USDA Import Permit & Inspection Process for U.S. Seed Orders
FREE USDA PERMIT FOR YOUR ORDER
All seed orders entering the United States from another country are required by U.S. law to have an import permit otherwise customs will seize and destroy the shipment. All orders are currently being shipped from Germany.
Your order must go to the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) Plant Inspection Station first. We cannot ship directly to you. USDA inspects the seeds for pests and diseases and helps prevent imported plant material from harming local plants and ecosystems.
What Bloom Outlet does:
- Prepares the required paperwork on your behalf and creates the USDA permit for you at no extra cost.
- Ships your order to the USDA Plant Inspection Station, as required by law.
- If your order does not include a phone number, physical street address, and first and last name, please send us a message with that information. This information is required for the USDA permit and shipment paperwork.
What USDA does:
- Inspects the shipment.
- Forwards the shipment to you by USPS standard mail after release.
What Bloom Outlet cannot do after USDA receives it:
- We cannot control or speed up USDA inspection.
- We do not receive USDA inspection status updates.
- We cannot control USPS forwarding after USDA release.
⚠️ Bloom Outlet is NOT responsible for USDA inspection delays or USPS forwarding after USDA release. ⚠️ This is between you and USDA as you are the official permit holder, not us.
What you may need to do:
- If you want USPS tracking from USDA to your home, you may contact USDA directly and provide them with a prepaid USPS label.
- The tracking number that is included if you purchased on the website only covers tracking from Germany to the USDA Plant Inspection Station.
- If there is a delay after USDA receives the shipment, you may need to contact USDA directly.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
This process applies to U.S. orders only.
If we already have your phone number or a permit on file for you, you do not have to provide any information again.
Permit is valid for 3 years and can be cancelled whenever you want.
No USDA fees
No Tariffs
No customs seizure risk when the shipment follows the legal USDA permit and inspection process
Just a quick form we handle on your behalf
The buyer is the official importer and USDA permit holder. Bloom Outlet prepares the paperwork and permit on your behalf, but once USDA receives the shipment, the inspection and forwarding process is handled by USDA.
Bloom Outlet only ships seeds that are eligible under USDA import rules. Some seeds are prohibited or have special import requirements and cannot be shipped under the regular small seed lot permit process.
USDA receiving the shipment does not mean final delivery has happened. USDA must inspect and release the shipment first. After release, USDA forwards the shipment to your home address by USPS standard mail.
Tracking from Germany to USDA does not include USPS tracking from USDA to your home address. If you want tracking from USDA to your home, you may contact USDA directly and provide them with a prepaid USPS label.
Your full first and last name, physical street address, and phone number must be correct. If this information is missing or incorrect, the shipment may be delayed, seized, or destroyed.
There is no customs seizure risk when the shipment follows the legal USDA permit and inspection process. However, USDA still has the authority to inspect the seeds and take action if they find pests, diseases, prohibited material, or non-compliance.
Learn more:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-imports/what-plant-material-requires-permit
Why we ask for a phone number:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-III/part-319/subpart-H/section-319.37-5
Plant Protection Act:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/plant-protect-act.pdf
ESTIMATED TIMEFRAME:
If you are ordering for a specific planting date, we recommend ordering as early as possible. U.S. seed orders must go through USDA inspection before final delivery, so they are not recommended for last-minute planting projects.
For spring planting, ordering 6 to 8 weeks ahead gives the shipment more time to go through processing, international transit, USDA inspection, and final USPS forwarding.
Processing time: 1 to 3 weeks, Monday to Friday only. This includes preparing your order and completing the required USDA import paperwork.
Transit to the U.S. port of entry: Mail can take up to 14 days to reach New York, which is the U.S. port of entry.
Transit to the USDA Plant Inspection Station: After reaching the port of entry, the shipment is forwarded to the assigned USDA Plant Inspection Station for inspection.
USDA inspection time: Inspection time varies. There are 16 USDA Plant Inspection Stations, and we do not receive updates about each station’s current workload, staffing, or inspection queue. Please contact USDA directly if you need an update after your order has reached the inspection station.
Final transit to your address: After USDA completes the inspection, the shipment is forwarded from USDA to your home address.