Reminder - NI Movement Assistance Scheme closes on 30th June 2025

Current Status of MAS (Movement Assistance Scheme) – Plant & Plant Products and HRFNAO

If your business is moving plants or plant products from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you do not need to pay for the phytosanitary certificates (PCs). Government inspectors will not charge you for inspecting and certifying your goods.

If you move fruit, vegetables or cut flowers from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you may be eligible for the plant health exports audited trader scheme (PHEATS).

This means you’ll be able to do your own inspections and apply for phytosanitary certificates to be issued.

You do not need to pay for:

•an inspection fee when you first register with PHEATS

•auditing or monitoring fees (charged per audit)

You can get financial support for International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) sample testing and certification. You need both of these to move individual seed lots from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

If your business moves the following categories of high risk food and feed not of animal origin from Great Britain to Northern Ireland you do not need to pay for a certificate or lab sampling costs:

• Annex 2 of regulation 2019/1793
• products originating from countries listed in Annex 1 of regulation 2020/1158

Local authorities will not charge you for inspecting and certifying the goods.

FROM 30TH APRIL 2025, THIS ASSISTANCE WILL END.

Defra have confirmed that regular procedures will not change and licenses using the scheme should continue to submit invoices in the usual way for qualifying costs incurred up to and including 30th June 2025. The 90-day settlement terms also remain unchanged, so a movement that occurs on 30th June will have until 30th September 2025 for submission of the invoice to claim reimbursement.

•Defra additionally confirm that APHA will continue to settle all correct invoices within 30 days of receipt and that all reimbursements and outstanding actions will be finalised by 31st October 2025. Costs will not be reimbursed or waived on movements of goods and equines that take place after 30th June.