You are allowed to import any plant products into the EU as long as they were cultivated there, are free of pests and diseases, and are for your own consumption.
I want to bring bulbs back to the UK from Amsterdam.
The types of plants, seeds, and other plant products that may be imported into the UK from foreign nations are subject to a number of limitations. This is crucial because pests and illnesses that can create major environmental and agricultural issues in other nations can be carried by plants and plant waste.
Importing from an EU country
You can carry any plants, seeds, bulbs, or similar plant goods back to the UK after leaving certain European Union (EU) nations and other designated nations if you meet the following conditions:
- They were raised in an EU nation (or a nation that is considered an EU nation for these purposes, below);
- The Plant Health (England) Order 2005 states that they are free of pests and diseases.
- ;
- They are for your own private use only.
Before they can bring such goods into the UK, commercial importers must acquire a license.
Which countries are within the EU?
The following nations are considered to be part of the EU for the purposes of these regulations: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus (only those areas that are effectively under the control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores), Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the UK (including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
Andorra, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, San Marino, Switzerland, and the Vatican City are additional EU nations. Gibraltar and the Canary Islands are not considered to be a part of the EU, though.
Importing from other European and Mediterranean countries
You may bring the following into the UK if you are traveling from one of the following other European or Mediterranean nations not mentioned above:
Seeds
Five retail-packaged packets of “limited seeds,” maximum (not all seeds are restricted; and the importation into the UK of potato seeds is prohibited). You must get a phytosanitary certificate or a license if you plan to carry more than 5 packets back to the UK.
The national plant protection service of the nation where the commodities are to be exported issues phytosanitary certificates. The Forestry Commission or the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for issuing licenses.
Other plants and tree seedlings with or without soil
Up to 5 plants may be imported into the UK. Like with seeds, a phytosanitary certificate or a license must be obtained if you intend to import more than 5 plants into the UK.
Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes
You are permitted to bring into the UK up to 2kg of bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes (but not potatoes). More than 2 kg of bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes cannot be brought into the UK without a phytosanitary certificate or a license, which must be obtained.
To which countries do these restrictions apply?
These prohibitions apply to imports from the following nations: Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Cyprus (the area not effectively controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus), Egypt, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamrahiriya, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Melilla, Moldovia (Republic of), Morocco, Norway, part of Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Syrian
Travelling from other non-EU countries
You are only permitted to carry into the UK up to 5 retail packets of “restricted seeds” if you are traveling from one of the nations not listed above (not all seeds are restricted and the importation into the UK of potato seeds is prohibited).
Without a phytosanitary certificate, you are not permitted to import any bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, seeds of Castanea (sweet chestnut) and Fraxinus (ash) for planting, or citrus or vine plants.
Declaring items at Customs
Smuggling prohibited or restricted goods is strictly prohibited and is punishable by a range of harsh fines, including the possibility of imprisonment. You must declare any plant items you are importing into the UK from a non-EU nation when you pass through customs. You could face legal action if you don’t declare them.
Endangered plants
Any plants or plant parts (including seeds) that are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species may not be imported into the UK without a permission. Odonates and cactus are examples of endangered species.
You should ask DEFRA for clarification if you have any remaining questions about what you can and cannot bring into the UK.
From Amsterdam, are you able to carry back tulip bulbs?
The two plant species that flourish in Holland are tulips and marijuana, which attract the majority of visitors. Both are floating in the Singel canal near Amsterdam’s Bloemenmarkt.
Follow these guidelines if you wish to bring some Dutch tulip bulbs to your mum, grandma, or aunt’s garden:
1. Locate a retailer that specializes in selling tulip bulbs for importation back to the US. Keep your eyes from looking too far ahead. Although Bloemenmarkt offers an excellent selection and variety of tulips, US Customs only permits several varieties to be brought back to the US. You’ll notice signs like this and a considerably narrower range of bulbs.
2. Look for bulbs that are packaged and labeled with a phytosanitary certificate from the Dutch government that is addressed to the US explicitly, and verify the date. This certificate demonstrates that the bulbs satisfy the regulations for admission into the US. It also displays the inspection date. Within six weeks of the period indicated, you may import these bulbs into the United States. However, if it will be longer than six weeks before you return to the US, ask the merchant if they may ship the bulbs to your house. However, be ready to spend because delivery may be more expensive than the bulbs themselves.
