Short answer: to bring live plants from Indonesia into the United States you need a phytosanitary certificate from Indonesia’s quarantine agency, which Labijo arranges, and a USDA import permit (PPQ 587) in your name, which you apply for in APHIS eFile. Orders of 13 or more plants must also enter through a USDA plant inspection station. Plants must arrive bare-root, free of soil.
This guide explains each step as it applies to orders from Labijo, an Indonesian plant exporter that has shipped plants to US buyers since 2020.
USDA rules and Labijo rules at a glance
| What USDA requires | What Labijo requires | |
|---|---|---|
| Import permit (PPQ 587) | Required for most plants for planting. Shipments of 12 or fewer plants are exempt only if no specific restriction applies to the plant. | Required for every US order, even 12 plants or fewer, because Indonesia’s quarantine agency will not issue the phytosanitary certificate for a US shipment without your permit. |
| Phytosanitary certificate | Required, issued by the plant protection organization of the exporting country. | Included with every order at no extra cost. |
| Route | 13 or more plants must go to a USDA plant inspection station named on your permit. | 12 or fewer plants ship to your address, except California. 13 or more plants, and all California orders, go to the inspection station on your permit. |
| Soil and growing media | Plants must be free of soil and growing media, with limited exceptions such as epiphytes and orchids on approved materials. | All plants ship bare-root. |
| Who can apply | Only US residents can apply for an import permit. | The permit must be in the name and address of the person receiving the plants. |
Step by step: importing plants from Indonesia to the US
1. Check that your plants are allowed
Most tropical houseplants we sell, such as Philodendron, Anthurium, Hoya, Monstera and Alocasia, are admissible. Some plants are prohibited or restricted: species on the NAPPRA list (not authorized pending pest risk analysis), federal noxious weeds, and plants protected under CITES, which need extra permits on both sides. Many fruit plants, citrus in particular, are not allowed or are tightly restricted. You can check a species in the ACIR database, or send us your list and we will flag anything that may be a problem.
2. Apply for a PPQ 587 permit in APHIS eFile
Create an account in APHIS eFile and apply for a PPQ 587 permit to import plants for planting. List the genera or species you plan to import and Indonesia as the country of origin. Filling in the form takes our customers about 15 minutes. Approval time varies, from a few days to several weeks, so apply before you order. If you want a walkthrough, this video from Plant Therapii shows the process: how to apply for a USDA import permit.
3. Send us your permit with your plant list
Email your permit and plant list to [email protected], or attach the permit when you send your list from the wholesale catalog. We check the plants against your permit and send a quotation with shipping. Plants not covered by your permit cannot be shipped: anything not authorized on the permit can lead to the whole shipment being refused or destroyed.
4. Payment and export documents
After you pay by Wise or bank transfer, we prepare the plants and apply for the export permit and phytosanitary certificate. This takes 7–14 business days, depending on the quarantine office’s inspection schedule. The quarantine agency uses your permit details when it issues the certificate.
5. Shipping to your address or to an inspection station
- 12 plants or fewer (outside California): we ship by DHL Express straight to the address on your permit. Delivery takes about a week after the documents are ready.
- 13 plants or more, and every California order: we ship to the USDA plant inspection station named on your permit, with the green-and-yellow APHIS shipping label from your permit. Our shipping fee covers Indonesia to the station. You pay the second leg from the station to your address, or collect the plants yourself if the station allows pickup.
6. USDA inspection and release
At the inspection station, USDA checks the plants against your permit and the phytosanitary certificate. Once cleared, the station sends the parcel on using the prepaid return label inside the box, or contacts you for pickup. If pests are found, the plants may be treated, refused or destroyed.
7. Unpacking
Open the box as soon as it arrives, record an unboxing video, and pot the plants within a day. Plants that arrive dead are replaced once, shipped with your next order, when reported within 48 hours with the video and photos. Our guide to helping plants recover after shipping covers the first two weeks.
What goes inside and outside the box
For shipments through an inspection station, we pack according to your permit conditions. You only need to send us the second shipping label; we handle the rest.
Inside each package
- A copy of your permit, or the permit number
- An invoice or packing list stating the scientific names and quantity of plants
- The phytosanitary certificate
- A sheet with your name, address and phone number, plus your prepaid return label (USPS or your preferred courier) for the trip from the station to you
Outside each package
- The green-and-yellow APHIS label from your permit, which addresses the parcel to the inspection station
- The shipper’s name and address
- No other address: your own address must not appear on the outside
How long it takes
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| PPQ 587 permit | A few days to several weeks; apply before ordering |
| Export permit and phytosanitary certificate in Indonesia | 7–14 business days |
| DHL Express from Indonesia to the US | About a week |
| USDA inspection station (13+ plants or California) | Adds a few days, depending on the station |
Costs
- Plants: catalog price, or 25% less for wholesale orders of 20 plants of one species or 100 plants mixed.
- Phytosanitary certificate and export permit: included.
- Shipping: quoted per order by weight and destination; for inspection-station shipments, our quote covers Indonesia to the station and you pay the domestic leg.
- US import permit: check current terms in APHIS eFile.
FAQ
Do I need an import permit for 12 plants or fewer?
For USDA, small shipments of 12 or fewer plants can be exempt when no specific restriction applies. For orders from Labijo, yes: Indonesia’s quarantine agency requires your PPQ 587 permit before it issues the phytosanitary certificate for any US shipment.
Can someone outside the US apply for the permit?
No. Only US residents can apply, and the permit should be in the name and address of the person receiving the plants.
Why do California orders go through an inspection station?
Parcels sent straight to California addresses have been returned to us, so we always route California orders through the inspection station on your permit, whatever the quantity.
Do I pay shipping twice?
Only for shipments that go through an inspection station: our fee covers Indonesia to the station, and you pay the domestic leg with the label you send us. Many customers use USPS for this leg, or pick the plants up if the station is nearby.
Can I pick up my plants at the inspection station?
Often, yes. Contact the station first to confirm that pickup is possible and when.
What if a plant on my list is not on my permit?
We cannot ship it. Ask APHIS to amend your permit, or remove the plant from your order.
Official sources
- USDA APHIS: How to buy plants and seeds online
- USDA APHIS: Plants with special requirements and prohibited plants
- USDA APHIS: Plant inspection stations
- APHIS eFile (permit applications)
- APHIS ACIR: agricultural commodity import requirements
Last checked against USDA APHIS guidance in October 2026. Rules change; always confirm on the APHIS pages above. For other countries, see our guide to plant import permits by country and how to buy and import plants from Indonesia.
