Import firewood into England, Scotland or Wales
Find out how to import non-regulated firewood, such as logs and kindling, into England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain).
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Importing regulated solid fuel wood
You, your agent or broker must make sure any regulated firewood meets import requirements in England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) before it鈥檚 exported.
You must also:
- be registered with the Forestry Commission as an importer
- complete a notice of landing form to arrange an inspection of regulated imported timber, if necessary
Importing non-regulated solid fuel wood
You must notify the Forestry Commission separately if you plan to import non-regulated solid fuel wood into England, Scotland or Wales. This helps prevent harmful tree and forestry pests and diseases being introduced.
Solid fuel wood (firewood) includes:
- logs
- kindling
- twigs
- billets
- faggots
We will decide if there鈥檚 a risk that your firewood could introduce harmful tree pests or diseases into the UK. We may inspect your consignment before allowing it to cross the border.
Enrol on the Statutory Firewood Notification Scheme
Before you notify us about your non-regulated consignment, . You鈥檒l get an enrolment number to use in further correspondence. Enrolment is not compulsory, but you鈥檙e encouraged to enrol. You can only do this online.
Notify the Forestry Commission about your import
You must notify us before the non-regulated consignment arrives in England, Scotland or Wales, or no later than 4 days after it鈥檚 landed.
You can either:
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(preferred)
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notify us by email or post - complete the excel form
You need to submit a notification for each new consignment.
Once you鈥檝e submitted the notification form, we鈥檒l send an email reply with a unique reference number for that consignment. Use this number in any correspondence with the Forestry Commission.
How to complete the notification 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 the material landing at a port or airport in England, Scotland or Wales.
Place of arrival
Enter the specific port, airport or Channel Tunnel terminus in England, Scotland or Wales where the consignment will be arriving. This should be the first point of arrival in the country of final destination.
Specify the exact port if known because some ports cover many locations. This might also be the location of any inspection by a plant health inspector if it鈥檚 deemed necessary. 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, Scotland or Wales.
This could be a distribution centre or a final destination for the consignment, depending on the importer鈥檚 requirements.
The shipping container
Enter a number or numbers, if appropriate. You can leave this field blank.
Genus and species
State the botanical names of tree species if known. Otherwise, use common names.
You can look up the botanical name in this list of frequently used names for tree species:
| Conifers*/softwoods 鈥� 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 |
*Only conifer wood, that is free from all bark, is unregulated material. For conifer wood with bark use a notification of landing form.
| Non-conifers/hardwoods 鈥� Common name | Botanical name |
|---|---|
| Ash** | Fraxinus |
| Oak | Quercus |
| Birch | Betula |
| Willow | Salix |
| Maple/Sycamore | Acer |
| Beech | Fagus |
| Chestnut | Castanea |
| Alder | Alnus |
| Poplar/Aspen | Populus |
**Ash is always a regulated species. You need to use a notification of landing form.
Type of material being imported
Enter whether the solid fuel wood is in the form of logs, kindling, or other.
Quantity
Enter the quantity in tonnes as accurately as possible.
Country where the material is imported from
Enter the country from where the solid fuel wood was last moved. 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, which might have been applied to the solid fuel wood or associated wood packaging material before export.
Example treatments include bark free, heat treatment and kiln drying. These could be treatments that comply with .
Updates to this page
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Edited the page for clarity around unregulated imports and how to notify the Forestry Commission.
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post brexit information added
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Day 1 changes: EU Exit
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Updated information on when you must notify the Forestry Commission about importing solid fuel wood into England or Scotland has been added to this page.
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The link to submit your Statutory Firewood Notification online has been updated.
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First published.