Taking a big duffel bag full of seeds from NYC to Sweden - problems?

January 25, 2019 1:06 PM

A contact in Sweden is a big succulents grower and the seeds she wants to grow are not easily available there. Turns out the seed packets are here. And cheap. Also cheap are tickets from NY to Stockholm. My sister just loves traveling and, if my contact in Sweden picks up the flight and hotel, she'd happily deliver a giant bag of seeds. My question is: can she? Do you need a special permit or is "giant bag of seeds commerce" legit?
posted by rileyray3000 to Travel & Transportation around Stockholm, Sweden (10 answers total)

Check with Swedish customs, but generally in Europe you need an import license for viable seeds. And it’s a really good rule too, given the fear of invasives.
posted by frumiousb at 1:11 PM on January 25, 2019 [13 favorites]

You could start here : Swedish Board of Agriculture
posted by onebyone at 1:12 PM on January 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

Note that the problem isn't just invasive plants, but the diseases that can be on or endemic to their seeds, and which can make startling jumps to unrelated hosts.
posted by clew at 2:11 PM on January 25, 2019 [6 favorites]

I once spent a whole day at Arlanda airport being thoroughly chewed out by customs for yoghurt smuggling (I had a cereal bar covered in the white 'yoghurt' coating in my hand luggage - while the foot and mouth outbreak was happening in the UK).

Which is to say that you should probably check - they seem to take that stuff fairly seriously
posted by bifter at 2:34 PM on January 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

OK, so I found some information for you from the Swedish Board of Agriculture:

Plants, seeds and other plant products that must have a phytosanitary certificate
All plants that can be grown further must have a so-called phytosanitary certificate. A phytosanitary certificate is also required for many seeds intended for sowing and some fruits, vegetables and cut flowers.

More information about what a phytosanitary certificate is, how to get one, what the inspection process at the point of entry is like, and what plants and seeds are totally banned can be found both at the above link and also in this Swedish-language PDF document.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:06 PM on January 25, 2019 [10 favorites]

TLDR this is not a simple/easy nonchalant task. Moving germplasm around the globe is something that we need to be very careful about. There may be good reasons this germplasm is not freely available in Sweden. Please do learn about importation laws and observe them.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:47 PM on January 25, 2019 [18 favorites]

Surely there's some middle ground between international plant smuggling* and nothing? Like, how big a bag of seeds are you talking that airfare and a hotel is cheaper than international shipping from a supplier who understands import regulations? If you seriously mean an actual duffel bag's worth of seeds, be sure to budget for import duties and your sister will have to convince customs that she's bringing them for personal use and not for sale. (Is your friend trying to import them for resale?)

* Even if you are trying to comply with all the rules, there are so many ways to slip up and get yourself flagged in the system as a potential troublemaker. A friend accidentally (possibly "accidentally"...) tried to bring some beef jerky into the US, she got pulled aside for extra thorough bag inspections every time she passed through customs for SEVEN years.
posted by yeahlikethat at 8:43 PM on January 25, 2019

Succulent seeds are generally incredibly small. Some are barely visible. It seems it would be easier to ship them directly via a reputable seller who is set up to ship internationally.
posted by quince at 9:58 AM on January 26, 2019 [2 favorites]

Sorry, should've been more direct, I fully agree that these laws exist for good reason and should be followed. However, there are definitely legal middle ground options, depending on what you're trying to accomplish:

• You can order seeds from suppliers who can provide phytosanitary certificates.
• In many places you are allowed to import small amounts of seeds for personal use, though you'll probably still need documentation.
• You can bring up to 2 kilos (not a small amount! though not nearly a duffel bag's worth) without certificates if you are traveling from another EU country.
• If your sister wants to go to Sweden, she should just go to Sweden. This is not a simple way to wrangle a free trip.

These are all easier, cheaper, and less risky alternatives to flying someone from the US to Sweden with a "giant bag of seeds".
posted by yeahlikethat at 9:03 PM on January 26, 2019

Bringing plant/plant propagules to the EU is tricky - much trickier than many other destinations. I agree with all of the above info about following the paperwork process. Trying to circumvent these plant protection policies is not a great idea for the traveler, and these policies exist to protect the native plants and environment in Sweden.

To do this you'll need the following:
- Genus and species for each plant
- origin information for the plant seeds (where their parent plants were grown)
- look at the CITES checklist to see if any of the species are CITES protected (endangered or threatened species)
- if CITES protected, you'll need a CITES permit from Fish & Wildlife
- Contact Sweden's Ministry of Agriculture or equivalent organization for an Import Permit. (Process to obtain an IP can take upwards of two weeks)
- Contact your state Department of Agriculture (or County Ag Commissioner office if in CA) for a phytosanitary certificate
- pay for the phyto cert (varies by state, approx $50) and have the seeds inspected

The whole process is time consuming and a pain. I would definitely recommend looking for a commercial seed seller who could provide the seeds and handle the paperwork. You'll end up getting charged a fair bit extra to have them obtain a phyto and IP, but you'll have a much better chance of the seeds getting there.
posted by Orrorin at 12:14 PM on January 28, 2019 [1 favorite]