CFIA Changes to the Permit to Import Plants Form

CFIA would like to announce that the current plant health import permit application form 5256 has been updated. The form number 5256 and its title, Application for permit to Import Plants and Other Things under the Plant Protection Act, remain unchanged however its content and the methods by which it can be submitted have been updated.

The changes to the form include:

• method of payment and submitting the form;
• Privacy Notice Statement;
• wording and formatting that is consistent with other import application forms and what is used in My CFIA.

All of these changes are geared towards the digital transition that the agency is undergoing. By using the preferred submission method to apply for your permit, My CFIA, importers can track the status of their applications, pay required fees, and manage all service requests in one secure and convenient location. It will also streamline payment.

If applications are received by mail, clients who pay by credit card will need to wait for the Centre of Administration to call them in order to process payment over the phone.

This new form can be found online in the CFIA forms catalogue as well as through My CFIA. Additional services for clients in the plant industry are also being made available in My CFIA in the future, such as phytosanitary certificates for plant exporters.