Plant Health Regulations of the European Union dated December 14th, 2019 placed restrictions on imported plants and plant products from non-EU countries
A phytosanitary certificate is required when importing any of the following:
- Seedlings, potted plants;
- Cuttings, grafts, tubers, rootstocks, and similar reproduced materials;
- Seeds;
- Cut flowers and branches;
- Fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, and root vegetables.
Phytosanitary requirements do not apply to products such as bananas, dates, durians, pineapples, and coconuts. It means that all other fresh plants and plant products must be accompanied with a phytosanitary certificate.
Customs controls passenger imported products at checkpoints. Prohibited plants and plant products can be left in the garbage containers at the Finnish-Russian border checkpoints, there are separate containers for meat and dairy products, or they can be handed over to any customs officer. If you hand over your products voluntarily, it will not lead to any sanctions.
It is prohibited to import the following products into the Russian Federation in carry-on baggage or checked baggage:
- Soils, living rooted plants, seeds, planting materials, and potatoes (seed and food) without a phytosanitary certificate issued by the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of your departing country;
- Fresh vegetables in parcels, carry-on baggage and checked baggage weighing more than 5 kg;
- Any plant products from Georgia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
It is allowed to import the following products into the Russian Federation without import quarantine permits and phytosanitary certificates from the departing country:
- Food products: starch, hops, ground coffee, tea, refined packaged sugar;
- Spices and seasonings;
- Processed rice straw intended for industrial products, teasels, finishing wood, corkwood, wool, raw leather, henna and basma;
- Crude medicines;
- Plant products without quarantine organisms located on vehicles and intended for consumption by the crews of those vehicles without the right to take them outside;
- Deep-seated minerals and soils, river and sea sand, bottom soils of seas, rivers, lakes;
- Quarantinable materials (flour, cereals, dried and fresh fruits and vegetables, raisins, spices, nuts) without quarantine organisms and weighing up to 5 kg can be transported in the carry-on baggage of passengers, crew members, or by mail.
Import quarantine permits are issued on the basis of a written application from the recipient of a cargo submitted to the State Plant Quarantine Inspection.