Place of destination: registration and service level agreements
Become a place of destination in Great Britain for high-priority plants, seeds for sowing, agricultural machinery, wood and bark imported from the EU.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Register as a place of destination for high-priority plants, plant products and agricultural machinery in England and Wales
In England and Wales you can register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to become a place of destination.
Complete the place of destination registration form and email it to phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk.
After submitting your form, you’ll get an automated email to confirm receipt of your application. Your application will be approved and you will be automatically granted place of destination status.
APHA will only get in touch directly if there are issues that need to be resolved.
Read guidance on how to import high-priority plants and plant products from the EU.
APHA: service level agreement and operating hours
APHA can inspect consignments at registered places of destination in England and Wales 7 days a week, 7am to 7pm.
You must use the PEACH website to give pre-notification of imports at least 4 working hours before the goods arrive into a point of entry in Great Britain via ‘roll-on-roll-off’ or air freight.
Try to give as much pre-notification as possible. This will help you get an early decision on whether a physical check is needed. You must give an accurate time for inspection.
APHA will aim to inspect your consignment within 4 working hours of the inspection time given in the pre-notification.
If APHA is unable to inspect the goods within 4 working hours, they will release the goods.
In some limited cases, such as where APHA identifies a specific risk with a consignment, the goods will be detained until an inspection has been carried out, even if that goes beyond the 4 working-hour window.
There may also be cases where inspections are arranged outside the 4 working-hour window, if it’s agreed by both APHA and the operator of the place of destination.
APHA will be flexible in its approach, to help manage demand. This includes providing some out-of-hours cover where possible.
APHA will regularly review the service standard at places of destination to make sure it stays fit for purpose and facilitates trade. It will carry out physical checks using a risk-based approach to meet Great Britain’s biosecurity objectives.
Register as a place of destination for high-priority plants, plant products and agricultural machinery in Scotland
To become a place of destination in Scotland, you must register with the Horticulture and Marketing Unit (HMU) for Scotland. Complete the registration form and email it to hmupod@gov.scot.
Scottish service level agreement and operating hours
HMU in Scotland inspects consignments between 8.30am and 5pm from Monday to Friday (except Scottish bank holidays).
The Scottish Government will inspect your consignment within 1 working day of it becoming available. You must give 4 working hours notice of landing for arrival by ‘roll-on-roll-off’ or air freight, and 1 day for sea.
Register as a place of destination for high-priority wood and timber products in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)
To be a place of destination for high-priority wood and timber products in Great Britain, you need to register with the Forestry Commission (FC) as a:
Read more on how to register as a professional operator with FC.
Forestry Commission: service level agreement and operating hours
The FC will inspect consignments of wood, wood products and isolated bark at places of destination throughout Great Britain. FC standard working days are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
If goods arrive outside working hours, FC may hold them overnight until they can be physically inspected. If they arrive out of working hours they may be held until the following Monday.
FC provides its standard 3-day turnaround regardless of freight type. You must give 4 working hours pre-notification of arrival in Great Britain for goods arriving via ‘roll-on-roll-off’ or air freight.
FC will aim to tell businesses if their goods had been selected for inspection before the end of its 3-day turnaround period.
FC will regularly review the service standard at places of destinations to make sure it stays fit for purpose and to facilitate trade as much as possible.
It will carry out physical checks using a risk-based approach to meet Great Britain’s biosecurity objectives. It will carry out documentary checks on all high-priority material.
Place of destination requirements
If you are a place of destination in Great Britain, it’s your responsibility to make sure inspectors have a safe, demarcated area for physical inspections on site. There must be systems in place for safe working.
Inspectors will need:
- handling equipment so that regulated material can be unloaded or loaded
- an inspection table
- adequate light source
- equipment to enable fumigant gas testing for forestry sector consignments
- access to toilets and handwashing facilities for inspectors
Staff from the place of destination must be available to present the importer’s consignment for inspection.
Transport and storage requirements
The consignment must be closed and sealed to reduce the risk of pest contamination.
No one should alter or amend consignments during transport or while they are stored at a place of destination. The consignment must not leave the place of destination before it passes its physical inspection and checks.
Read the place of destination Q&A on the Plant Health Portal for more information.