Detailed guide: Import firewood into Great Britain

You must notify the Forestry Commission if you plan to import into England or Scotland non-regulated solid fuel wood from non EU countries as well as regulated solid fuel wood material from the EU.

Non-regulated solid fuel wood includes:

• logs
• kindling
• twigs
• billets
• faggots

We use the information from your notification to determine the level of pest risk from trade in fuel wood. We’re concerned that some fuel wood imports do not meet landing requirements and might carry a risk of introducing harmful tree pests and diseases into the UK. We carry out risk-based and random inspections of some consignments to ensure that they meet GB landing requirements.

Enrolment on the scheme

Before you start to notify us of import consignments you must enrol.
You’ll get an enrolment number to use in further correspondence. Enrolment is not compulsory, but you’re encouraged to enrol. You can only do this online.

Notification

You have 2 options:

Paperless

You can submit your notification online.

Once you’ve completed and submitted the form for each new consignment, you’ll be sent an automated email reply with a unique reference number for that consignment. Use this number in any correspondence with us.

Paper

Complete the Statutory Firewood Notification Scheme form electronically or by hand. You can email your form to plant.health@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or post it to:

Notice periods

For sea freight and consignments coming through the Channel Tunnel you should send your notification form at least 3 working days before the material is expected to be landed.

For consignments arriving by air, you must give at least 4 working hours’ notice.

Notes on the form

Most of the information required in the notification form is self-explanatory, but these notes are provided for clarification.

Estimated date of arrival

Enter the estimated date of material landing at a port or airport in England and Scotland.

Place of arrival

Enter the specific port/airport/Channel Tunnel terminus in England or Scotland where the material will be arriving. This should be the first point of arrival in the country of final destination. You should be as specific as possible as some ports, such as Humber, cover a number of locations including Hull, Immingham, Grimsby and Goole, so specify exact ports if known. This might also be the location of any inspection by a plant health inspector if it is deemed necessary, although inspections might also take place at the first destination.

Name of importer

Enter the full name of the importer.

Address of importer

Enter a detailed postal address, including postcode.

Address of first destination after landing

Enter the details, including a postcode, of the first destination point after landing at a port or airport in England or Scotland. This could be a distribution centre or a final destination for the consignment, depending on the importer’s requirements.

The shipping container

Enter a number or numbers, if appropriate. You can leave this field blank.

Genus and species

Ideally, you should state botanical names of tree species if you know them. If not, you can use common names. Use the list of frequently used names for tree species if you’re unsure of the botanical name:

Conifers/softwoods – common name	Botanical name
Norway Spruce	Picea abies
Sitka spruce	Picea sitchensis
Scots pine	Pinus sylvestris
Corsican pine	Pinus nigra
European larch	Larix decidua
Japanese larch	Larix kaempferi
Hybrid larch	Larix eurolepsis
Douglas fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii
Silver fir	Abies alba
Western red cedar	Thuja plicata

Non-conifers/hardwoods – Common name	Botanical name
Ash	Fraxinus
Oak	Quercus
Birch	Betula
Willow	Salix
Maple/Sycamore	Acer
Beech	Fagus
Chestnut	Castanea
Alder	Alnus
Poplar/Aspen	Populus

Type of material being imported

Enter whether the solid fuel wood is in the form of logs, kindling, twigs, billets or faggots.

Quantity

Enter the quantity in tonnes as accurately as is feasible.

Country where the material is imported from

Enter the country from where the solid fuel wood was last moved. (Note that this is not necessarily the country where the firewood was grown.)

Country where the material was grown

Enter the country where the wood was originally grown and harvested.

Phytosanitary treatments

Enter details of the phytosanitary (plant health) treatments, if any, which might have been applied to the solid fuel wood or associated wood packaging material if present, before export, such as treatments undertaken to comply with ISPM15 requirements for third-country and certain EU country imports). Examples include bark freedom, heat treatment and kiln drying.

Exporting company name and address

Enter the full name and address of the exporting company of that species.