytosanitary certificate is an official plant-health certificate used to demonstrate that an exported plant or plant product has met the applicable plant-health requirements of the importing country and Australian export requirements.

Where a phytosanitary certificate is required by the importing country, the Australian exporter must follow the applicable DAFF export-certification process.

🔗 Official Australian resources

Australian Department of Agriculture — Exporting plants and plant products

DAFF — Step-by-step guide for Australian plant exporters

DAFF — Plant export certificates, declarations and forms

DAFF also provides the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micor) Plants as a resource for researching known importing-country requirements. Exporters are advised to verify those requirements with the importing country's relevant authority before relying on them.

🌱 Before You Order: Your International Plant Checklist

Interested in importing a plant from Australia? Before purchasing, work through the following checklist.

1️⃣ Identify the plant

Find the plant's:

🌿 Botanical/scientific name
🌱 Common name
🍃 Plant type
📦 Form of plant material — for example, whole plant, cutting, seed, bulb, tuber or other material

The scientific name is particularly important, because common names can differ between countries.

2️⃣ Check whether your country allows it

Use your country's official biosecurity database or plant-import system to check the exact plant and type of plant material.

3️⃣ Check the Australian origin

Import requirements can depend on where the plant was grown, not simply where the online retailer is located.

4️⃣ Check growing-media requirements

Soil and other growing media can be restricted because they can harbour pests and diseases.

5️⃣ Check whether an import permit is required

If an import permit is required, make sure it is obtained before the plant is shipped.

6️⃣ Check phytosanitary requirements

Find out whether your country's authority requires an official phytosanitary certificate and whether specific declarations or treatments are required.

7️⃣ Check quarantine requirements

Some plants may require inspection, treatment or post-entry quarantine.

8️⃣ Check whether CITES applies

Certain plant species are protected under international wildlife-trade rules and may require additional documentation or permits. If you are interested in a rare or protected species, check whether CITES requirements apply before proceeding.

9️⃣ Confirm everything before ordering

Once you understand the requirements, you can contact the seller to discuss whether the necessary export arrangements may be possible.

💚 A Note from Evercare Australia

We are delighted to see plant lovers from around the world discovering our Australian plants. 🌏🌱

At present, our online plant sales are available within Australia only, and international plant shipping is not enabled at checkout.

However, if you are an overseas plant enthusiast who has discovered a plant you would particularly love to grow, we welcome enquiries.

We may consider individual export enquiries where practical, particularly for destinations such as New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Any potential international shipment would need to satisfy the relevant biosecurity and export requirements of both Australia and the destination country.

This means we cannot guarantee that a particular plant can be exported simply because it is available for sale in Australia.

📩 Interested in a particular plant?

If you are outside Australia and would like to enquire about a plant, please contact us before placing an order and provide:

🌱 The plant's botanical/scientific name
🌏 Your destination country
📦 Whether you are interested in a whole plant, cutting, seed or other plant material

We can then investigate whether an international export enquiry may be possible.

Please do not place an Australian plant order with the expectation that we can subsequently ship it overseas. International plant shipping is currently not available through our online checkout.

Our priority is to ensure that any future international plant shipment is handled legally, responsibly and in accordance with applicable biosecurity requirements.

🌏 Plant Lovers Welcome — Biosecurity Matters

International plant collecting can be exciting, but responsible movement of plants helps protect agriculture, gardens, native ecosystems and plant collections around the world.

Check first. Get the required permits and certificates. Then order. 🌱✈️🌏

Information in this article is provided as a general guide only and is not legal, customs or biosecurity advice. Plant import and export requirements can change and may differ according to species, plant material, origin, destination, growing media and intended use. Always confirm the current requirements directly with the official biosecurity authority in your destination country before purchasing or shipping a plant.