3. Verify again that the bulbs are bare—that is, that there is no visible growth on them—and that they appear healthy and insect-free.
4. You don’t need a permission to bring back 12 or fewer bulbs that have phytosanitary certifications with current dates. However, if you want a complete suitcase full of bulbs, you must request a permit from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture.
5. Declare your tulips and any/all food items on your customs form, as I’ve said earlier on this blog! As you wait in the agricultural customs line, place your bulbs somewhere you can readily get them.
Oh, and some seeds and other plant byproducts aren’t legal in your country at all, so you’ll have to take advantage of it as much as you can while you’re in Amsterdam.
This brings up another query that visitors to Amsterdam frequently have: Is it legal to purchase and consume marijuana? Right now, the answer is “yes.”
In the next weeks, a decision will be made about marijuana, the second most well-known or infamous currently legal good or service in the Netherlands. A rule limiting who could purchase marijuana from coffee shops to Dutch nationals with permission was passed by the government in May 2012. Three southern provinces have implemented the alleged “Cannabis is legal. According to Radio Netherlands, the rule was established to reduce issues in southern border towns where drug dealers from Belgium, Germany, and France purchase their supplies for smuggling drugs back into their respective nations.
Eberhard van der Laan, the mayor of Amsterdam, and his administration have opposed the “Weed becoming legal for a number of reasons. They contend that the regulation would harm both tourism and local businesses because, according to some estimates, 25–50% of the four–five million tourists who visit Amsterdam also use coffee shops at least once while there. According to the Gothamist, 10% of visitors come to the Netherlands solely to smoke marijuana. A few people I spoke with in Amsterdam expressed the opinion that by making marijuana sales illegal, the weed pass will exacerbate existing issues. They predicted that because underground merchants’ goods, prices, and terms of sale wouldn’t be standardized or regulated, customers would be exposed to them. (Travel expert Rick Steves appears to concur with this viewpoint.) Yesterday, The Chicago Tribune reported that “The Dutch government has long supported coffee shops because they think they keep drug users away from distributors of more harmful and illegal substances like cocaine and heroin. Some people I spoke with said that taxes on marijuana would cause the government to lose a lot of money, yet the Telegraph stated that the government earns an estimated $500 million from the sale of marijuana.
The “Amsterdam and the other northern provinces’ weed pass laws will go into force on January 1, 2013. But in a week, this could change.
Under the leadership of VVD party leader Mark Rutte, the conservative coalition government that enacted this bill left power in April. On September 12, 2012, a new administration will be chosen through elections, and depending on who wins, the law may be upheld or overturned. Because their livelihoods are at stake, the coffee shops have banded together and are asking their customers to cast ballots next week in favor of the six of the 11 political parties in the Netherlands that support maintaining marijuana’s legal status. There were other posters that reminded me of Uncle Sam. Uncle Dam lists the parties that support the cannabis pass law in their version. (And since we’re on the subject of voting, I’d like to remind all Americans to register to vote. Remain tuned! Or simply book a flight to Amsterdam right away!
On a plane, are tulip bulbs permitted?
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States, you can transport plants on airplanes. The TSA permits both carry-on and checked luggage to contain plants. However, you should be aware that the on-duty TSA personnel have the authority to refuse anything and will decide what you can bring through security.
When traveling abroad or to Hawaii, it is more difficult to bring plants on a plane. Make sure to do your study well in advance to determine whether any licenses are necessary and to learn whether any plants need to be quarantined or banned. If you want further details, get in touch with the nation’s agriculture department.
Could you send me some flowers from Amsterdam?
All plants, along with any fruits, vegetables, or animal byproducts, must be declared and scrutinized at customs before you are allowed to proceed. You must first obtain a foreign phytosanitary certificate if you intend to cultivate more blooms (via propagation).
What are the permitted imports from Amsterdam?
It is very challenging to sum up Amsterdam in a few words; it is a multicultural city where many differences collide. In truth, Amsterdam has a number of distinctive emblems. Because of this, the answer to the question of what to buy as a memento of Amsterdam is fairly simple.
