Taking Bulbs Home From A Trip To Holland (2024)

FAQs

Taking Bulbs Home From A Trip To Holland? ›

When you buy flower bulbs in Holland, you may need to ensure that they have been approved to be taken back to your home country. If the bulbs will stay within the European community, then nothing extra is needed.

If you're travelling to countries outside of the EU like the USA or Canada, bulbs must have been checked by officers in the Netherlands to ensure they are thoroughly cleaned and free from soil. These bulbs are sealed and given a special 'health certificate' which should enable you to clear customs back home.

Bulbs (bloembollen)

Bringing bulbs to the U.S.? Look for an official white sticker on the package that says: “To the Plant Protection Service of the United States and Canada” The botanical name. The date of issuance of the sticker.

Can flower bulbs be carried in my hand luggage? Yes, you can carry bulbs of tulips and other flowers in your hand luggage from Schiphol. However, please ensure that you check the import rules for your destination country to see whether you're allowed to bring them with you by visiting IATA Travel Centre.

If you see a flower or bulbs without a valid sticker don't buy them, the flowers will not clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Sticker aside, all plants (along with any fruits, vegetables, or animal byproducts) must be declared at customs and inspected before you're clear.

Should you find yourself purchasing bulbs in the Netherlands to take back to the United States, be sure that they are certified and approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Forbidden items

These items should never be packed in your baggage: Drugs such as hashish, cocaine, heroin, crystal meth or other narcotics. Real or fake weapons, pepper spray, ammunition or explosives. Protected or endangered animal and plant species, as well as any item(s) made from them.

Yes, you can bring plants on an airplane, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the U.S. The TSA allows plants in both carry-on and checked bags.

Bulbs are sold in the Keukenhof , the flower stall outside Keukenhof and the whole year at the flower market in Amsterdam. The bulbs at the Keukenhof are directly sold from the farmers. They have a higher prices, they send the fresh bulbs to you in September / October, just in time to plant them into the ground.

All travelers entering the United States are Required to Declare meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals, as well as plant and animal products (including soup or soup products) they may be carrying.

Are bulbs allowed in cabin baggage? ›

Yes. Energy efficient light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, but you can take them on the plane.

The short answer is YES.

While the TSA allows flowers or plants as carry-on that will fit in an overhead compartment or under the passenger's seat - or even in checked luggage - the flowers cannot be in water during the flight.

The only bulbs you can bring back are the ones they sell at the airport in Holland. They are the ones with the certificate on the back of the package. We were just a little disappointed, but my wife picked up some bulbs at home and replaced the ones that were taken. They still made nice gifts.

Foods that one can take to the US: ... Cheese (only vacuum sealed, no raw milk cheeses). Most Dutch cheeses such as Gouda, Edammer and Leerdammer are allowed.

Most bulbs will still flower if they were left out for up to a year unplanted. But realize that with every passing season, while it's still possible that they could grow and flower, their growth might be weaker and flower production and size will continue to go down.

Buy Tulip Festival quality tulip bulbs from Holland

Order the new tulip bulbs from the Netherlands now. These bulbs will be harvested this summer and shipped in autumn.

Checked Bags: Yes

Check with the airline to ensure that the item will fit in the overhead bin or underneath the seat of the airplane. For more prohibited items, please go to the 'What Can I Bring?' page.

The tulip bulbs Holland, Mich., ordered in 1928 to launch the first Tulip Time came from the Netherlands. So also do the bulbs the city buys and plants today. Though windmills may date back to 500 BC in ancient Persia, no other country is as readily associated with windmills as the Netherlands.

Buying tulip bulbs Holland

In this way you create your own tulip festival as it is in the Keukenhof. Buy your tulip bulbs between March and November and plant them in October/November/December before the first frost.