According to the phytosanitary measures, the import of agricultural and forest plants and products may be conducted only at the border crossing points specially assigned to perform such activities. Importers are initially required to submit an Inspection Control Application, followed by quarantine pests sampling. Imported plants and plant products containing quarantine pests are either returned or destroyed, as agreed with the importer. Certified seeds and propagating material undergo phytosanitary inspection during vegetation period by institutions appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, as well as laboratories carrying out the analyses. The Republic of Macedonia does not require additional certificates or sanitary registrations for products confirmed to be safe by recognized international authorities. Phytosanitary policy institutions are: Phytosanitary Directorate, Seed and Propagating Material Directorate and State Phytosanitary Laboratory at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management (www.mzsv.gov.mk).

The Phytosanitary Directorate issues phytosanitary certificates for import and export of plants, plant products and other items and articles, as well as plant protection products.

Pursuant to the Law on Plant Health, Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No.29/05, 81/08 and 20/09, import of plants, plant products and items and articles may be conducted exclusively by subjects certified for such activities and recorded in the Phytosanitary Directorate Registry. Consignments must have an original phytosanitary certificate issued by the country of origin, except for cases when the special phytosanitary conditions for certain types of consignments, as prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, may be fulfilled in a country other than the country of origin. Consignments sent, warehoused, repacked or divided in a country other than the country of origin following the issuance of the phytosanitary certificate in the country of origin, apart from the original certificate or certified copy thereof, must have a phytosanitary certificate for re-export issued in that other country. In case when such consignments have been subsequently imported in several different countries and thus more than one phytosanitary certificate for re-export have been issued, apart from the original phytosanitary certificate or certified copy thereof, the importer must have all previous original phytosanitary certificates or certified copies thereof.

Export of plants, plant products and other items and articles from the Republic of Macedonia is subject to the rules of the importing country regarding the requirements for phytosanitary certificate. If such a certificate is required, upon the exporter's request and prior to issuing a phytosanitary certificate, a phytosanitary inspector conducts a phytosanitary inspection of the consignment to confirm whether the consignment fulfills the prescribed phytosanitary requirements of the importing country. If the importing country requires a phytosanitary certificate for consignment that does not originate from the Republic of Macedonia, but has been warehoused, repacked or divided in the Republic of Macedonia, prior to issuing a phytosanitary certificate for re-export the phytosanitary inspector conducts a phytosanitary inspection of the consignment to comfirm whether the consignment fulfills the prescribed phytosanitary requirements of the importing country. The phytosanitary certificate issued by phytosanitary inspector guarantees conformity with the requirements. The format and content of the Phytosanitary Certificate is in compliance with the forms laid down in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).

Exporters are obliged to submit a phytosanitary certificate application to the phytosanitary inspector 24 hours prior to any planned export. A phytosanitary certificate application must contain the following elements: information about the applicant, name of the legal entity, or name and surname of the natural entity, registered seat or address, as well as information about the consignment. Exporters are obliged to pursue the measures required by the phytosanitary inspector during the conduct of the phytosanitary inspection of the consignment for export.

Phytosanitary inspection is not mandatory for consignments in transit. Consignments must be packed in a manner that excludes any risks from outbreak of dangerous organisms and may not be divided, combined with other consignments or repacked within the customs territory of the Republic of Macedonia. Phytosanitary inspection is mandatory for reloaded consignments or consignments that have not been packed properly.

Trade in plant protection products is under the Law on Plant Protection Products (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 110/07, 20/09), which regulates approval procedures, market placement and control over plant protection plants, market placement and control over active substances, which are also regarded as products, maximum residue level, product utilization equipment, etc. Import of plant protection products is under the International Plant Protection Convention (2004) and Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2004), which are signed by the Republic of Macedonia.

The Seed and Propagating Material Directorate conducts control and monitoring over the production, preparation for trade, labeling, trade, import and export of seeding material, propagating material for agricultural products and mycelium for fungi for food, as well as certification of seeding and propagating material.   

Pursuant to the Law on Seed and Plant Propagating Material (Official Gazette of the Republic of Macedonia No. 39/2006), import of seeds and propagating material may be performed exclusively by subjects certified for such activities and recorded in the registry of importers of certain types of seed and propagating material at the Seed and Propagating Material Directorate. Only seed and propagating material of the agricultural plant varieties recorded in the national variety list may be imported. Import is performed exclusively through certified representatives for the appropriate type of seed and propagating material in the Republic of Macedonia.During import of seed and propagating material, importers are obliged to report each consignment to the phytosanitary inspector for inspection purposes. The phytosanitary inspection will establish whether the seed and propagating material belongs to a variety listed in the national variety list and whether it is in compliance with the other requirements laid down by law. In exceptional cases, the phytosanitary inspector may issue import an certificate for seed and propagating material of agricultural plant varieties that has not been certified and recorded in the national variety list on the basis of special import permit issued by the Seed and Propagating Material Directorate prior the import of that material. The permit is issued at the importer's request and is only valid for seed or propagating material of agricultural plant varieties produced under official monitoring by the country of origin; material imported for propagation in the Republic of Macedonia intended for full export after the procedure; and material of a variety in ongoing procedure for examining and recording in the national variety list.