Salvia Divinorum Scotland - Overseas Issues

<body stylesrc="../technical/backgroundformywords.htm" background="../technical/leafwords.jpg" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" text="#003300" link="#0000FF" vlink="#000080" alink="#800080"> <p align="center"><font size="5" color="#008000">Salvia Divinorum Scotland ~ Overseas Issues ~ Import Restrictions</font> <hr> <blockquote> <p> Inside the European Union there is no problem, packages are not generally opened for inspection within the EU and, in any case, the contents would not be considered illegal.  But if you are <i> outside</i> the European Union and you are interested in getting live Salvia divinorum plants, there are basically two approaches we could take.</p> <p><b>Without Papers:</b> Normally there is nothing on the package to suggest that there is a plant inside, but for packages outside the EU I have to declare the content by attaching a customs slip. I usually put something like 'Sage herb (Salvia)' and this is usually okay.  I could drop the reference to Salvia but I don't think this is particularly incriminating.  I could put something more vague such as "Home Furnishings" ( you could argue that it is a houseplant so this is true enough), but I prefer to play it fairly straight and make a more honest description of the contents so as not to get into trouble with authorities.</p> <p>In most cases this would be fairly safe, but you should know the stringency of your own country's import regulations (not to mention how the postal system works) better than I will.  I have used this method to successfully export plants to places including Turkey, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Serbia, Israel and even South Africa and Brazil.  </p> <p>Mostly plants have been sent without problems, but note that after sending two packages successfully to Norway a third package (declared 'Houseplant (Sage)') was opened by customs and sent to the Norwegian agriculture department.  They checked it out and they were happy enough to let the recipient have it after he got a 'temporary import certificate'.  So, it was not as straightforward for him and he received it a few days later than he expected, but he got the plant okay eventually.  Anyway, this suggests different countries may do different things. </p> <p>The biggest problem is if the country is particularly strict as with a package sent to Canada (without import certificates). This was sent recorded delivery, but never arrived. It turned out that the plants were destroyed by customs import security on the grounds that the soil may have contained contaminating bugs or the like. However, since the Post Office authorities could not trace the package to tell me what happened with it (the details of its destruction came later), there was full compensation.</p> <p>Since the results have been generally good without import papers and it is generally easier to do it this way, with new countries and countries with which I have yet to experience any problems, I am prepared to take the risk sending this way and offer you compensation if the plant does not get to you.  Check the following link for further details.<a name="importresults"></a></p> <p align="center"> <a href="overseasimportresults.htm">Import Results</a></p> <p><b>With Papers:</b> If you think import is going to be a potential problem and you can't find anyone appropriate (or who you like the look of) on the <a href="../salvia/links/othersuppliers.htm" target="_blank">list of other suppliers<font face="Arial" size="2"><sup>></sup></font></a> (including <a href="../salvia/links/othersuppliersus.htm" target="_blank">U.S. suppliers<font face="Arial" size="2"><sup>></sup></font></a>) then there is the alternative of doing it ‘by the books’.</p> <p>I know what I have to do at my end. I've been in touch with the Scottish authorities, making general enquiries for this situation. They tell me I can get an 'inspection certificate' quite easily (and cheaply) if I need one. It is called a phytosanitary certificate.</p> <p> <a name="importpermit"></a>However, note that it is often the case that a necessary import permit from the receiving country has to be obtained<b><i> first</i></b>. I quote the Scottish Executive, with regard to an enquiry from South Africa they told me, <font face="Arial">"Inspections can not be carried out until you have the import permit. The import permit may detail conditions that have to be met prior to export. Until we know what these conditions are we can not proceed."</font> </p> <p>If this is required, obviously, it is dependent on you to obtain and send me the import permit first. Here is an example of what <a href="overseasimportpermit.htm"><u><font color="#0000ff">an Import Permit</font></u></a> might specify. </p> <p>With other countries (for example such as Iceland) I may not need an import permit first, in such cases the inspection conditions are generally known and I can apply for the phytosanitary certificate simply on that basis.  Check with your authorities.  They will be able to tell you if you need to get an import permit first.</p> <p align="center"> -/-</p> <p> I won't know each and every country’s approach.  I'm prepared to send plants anywhere in the world if you can settle payment details.</p> <p> Like I say, for any new country which I think has a reasonable chance and to countries with which I have yet to experience any problems, I am prepared to take the risk without papers and offer you compensation if the plant does not get to you.  But please note, I send using recorded delivery, which means there is proof of posting <i>and</i> delivery. In the event of any problems I would be getting confirmation from the Post Office that the item was never signed for, so compensation could take a couple of months to sort out.</p> <p> If I have experienced problems with the country before, such as with Canada, or the country sounds too unlikely (e.g. extreme dictatorships) then I would <i>not</i> take the financial risk myself without papers. I would be prepared to send plants if you wanted to take the risk yourself.  If the plant were returned to me as undeliverable then I would be able to refund you something.  But if the plant were somehow confiscated/destroyed without your authorities refunding me, then you would just have to put it down to experience.</p> </blockquote> <p align="center"><a href="mailto:info@salvia-divinorum-scotland.co.uk" title="click to email me"><font face="Wingdings" size="6">*</font></a></p> <hr> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="25%"><a href="overseas.htm"><Back to Overseas</a></td> <td width="20%"> <p align="center"><a href="latest.htm#payment">Latest Details</a></p> </td> <td width="20%"> <p align="center"><a href="../home.htm">Main Menu</a></td> <td width="20%"> <p align="center"><a href="../salvia/">Salvia Menu</a></td> <td width="15%"> <p align="right"><a href="../menu2.htm">Menu 2</a></td> </tr> </table> <p> </p>   </body>