Plants and quarantine

If you export fruit or vegetables from the Northern Territory (NT), you must apply for an Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA).

The ICA is a nationally recognised plant health certification system.

It allows you to export produce knowing it's met the national quarantine guidelines.

To get an ICA, you must show your business has in-house procedures that meet interstate quarantine rules.

How to apply

To apply, follow these steps.

Step 1.  Fill in application

Application for accreditation of a business for an ICA PDF (591.7 KB).
Application for accreditation of a business for an ICA DOCX (64.6 KB)

If you want to export more than one item, you must fill in a separate application for each one.

Step 2. Attach supporting documents

If you're a:

• company, attach certificate of incorporation
• cooperative association, attach one of the following:
  • certificate of registration
  • registration search.

Step 3. Pay the fee

You can pay the $406 fee:

• over the phone to Receiver of Territory Monies (RTM) using credit or debit card
• in person at an RTM office using cash, cheque, credit or debit card.

You must also record your receipt number on your application.

Step 4. Submit application

Submit your application by email to plantbiosecurity@nt.gov.au, or by mail to:

Plant Biosecurity Branch
Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
GPO Box 3000
Darwin NT 0801

After you apply

When you're being assessed, a plant biosecurity officer will look at:

• the scope of the procedure, including pests, products and locations
• what quarantine requirements have to be met
• the responsibilities of staff involved in managing the ICA system
• design features including your business's standards for inspection and treatment
• what process controls must be put in placed
• your record keeping.

If you're successful

Once you've been accredited, plant biosecurity officers will make regular visits to ensure you continue to meet ICA standards.

For more information, go to the Australian Interstate Quarantine website.

Contact

For more information, email plantbiosecurity@nt.gov.au.