Plant passport records exist so that, if a pest or disease turns up, APHA can trace where plants came from and where they went. Inspectors audit these records at your authorisation and renewal inspections, so it's worth getting them right.
This guide summarises the GOV.UK rules for England and Wales. Check the current guidance before relying on it.
Changes expected in 2027. The UK and EU are negotiating a plant health (SPS) agreement. Government guidance says EU plant passports will replace UK plant passports, with the agreement intended to take effect in mid-2027. Details are not yet confirmed. This guide describes the rules in force today. Read the latest GOV.UK guidance.
The short version
| Situation | What you must record | How long |
|---|---|---|
| You issued a plant passport | Who supplied the trade unit to you (if it came with a passport), who you supplied it to, and the information on the passport | 3 years |
| You received a plant passport | Who supplied you with it | As part of your records |
| You supplied a plant passport | Who you supplied it to | As part of your records |
If you issue plant passports
For every passport you issue, record and keep for three years:
- The professional operator who supplied the trade unit to you, if it came to you with a plant passport.
- The professional operator you supplied it to.
- The information on the passport. This doesn't have to be a physical copy or an exact digital copy of the passport, just the information on it.
If you receive plant passports
- Record who supplied you with any passport you receive.
- Chase anything missing. If a supplier hasn't sent passports, insist they do. If they refuse, contact APHA to report them.
- Storage is flexible. If a supplier sends a passport as a label, you can store it physically or digitally.
- Supplier documents don't have to be kept.
Plants passported by EU suppliers
Until 31 January 2027, an authorised UK operator's supplier in an EU member state can attach UK plant passports for them. Those passports only become valid once the plants pass your examination when they arrive.
You must keep a record of every examination you carry out. If plants fail, the passport has to be removed and the problem corrected, or the plants destroyed.
What a good record looks like in practice
The rules set out what to record, not how. Most nurseries find it easiest to hang everything off the batch, because the batch number can double as the traceability code in part C.
For each batch, a complete record usually shows:
- Botanical name (part A) and size or format
- Traceability code (part C), often the batch number
- Country of origin (part D), and when it changed if the plants were grown on
- Who supplied it, and their passport details
- Every customer it went to, with dates and quantities
When the record is kept against the batch, answering "who supplied this, and who did we sell it to?" takes seconds rather than a search through invoices and delivery notes.
Getting ready for an inspection
A simple checklist before your APHA visit:
- Can you show, for any batch, where it came from and who it went to?
- Are passports from suppliers stored and findable?
- Have you chased up any missing supplier passports?
- Do your traceability codes on labels match your records?
- If you split consignments, can you show the new passports you issued?
- If an EU supplier attached passports for you, do you have your examination records?
How PlantDesk helps
PlantDesk keeps plant passport information, supplier details and country of origin against every batch, and tracks each batch from arrival to sale. As stock is quoted, invoiced and delivered, the record of who you supplied builds up automatically alongside it.
Everything sits in one place, rather than spread across spreadsheets, paper and email. PlantDesk holds and produces the information; your nursery remains responsible for its authorisation and records.