Phytosanitary Certificate for Export of Plants and Plant Products
A phytosanitary certificate is the plant-health document an importing country asks for before it lets in fruit, vegetables, grain, spices, seeds or other plant material. In India it is issued by the plant quarantine officers of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, after inspection of your consignment. We prepare the paperwork, file the application and coordinate the inspection.
What it is
A phytosanitary certificate (PSC) is an official statement that a consignment of plants or plant products has been inspected and found free from pests, and that it meets the plant-health rules of the country it is going to. Every country that follows the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) uses the same model format, so a buyer in Dubai or Rotterdam reads it the same way a buyer in Dhaka does.
India’s National Plant Protection Organisation is the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, headquartered in Faridabad, under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. The Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, made under Section 3(1) of the Destructive Insects and Pests Act, 1914, defines a phytosanitary certificate as one issued in the IPPC model format. It carries the model export certificate as PQ Form 21 and the re-export certificate as PQ Form 22.
Who it applies to
You export fresh produce
Exporters of fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and live plants. Most importing countries will not clear these without a PSC.
You ship grain, pulses or spices
Rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, spices and dried plant products often need a PSC, and some buyers also ask for a fumigation record.
You send seeds or planting material
Seeds, bulbs, cuttings and nursery stock carry the most plant-health risk. In practice, a Haryana nursery sending saplings abroad should expect closer checks than a rice exporter.
You re-export imported produce
If you import plant products and send them on to another country, the re-export certificate (PQ Form 22) links back to the original exporting country’s PSC.
You import plant products
Clause 3(20) of the 2003 Order bars the import of a regulated consignment unless it comes with an original PSC from the exporting country.
You trade without growing
You do not need to grow or process the goods yourself. Traders exporting under their own IEC apply in their own name.
Why it matters
Clear customs at the destination
Without a PSC that matches the importing country’s rules, a shipment can be held, treated at your cost, sent back or destroyed.
Get paid under your LC
Letters of credit for agri goods often list the phytosanitary certificate among the documents required for payment. Here is the catch: the bank checks it word for word, so a consignee name spelt differently from the LC can hold up your money.
Prove the goods left clean
If a buyer later raises a pest complaint, the certificate shows the consignment was officially inspected before it left India.
Export, re-export and import certificates compared
| Point | Export PSC | Re-export PSC | Import into India |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model format | PQ Form 21 (IPPC) | PQ Form 22 (IPPC) | Issued by the exporting country |
| Issued by | Indian plant quarantine officer | Indian plant quarantine officer | Foreign NPPO |
| When used | Goods grown or produced in India | Imported goods sent onward | Goods arriving in India |
| Key rule | Meet the importing country’s requirements | Refers to the original PSC | Clause 3(20), PQ Order 2003 |
Documents required
Exporter details
- Import Export Code (IEC)
- PAN and GST details, plus your Letter of Undertaking for zero-rated exports
- Registration with the relevant export body, such as APEDA registration for scheduled agri products, where it applies
Shipment papers
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Shipping bill or airway bill details, once available
- Botanical name, quantity and packing of each item
Plant-health papers
- Importing country’s requirements or the buyer’s import permit
- Treatment or fumigation certificate, if the destination asks for one
- For re-export: the original PSC from the source country
How it works
Check the destination’s rules
We read the importing country’s plant-health requirements and the buyer’s import permit. Take a Faridabad trader sending a container of spices to the Gulf: the buyer’s papers decide whether fumigation is needed and what extra declaration the certificate must carry.
Register and apply online
We register you on the Plant Quarantine Management System (PQMS) portal and file the application with consignment details and documents.
Arrange treatment if required
If the destination asks for fumigation or another treatment, it is done by an authorised treatment agency and the record is attached.
Present goods for inspection
A plant quarantine officer inspects the goods and may draw samples for testing.
Collect the certificate
Once the consignment passes, the PSC is issued. We check every field against the invoice and letter of credit before it goes to your buyer.
