Plants

[parten]

Hello everyone,
Can someone please tell me if you are allowed to take indoor plants to Spain. Also, my wife and I need to buy a car, we do not want to bring our own car over but buy here even a good second hand car will do. This will need to be in the Granada part of Andalucia or near.

thank you
Parten

[Trooperman]

Don't know about plants, but I do know that "good" and "second hand" when applied to cars in Spain are, in my humble opinion, mutually exclusive terms.

[BENIDORM]

I have brought numerous plants from Uk without problems, but going the other way can be more difficult..I was told that taking plants into UK with soil from another country is not allowed, can contain nasty beasties that attack spuds etc......However I have taken some back, with the roots wrapped in damp newspaper...it worked ok...If you are sending goods with a carrier, they may refuse to take them..
With regard to cars , there are numerous secondhand car dealers around Granada, but be prepared for the hassle when buying...not easy like UK..

[parten]

Thank you all. A great help.

[geegee]

Re your plants, the EC Plant Health Directive prohibits the import/export of certain species or any part thereof, including seeds, and restricts others. However, you should be fine with most houseplants imported for 'personal use', but the law is complex and customs officers may try and stop you bringing permitted stuff in through ignorance. If you are bringing them in by road/sea chances are you will be fine - we brought various favorite potted plants and shrubs we coudn't bear to leave behind. On the other hand, others I know have been stopped at airports attempting to bring in perfectly legal plants.

If you have an expensive plant and/or one dear to your heart, or simply want to know where you stand legally on any plant, DEFRA in the UK is your first port of call for advice, as with exporting pets.

[wendyakemp]

DEFRA have a website, it was much more informative than the phone call, the automated gentleman read me some of it word for word!!!. When I asked him a difficult question he went back into automation.
I think that because of foot and mouth it is not allowed to take many live things, including plants and soil.
On a different note I recently took a tin in my hand luggage, as it contained something liquid, it was removed from me and all my undies were tested for explosives. How embarrassing!!