Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation

Plant Protection Department (PPD)

Role in Trade

Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation /Plant Protection Department (PPD) is controlling, inspect, and approval the import and export for Plant Protection – plants, and plant products, seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and pesticides.

Importers of plants and plant products, whether intended, e.g., for agricultural purposes, as foodstuffs, animal feed or for industrial use, must obtain a permit prior to the intended importation of such goods. Certified seeds to be imported into and marketed in Yemen require a prior registration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.

Goods subject to phytosanitary control will be inspected at the customs office of entry and must be accompanied by a plant health certificate. Upon the submission of the certificate, a proof of fumigation for seeds, if applicable, and the above mentioned permit, in addition to the commercial documents, an inspection is to be applied for at the plant quarantine authority at the respective border entry point. Please turn to the following documents for additional information:

Enabling Legislation

• Plant Quarantine Law No. 32/1999
• On Seeds and Plant Fertilizers Law No. 20/1998
• On Organizing the Circulation of Plant Pesticides Law No. 25/1999
• Decree No. 10/2002

Law No. 32 of 1999 on the Plant Quarantine

This Law is composed of 5 Chapters divided into 20 articles. Chapter I gives terms and definitions. Chapter II defines aims and objectives of this Law, which are the following: protection of plant wealth from pests and diseases; facilitation of the importation, exportation, and transit of plant consignments; and, development and enlargement of the cooperation to prevent the transmission and contamination of pests and diseases in the world trade. Chapter III deals with special procedures and measures.

Implemented Resolution No. 54 of 2001 issuing the Implementing Regulation of Plant Quarantine

Cultivated plants – This Implementing Regulation is composed of 9 Chapters divided into 56 articles. Chapter I give terms and definitions. Chapter II decrees the establishment of the Plant Quarantine Committee and defines its competencies. Chapter III decrees the establishment of quarantine centers in all crossing points on the borders of the Republic of Yemen. Chapters IV to VI deal with the importation, exportation, and transit of plant consignments. Chapter VII provides for the internal plant quarantine.

Repealed by Law No.7 of 2011 on the Plant Quarantine. This Law consisting of 46 articles divided in VII Chapters aims at protecting plants and plant products from the pest risks and reducing their spread and impact; facilitating safe international trade (import, export, and transit) of plants and plant products and other materials; and strengthening the implementation of the regional and international conventions on plant protection approved by the Republic of Yemen. 

Permits and certificates for import and export to Yemen

Directorate of Animal Health and Veterinary Quarantine

Role in Trade

Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation/Directorate of Animal Health and Veterinary Quarantine (DAHVQ) is controlling the import and export of live animals and products of animal origin, veterinary inputs, birds, poultry, animal products, and animal health and production appliances.

Consignments of live animals or animal products are subject to veterinary inspection at the customs office of entry. They must be accompanied by either a Veterinary Health Certificate for Live Animals or a Veterinary Health Certificate for Animal Products, respectively. The importer must obtain the mandatory Permit to Import Animals and Animal Products in advance. The latter must have applied for a License to Deal in Animals and Animal Products beforehand.

Certain measures apply to designated commodities, e.g., a pedigree certificate is required for imported horses of the Arabian breed. Products of animal origin intended for human consumption are to be accompanied by a Halal Certificate.

Specific protective measures may apply to the importation of certain live animals and animal products, e.g., as a consequence of the outbreak of contagious diseases. For further information on the animal health status of the countries of origin and exportation, the World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS), a service provided by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), is consulted by DAHVQ.

Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Yemen is a member of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), also referred to as Washington Convention. Before the importation of animal or plant species or products made thereof which come under the CITES, an Authorization to Import Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is to be applied for at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which comes under the DAHVQ.

Permits and certificates for import and export to Yemen

DAHVQ is issuing the following types of approvals of permits and certificates for import and export from/to Yemen: