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The information are provided by AVA (Agri - Food Veterinary Authority of Singapore). Please check www.ava.gov.sg for further information.

A. Commercial Plant Consignment

Commodity: Cut flowers

Import requirement: No phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required except for cut flowers from countries in the South American Tropics. Cut-flowers countries of the South American Tropics will require a phytosanitary certificate with the additional declaration that the cut flowers are sourced from South American Leaf Blight (SALB) free regions or are free from SALB. (Refer to Annex for list of countries under the South American Tropics)

Commodity: Ornamental and flowering plants with growing medium (include orchids, potted plants/root balled plants/trees/palms)

IImport requirement:
1. A phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required with the additional declaration that:
a.) the potting medium is drenched with 0.1% a.i. benomyl or equivalent fungicide and 0.1% a.i. oxamyl or equivalent nematicide. Plants are to be foliar sprayed with 0.1% a.i. malathion or equivalent insecticide and 0.3% a.i. mancozeb or equivalent fungicide.

OR

b) the potting medium is free from plant parasitic nematodes

OR

c) the potting medium has been steam treated or fumigated with methyl bromide at appropriate dose prior to planting

2) The containers and packaging should be free from pests such as snails, slugs millipedes etc.

Commodity: Cut foliages

Import requirement: A phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required

Commodity: Endangered Plants such as orchids
(For list of endangered plants under CITES, please refer to www.cites.org)

A CITES export permit from the country of origin is required for:
1. Bringing CITES listed plants in for the exhibition and
2. Issuance of a CITES export permit to bring the plants back to the home country

Import requirements: Please refer to the checklist below.
CITES IMPORT REGULATION FOR ORCHIDS



Click here for a PDF version of the table

Commodity: Cuttings/Bulbs/Tissue Cultured Plants
Import requirement: A phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required. For cuttings and bulbs from countries in the South American Tropics, a phytosanitary certificate with the additional certification that the cut flowers are sourced from South American Leaf Blight (SALB) free regions or are free from SALB. (Refer to Annex for list of countries under the South American Tropics)

Commodity: Dried foliages and flowers
Import requirement: A phytosanitary certificate from the country of origin is required. For dried foliages and flowers from countries in the South American Tropics, a phytosanitary certificate with the additional certification that the cut flowers are sourced from South American Leaf Blight (SALB) free regions or are free from SALB.

List of Countries in the American Tropics

South American Leaf Blight (SALB) is a fungus disease that attacks rubber trees. As many countries in South and South East Asia have populations of rubber trees in their countries, this disease has to be prevented from coming into the region.

B. Hand Carried Plants

Commodity: As above
Import requirement: As above
Number of hand carried plants: Limited to five per person

Procedure for Hand Carried Plants
a. Participants/Exhibitors who will be hand carrying the plants are required to register with the event organizer 1 week before bringing in the plants into Singapore, with the following information:
• Name
• Home Address
• Passport No.
• Number and Name of Plants
• Place of Disembark (Changi Airport/Woodlands Checkpoint/Tuas Checkpoint)

b. After baggage claim, participants/exhibitors are requested to declare the plants that they have brought with them to the Immigration and Checkpoint (ICA) officers located just before the Exit to the Arrival Hall. They have to show their passports for verification.

Import Clearance Procedure
To facilitate import clearance of plants, all the commercial plant consignments should be handled by the official freight forwarder for the event.

Non Compliance to Import Health Requirements
Plants that do not comply fully with the import health requirements will be detained. Service charges for inspection and treatment will be levied.

To avoid delay in the clearance of plants, please ensure that the stipulated import health requirements are fully complied with at source.

The information of the Official Freight Forwarder
Please refer to the above checklist for clearance procedure.

The HS, Product and Unit codes to use during declaration in the TradeNet System

Cut Flowers – only those originating from countries in the South American Tropics
HS code: 06031010
Product code: ALF0XXX
Unit code: STK

Ornamental Plants
HS code: 06029090
Product code: ALN0ORN
Unit code: NMB

Cut Foliages:
HS code: 06049100
Product code: ALN0FOF
Unit code: NMB

Cuttings/Bulbs/Tissue Culture
HS code: 06012090
Product code: ALN0UNO
Unit code: NMB

Dried foliages and flowers
HS code: 06049900
Product code: ALN0FOD
Unit code: NMB

IMPORT OF PLANTS ( NON-CITES )

1. What are the general requirements for the import of plants and other plant products (e.g. foliages, seeds, potting medium, fertiliser of plant or organic origin)?A Phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of export is necessary. For other requirements, please refer to the import health requirements as specified in the Requirements for the Import of Plants and Plant Products. (http://www.ava.gov.sg/javascript/module3/web-prb-2003.htm.) Copies of the import health requirements are also available at Plant Regulatory Branch (Plant Health Section).

2. What are the plants that are subject to the import control?
All types of plants are subject to import control irrespective of quantity. However flowers and plants from American Tropics, plants of banana, cassava, citrus, cocoa, coconut, coffee, cotton, maize, oil palm, pineapple, rice rubber, sugarcane, potted plants, peat moss, soil and other organic growing medium require special conditions and treatment as specified in the import health requirements.

American Tropics refer to the following countries: Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominica Rep., Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guyana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Tobago, Trinidad, Venezuela, Virgin Island.

3. Do I need an import permit for the import of plants?
Yes, you need an import permit for the import of plants, trees and shrubs with/without potting medium, cut flowers from South American Tropics, potting medium (eg soil, potting mix, peat moss, sphagnum moss etc) and fertilizers of plant origin, foliages and seeds. The import permit is the form of a Cargo Clearance Permit (CCP), issued through the Tradenet system. This will cost $11. For import health requirements, please refer to our web page under “Requirements for the Import of Plants and Plant Products.” http://www.ava.gov.sg/javascript/module3/web-prb-2003.htm.

4. Do I need to apply in advance for an import permit?
You do not need to apply for an import permit in advance. As long as you know and comply with the import health requirements for the plants/plant products you intend to bring in, you can proceed with the importation. For commercial consignments, the Cargo Clearance Permit (CCP) will be used in lieu of an AVA import permit. For hand carried or those coming by parcel post, the permit to import will be granted after we have conducted the post entry inspection.

5. Is there any exemption for plants and plant products bring in from overseas for the
Singapore Garden Festival?
You are allowed to bring in certain quantities of plants and plant products for the Garden Festival, only from West Malaysia without an import permit or phytosanitary certificate. The permitted quantities are:

• Plants – 3 nos.(pots) per traveller
• Foliages – 10 pieces per traveller
• Seeds – 250 grams per traveller

Foliages refer to cut leaves with or without stem used for ornamental purposes. Seeds refer to all seeds for cultivation purpose. Bringing in plants and plant products from West Malaysia in excess of these quantities, or plants and plant products from other countries (in any quantity) require an import permit and phytosanitary certificate.

For hand carried plants, please make a declaration to the Customs on arrival.

6. What happens if there were no import health requirements specified for the materials that I intend to bring in from other countries?
An import risk analysis will then be required before the materials may be imported. Please contact Plant Regulatory Branch (Plant Health Section) for details, at least six months before the Garden Festival.

7. What should I do when a consignment of plants arrives by cargo?
Importers should apply for cargo clearance permit through TradeNet. The application would be routed to AVA for approval before the items are allowed into Singapore.

8. What are the documents required for the processing of a commercial import application?
To process an import application, the following documents are required:
a. phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin, and/or export packaging list as specified by AVA and CITES permit (where applicable)
b. invoice,
c. air waybill and
d. post entry inspection application

9. Where can I obtain the post entry inspection application form?
The post entry application form can be obtained from our office at Plant Regulatory Branch- Plant Health Section, Sembawang Research Station, Lorong Chencharu, 17 KM Sembawang Road, Singapore 769194. Tel: 67519842/843 or Fax: 67520170. For participants and visitors at the Garden Festival, a copy of the post entry application form can be obtained from our booth at the exhibition site.

You may also request for a faxed copy. Just fax your request to 67520170 and we will fax a copy to you. Alternatively, you can also download a copy from our web page under Application form for Post Entry Inspection of Imported Plants

10. What will happen to my imported consignment if there is no proper documentation?
Depending on the nature and origin, the consignment may be destroyed, re-exported, treated or quarantined at the expenses of the importer.

11. Who can I contact if my imported plants or plant products are detained by customs?
You can contact the Plant Regulatory Branch - Plant Health Section at Tel: 67519842/843 or Fax to 67520170. Don't forget to quote the Customs detention receipt number

IMPORT OF PLANTS ( CITES-LISTED )

12. What are the documents necessary if I import endangered plants, plant produce and insects?
Endangered plants are regulated under Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES). A CITES permit is required from the country of origin.

13. What are the plants, plant produce and insects included in the CITES list?
Please check for the list of CITES controlled plants, plant produce and insects at http://www.cites.org

14. How do I apply for a CITES permit?
A CITES permit is required for all CITES listed flora. The application form for a CITES permit may be obtained from our booth at the exhibition site.

Supporting documents and the plants are required to be submitted for verification.

EXPORT OF PLANTS

15. How can I go about applying for a phytosanitary certificate?
The application for a phytosanitary certificate can be made at our booth at the exhibition site.

16. What is a phytosanitary certificate?
It is a certificate that certifies that plants and plant products had been inspected by the appropriate authorities of the exporting country according to official procedures and were free from injurious pests and complied with other phytosanitary requirements imposed by the importing country.