You can bring cheese, tulip bulbs, clogs, stroopwafels, jenever gin, Dutch-themed magnets and crockery, cannabis grinders, or even some smoking accessories if you want to bring home a keepsake from your trip to Amsterdam. You are not allowed to bring edible marijuana, truffles, or anything else that contains THC.
Amsterdam is well-known for some remarkable items that you can take home to relive your best travel memories, just like any other major European city. I made a list of the things I think are worth buying in Amsterdam shops, as well as a list of things you can’t take. I hope both will be helpful to you while selecting your keepsakes.
Can I transport bulbs from Amsterdam back home?
Re: Where Can I Buy Bulbs to Take Back Home? Yes, the cheese and bulbs are significantly more expensive at the airport than at the flower market in Amsterdam. To be safe, make sure the bulbs you purchase have an import certificate to the United States.
Are tulip bulbs available in Amsterdam?
Holland saw the first stock market fall in history as a result of tulips. People in the 1600s were preoccupied with buying the most expensive tulip and, well, putting it on display in a vase at home. The most expensive varieties had devotees paying 2,000 florins per bulb ” (in context, a skilled laborer might earn 150 florins a year, and “eight fat swine cost about 240 florins). Discussion of “blooming power!
Today, the Netherlands is the world’s top exporter of tulips, and each year, a great number of tourists travel there specifically to take in these vibrant flowers. It is a given that anyone visiting the countryside from mid-March to mid-May during tulip season should not skip seeing them.
One of the most well-known locations to observe tulips is the Keukenhof garden, which is about 45 minutes outside of Amsterdam. If you want to stay in the city, though, we have some recommendations for tulip shopping and sightseeing in Amsterdam.
The only floating flower market in the world, Amsterdam’s renowned Bloemenmarkt (located at Muntplein), is jam-packed with kiosks selling fresh flowers and bulbs. But resist the urge and limit your photography. The city’s highest pricing are offered here.
The Albert Hein store, which has locations close across the street on both sides of the market, is an excellent substitute if you wish to buy tulips. Additionally, keep an eye out for tulip vendors who are strolling through the streets; they frequently offer bundles of up to 50 blooms for $5.
Visit the Tulip Museum if you’re interested in learning how tulips have influenced both national and international trade history. It’s compact, adorable, and well placed on the Prinsengracht. The museum tour lasts around 30 minutes, and entrance is $6. (Shopping in the Museum Bulb Shop upstairs is free.)
The fact that the museum is run by flower farmers, who are knowledgeable and passionate about all things tulip, is its best feature. Yes, these are the individuals whose responsibility it is to maintain the lovely, well-kept rows of vegetation that line the Dutch countryside. They are knowledgeable on the best tulip care techniques and where to locate the daily bargains.
If they are bulbs, tulips can be brought back to North America. However, you must absolutely, positively, 100% ensure that they are eligible to enter your nation. How would you know? On the bag, look for a tag that expressly states that you’re good to travel.
You might have to pay a hefty tourist premium to get bulbs with a lucky label. The modest flower stand on Damrak near Centraal Station and Dam Square, as well as the Bloemenmarkt, are options. Visit the Tulip Museum as well to learn about the most recent exciting discoveries.
The Artis Zoo is one of the cutest places to stroll and take in Amsterdam’s tulips, especially for families. But tulips can be found all throughout the city, particularly at Museumplein, the Vondelpark region, and the Canal Belt.
However, if you truly adore tulips, leave the city. Nothing compares a day spent riding through beautiful, tranquil farmland among the unending tulip fields. More than 6 million flowers are kept in Keukenhof, one of the world’s most popular photo locations. Take a bus from Schiphol Airport to get there. Admission to the garden is included in the ticket price of 21. (Keukenhof is accessible through May 20.)
About the author
Regarding the author: Eight years ago, Audrey Sykes relocated from the US to the UK to pursue a Masters in international journalism. She has since moved all around Europe and worked as a reporter and editor for travel publications, snowboard magazines, and music websites. She also wrote Party Earth, a book about nightlife in Europe, from her home in Amsterdam.