Timelines
Apply when goods are packed
The certificate is issued after inspection of the actual consignment, so apply once the goods are packed and ready to be seen.
Fit treatment in first
Where fumigation is needed, build the treatment into your schedule before inspection, as the officer checks the treatment record.
Apply again for each shipment
A PSC covers a specific consignment. Each new shipment needs its own application and inspection.
What happens if the certificate is missing or wrong
Goods held at destination
The importing country can detain the consignment until it receives a valid certificate, and demurrage keeps adding up.
Treatment, return or destruction
Goods that fail the plant-health check can be treated at your cost, sent back or destroyed, depending on the country’s rules.
Payment delays
A mismatch between the PSC and the letter of credit can stop the bank from paying until the error is fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues a phytosanitary certificate in India?
Plant quarantine officers of the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage issue it. The Directorate is India’s National Plant Protection Organisation under the IPPC, headquartered in Faridabad under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Its plant quarantine stations, including Regional Plant Quarantine Stations at New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Amritsar and Bengaluru, inspect the goods before signing. We file the application and coordinate with the station nearest to where your goods are packed.
Which products need a phytosanitary certificate?
It depends on the importing country, not on Indian law alone. Most countries ask for a PSC on fresh fruits and vegetables, live plants, seeds, grains, pulses, spices and other plant products. Check the buyer’s import permit or the destination’s rules first. We do this check for you before anything is filed.
What is the difference between an export PSC and a re-export PSC?
An export PSC covers goods grown or produced in India and follows the IPPC model in PQ Form 21. A re-export PSC, PQ Form 22, is used when you import plant products and send them on to another country. It refers back to the original certificate from the source country. Keep the original PSC safe, as the re-export file depends on it.
Is fumigation compulsory for a phytosanitary certificate?
No, not for every shipment. Fumigation or another treatment is needed only when the importing country, or the buyer’s import permit, asks for it, or when inspection finds pests that a treatment can remove. When it is required, the treatment record is part of the file the plant quarantine officer checks. We tell you upfront whether your destination expects it, so it fits into your schedule.
Do I need an IEC to get a phytosanitary certificate?
For commercial exports, yes in practice. Paragraph 2.05 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 says no export or import is allowed without an Import Export Code unless exempt, and the PSC application uses the same exporter details. If you do not have an IEC yet, it can usually be obtained online from DGFT before your first shipment. We can arrange both together.
Can a trader who does not grow the goods apply?
Yes. A merchant exporter applies in its own name, using its own IEC and invoice. The certificate is about the plant health of the consignment, not about who grew it. What matters is that the goods are made available for inspection and that the details declared match what is in the boxes. We help traders line up packing, inspection and paperwork with their suppliers.
Is a phytosanitary certificate needed to import plants into India?
Yes. Clause 3(20) of the Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003 says no consignment shall be permitted import unless it is accompanied by an original phytosanitary certificate issued by an authorised officer of the country of origin. Some items also need an import permit. Ask your overseas supplier for the PSC before shipping, and we can review it against Indian requirements.
Can one phytosanitary certificate cover several shipments?
No. A PSC certifies one consignment after it has been inspected, so each shipment needs its own application and inspection. If you ship the same product every week, the paperwork barely changes, but the officer still has to see the goods each time. We keep your document set ready, so repeat applications move quickly and your weekly dispatch dates hold.
Does Taxhint inspect or fumigate the goods?
No. Inspection is done only by government plant quarantine officers, and treatment is done by approved treatment providers. Our role covers checking the destination’s requirements, preparing documents, filing the application online, coordinating with the quarantine station and checking the final certificate against your invoice and letter of credit. The officer’s decision is independent of us; our job is to make sure nothing on the paperwork side slows your shipment.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Government inspection and certification fees, and any treatment charges, depend on the product, quantity and treatment needed. We confirm them for your consignment before filing.
Ready to begin?
Tell us the product, the destination and your shipping date, and we will line up your phytosanitary certificate.