The State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) reminded the Costa Ricans that they shouldn't make online purchases of seeds, plants, or any plant material without previously notifying the SFE and getting an authorization to import said products.
"This isn't a new measure. It applies to the importation of all products of plant origin and aims to protect the country's agricultural and forestry heritage by preventing the entry of pests that may affect crops and put the national production, and the access to new markets at risk and / or that can lead to the closing of markets to Costa Rican products," stated the phytosanitary authorities.
"The products that arrive to the country without prior authorization will be kept stored and not be given to the citizen that imported them. The requirements and the duration of this authorization process depend on the type of product, its presentation, quantity and country of origin," the technicians added.
If a product has been previously imported from a specific source complying with the regulations, the phytosanitary requirements for that origin have already been established. The SFE must request a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) study to determine the conditions required for the entry of a product that hasn't been imported before.
Even if they want to bring this product for their personal use, people must be registered in the SFE Importers Registry.
The information to perform these procedures is available at:
https://www.sfe.go.cr/SitePages/Tramites/tramites_importacion_vegetales.aspx