Importing Plants into Canada: What International Buyers Need to Know
Importing plants into Canada comes with its own rules, inspections, and paperwork. Learn how CFIA requirements, phytosanitary certificates, import permits, bareroot shipping, and delivery timelines work for international plant orders.
Quick Answer
- Plants entering Canada need a valid phytosanitary certificate, inspected on arrival by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
- Some regulated genera may also require an import permit and extra documentation, depending on the species and current CFIA rules.
- Shipments travel bareroot — moss-wrapped, no soil — similar to US-bound orders, and for the same soil-restriction reasons.
- Choose Kartel Affiliate Shipment at checkout and this is handled for you — just buy, select it, and your plant arrives on our standard shipping schedule.
- Import rules change. Always check Canada's current regulations before relying on this page.
What Is the Core Requirement for Importing Plants Into Canada?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) oversees plant imports. It checks that shipments carry valid phytosanitary certification and pass a visual health inspection on arrival.
This mirrors the US process fairly closely. As with US orders, the exporter is responsible for arranging the certificate before the shipment leaves — not the buyer. We handle the import. You receive the plant. Through Kartel Affiliate Shipment, that's arranged before your plant ships.
Do I Need an Import Permit to Bring Plants Into Canada?
Possibly, and it depends on the plant. Beyond the phytosanitary certificate, CFIA may require an import permit and additional documents for certain regulated genera — the list isn't fixed, and it shifts.
Importing directly and shipping independently? Check with CFIA or your country's plant health authority to confirm what your specific plant needs before you order.
Or skip the research. Choose Kartel Affiliate Shipment at checkout and we handle it — paperwork, customs, and plant treatment on our side. Just buy, select it, and your plant arrives on our standard shipping schedule.
How Is Canada's Import Process Different From the US?
The overall framework is similar, but Canada maintains its own list of regulated species and its own entry point procedures, separate from US requirements.
A plant that ships freely into the US isn't automatically cleared for Canada, and the reverse is also true. Ordering something less common? Confirm with your seller that they've shipped that specific genus into Canada before.
- Canada maintains its own regulated species list, separate from the US.
- Entry point inspection procedures are administered by CFIA, not USDA/APHIS.
- Most common ornamental genera move through without extra requirements.
What Does Bareroot Shipping Into Canada Look Like?
Just like US-bound shipments, plants headed to Canada travel bareroot: the root ball wrapped in damp moss rather than potted in soil, no growing medium included at all — treated and packed to actually survive the trip, not just boxed and hoped for.
Standard practice tied to import restrictions on soil, which can carry pests and pathogens across borders that a visual inspection alone might not catch. Not unique to Canada — worth knowing if you haven't ordered plants internationally before, since your plant won't arrive pre-potted.
How Long Does Delivery to Canada Actually Take?
Expect somewhere around 7 to 10 days total, accounting for transit and CFIA inspection — similar to US delivery windows.
Some regions or entry points may add a bit more time depending on current inspection volume, so build in a little buffer rather than expecting an exact date.
⚠️ This page can go out of date. CFIA's regulated species list and permit requirements change without much notice. Always check Canada's current plant import regulations before ordering directly — what's accurate today may not be accurate by the time you're reading this. |
Quick Facts: Importing Plants into Canada
Inspecting agency | Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) | Core requirement | Valid phytosanitary certificate; import permit possible for regulated species |
Shipping form | Bareroot, same as US-bound shipments | Typical timeline | About 7–10 days including inspection |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Canada's import rules the same as the US?
Similar in structure, but Canada maintains its own regulated species list and runs its own inspection process through CFIA rather than USDA/APHIS. Always confirm your specific plant with your seller.
Do I need to apply for anything before ordering?
Not through Kartel Affiliate Shipment — we handle the certificate and any required import permit on our side. Importing independently, ask ahead for less common species, and check with CFIA about what your specific plant needs.
Do I have to arrange any of this myself if I order from Kartel Daun?
No. Choose Kartel Affiliate Shipment at checkout and we handle the phytosanitary certificate and any import permit or documentation your plant requires. Just buy, select it, and it arrives on our standard shipping schedule.
Why do plants ship without soil into Canada?
Same reason as most countries: soil is restricted due to pest and pathogen risk, so plants ship bareroot, wrapped in moss, instead.
How long should I expect delivery to take?
Typically about 7 to 10 days, including transit and CFIA inspection time. Some regions or busy entry points may add a bit more, so build in a little buffer.
Which agency handles Canadian plant import inspection?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the sole authority overseeing plant health imports into Canada — a separate agency from the US's USDA/APHIS, with its own species list and procedures, even though the two countries' overall frameworks are similar.
Can a plant that ships freely to the US also ship to Canada?
Not automatically. Canada's regulated species list is maintained separately from the US list, so a genus with no restrictions on one side of the border can still require extra documentation, including an import permit, on the other. Ask your seller to confirm before ordering anything unusual.
We've Got You From Here
We regularly ship to Canada. Paperwork, customs, and plant treatment are handled on our side through Kartel Affiliate Shipment — just buy, select it at checkout, and it lands on our standard shipping schedule.
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