Plants are not vacation souvenirs! Help to avoid bringing in dangerous plant diseases or pests

| Plant Protection Service Control

Ideally, travelers should check with the Official Plant Protection Service before their vacation or before returning to Austria or the EU before taking a plant souvenir home with them. Strict phytosanitary regulations apply to the import of live plants and seeds as well as fresh plant products such as cut flowers, vegetables and fruit.

Increased plant health checks during the vacation and travel season

Be careful with plant-based vacation souvenirs! Exotic plants such as orchids, fruit such as mangoes from Egypt or fresh vine leaves from Turkey are often brought back from vacation as souvenirs for family or friends. However, there are strict import regulations for plants, seeds and plant products such as fresh fruit and vegetables from non-EU countries, with the exception of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. There is even a ban on the import of certain plant material.Phytosanitary controls by the Federal Office for Food Safety (BAES) and the Austrian Customs Office can prevent the introduction of dangerous plant pests at an early stage, which could have serious consequences for domestic agriculture and forestry as well as our environment.

Check the phytosanitary requirements before traveling

Are you going on vacation? Find out in good time about the regulations for taking plants or plant products with you from your destination. These souvenirs may seem harmless, but they can pose considerable risks to plant health in Austria and the EU. Live plants, cut flowers, fruit, vegetables, seeds, cuttings, bulbs and all other parts of plants can potentially carry pests or diseases. Certain goods are therefore subject to an official inspection on first arrival in the EU, which is carried out in Austria at the EU entry points at Vienna, Linz and Graz airports. The presentation of a phytosanitary certificatefrom the country of origin is absolutely necessary. This official document is issued in the country of origin. Official inspectors check whether the EU phytosanitary import requirements have already been taken into account and fulfilled during cultivation at the place of production.

A phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required

Registration for phytosanitary import control must take place at least one working day before the arrival of the consignment via the EU portal TRACES NT (Trade Control and Expert System New Technology). Plant goods are visually inspected by a competent inspection body: If the phytosanitary certificate meets the legal requirements and no dangerous pests were found during the inspection, everything is in order. The goods can be released by customs. Without the appropriate import documents and the necessary phytosanitary checks, the goods are confiscated by customs and subsequently destroyed. In June and July of this year, fruit and vegetables were the most frequently brought in from Turkey; over 160 kilograms of fresh plant goods were stopped in transit.

Help keep plants pest-free and protect agriculture

These import regulations ensure that no new plant pests or plant diseases are introduced into the EU and endanger our domestic agricultural crops and natural plant diversity. The inspections allow infestations to be detected early at border control points such as airports, thereby protecting domestic agriculture and forestry. Once introduced, plant pests such as insects, fungi, bacteria or viruses can have serious consequences for the environment. In addition to phytosanitary import regulations, species protection or food regulations may also apply when importing plants, plant parts and plant products. Here you should also check in advance atwww.cites.atandhttps://www.bavg.gv.at/einfuhr-importfor more information.

Active information for travelers together with customs and Vienna Airport

If we all travel responsibly and keep an eye on plant health regulations, we can help prevent the spread of pests or diseases and protect our food security and the environment. Holidaymakers are actively informed by BAES together with customs about the regulations for taking plants with them on departure via posters and screens at the airport, so that there are no unpleasant surprises when they arrive. You can find details on the phytosanitary import regulations in our frequently asked questions (FAQ) and further information on plant pests and diseases under the following links:

If you have any questions about import regulations and the phytosanitary import control process, the team at theOfficial Plant Protection Servicewill be happy to advise you using the contact details below:

Official Plant Protection Service
Spargelfeldstraße 191
1220 Vienna, Austria
Tel.: +43 (0)5 0555-33302 / 33324
Email: pflanzenschutzdienst@baes.gv.at

This page has been translated using translation software.
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