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Guidance

Fees for variety listing and plant breeders’ rights

How much it costs to apply for plant breeders’ rights or to add a new plant variety to the Variety Lists.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland variety listing: fees

°Õ´ÇÌýapply to add a new plant variety to the GB and NI Variety Lists you’ll need to pay:

  • a one off administration fee of £769
  • ²¹Ìýdistinct, uniform and stable (DUS)Ìý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ fee per year of testing - this will depend on the crop you are testing
  • a technical management fee of £256 for a value for cultivation and use test (VCU) for each year of testing
  • ²¹ÌýVCUÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ fee for each year of testing for agricultural crops – the  will tell you the fee

You do not need to pay ²¹ÌýVCU technical management fee or VCUÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ fee if you’re adding a vegetable variety or an amenity grass.

As part of your application, you may also need to pay:

  • £30 to apply to change a name on the Variety List
  • £30 for the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to receive your representations in writing if you object to a decision or a proposal
  • ²¹ÌýVCU authentication fee for each year of testing if a foreign authority carries out the DUS test – the foreign authority can confirm the fee

UK plant breeders’ rights: fees

°Õ´ÇÌýapply for UK plant breeders’ rights you’ll need to pay:

You may also need to pay:

  • £30 for APHA to receive your representations in writing if you object to a decision or a proposal
  • £60 if you request a hearing with the controller because your initial objection is not accepted
  • £60 to apply for a compulsory licence

Variety listing and plant breeders’ rights: combined administration fee

Applying to add a new variety to the Variety List and applying for plant breeders’ rights are separate processes. You can apply for variety listing and plant breeders’ rights at the same time for agricultural and vegetable varieties.

If you apply for variety listing and plant breeders’ rights at the same time, you’ll only have to pay one combined administration fee of £769. This includes if you apply within the same month.

If you apply separately or in different months, you’ll pay the administration fee for each application

Distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) testing: fees

The tables show the agricultural, vegetable and ornamental varieties the UK has the capability to do DUSÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µÂ for and the fee for each. At the end of the testing, you will get ²¹ÌýDUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù.

Once you have your DUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù, you can use it for other applications. You do not need to pay for another DUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù. For example, if you get DUSÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ for variety listing, you can use it for your plant breeders’ rights application.

If the UK test centre does not have the capability to carry out DUS tests of your variety, APHA will send you an invoice in pounds (£) for varieties tested by other DUSÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ authorities.

°ä´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýAPHA to get the fees for:

Agricultural and vegetable crops

Crop species the UK can test for DUS ±«°­ÌýDUS fee (per year of testing for each variety)
Wheat, barley or oats £1,196.18
Winter oil seed rape, fodder rape and fodder kale £2,315.27
Sugar beet £727.66
Potatoes £1,199.98
Herbage (perennial, Italian, hybrid rye grass and white clover) £1,091
Swede £1,466.55
Field peas £1,749.83
Field beans £1,929.87
Vegetable pea £1,683.17
Turnip rape £1,733.16
All other vegetable species on the ±«°­ÌýDUSÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ list £1,525

Ornamental crops

Ornamental crops usually take one year to test. Sometimes more tests are needed to establish that a variety is distinct, uniform and stable. In this instance, you will need to pay the DUS test fee for each year of testing.

°ä´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýhilary.papworth@niab.com to confirm number of years of testing and whether the variety is tested outdoors or in glasshouse.

Crop species the UK can test for DUS DUS test fee (per year of testing)
Other decorative varieties (outdoors) £2,318.45
Other decorative varieties (glasshouse) £2,682.18

DUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù purchase

If the UK needs to purchase ²¹ÌýDUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù for your variety, APHA will send you an invoice in pounds (£). The cost is variable and depends on current exchange rates. For the current fee, ³¦´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýpvs.helpdesk@apha.gov.uk.

You will be invoiced for the DUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù purchase shortly after the administration fee, even if the report has not yet been issued. This will allow APHA to request the DUSÌý°ù±ð±è´Ç°ù³Ù as soon as it has been completed.

Crop species VCU trials: fees

BSPB organise trials for all crops except potatoes. They will tell you the estimated fee.

±Ê´Ç³Ù²¹³Ù´ÇÌýVCU trials: fees

SASAÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýNIABÌý´Ç°ù²µ²¹²Ô¾±²õ±ðÌýVCU trials for potato varieties.

APHA will send you an invoice for each year of the potato VCUÌý³Ù°ù¾±²¹±ô.

SASA charge £2,286.44 for each year of the trial to test for the following diseases and pathogens:

  • field foliage blight
  • tuber blight
  • common scab
  • powdery scab
  • blackleg
  • external damage
  • internal damage
  • dry rot (F. coeruleum)
  • dry rot (F. sulphureum)
  • PCN (Ro1 and Pa 2/3 and 1)

NIAB charge £1,032 for each year of the trial to test for the following diseases and pathogens:

  • PCN (Ro1 and Pa 2/3 and 1)
  • PVYN, PVYN-Wilga, PVA, Leafroll

Combined VCU fee of £3,318.44.

Quality test fees

The fees for quality tests vary. °ä´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýAPHA to ask for the exact fee.

Genetically modified (GM) varieties: fees

DUSÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýVCUÌý³Ù±ð²õ³Ù¾±²Ô²µ fees are different for GMÌý±¹²¹°ù¾±±ð³Ù¾±±ð²õ.

You should ³¦´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýAPHA as early as possible to ask about fees if you plan to submit GM varieties for testing.

Conservation varieties of agricultural or vegetable species: fees

For conservation varieties, the administration fee is £175.

Amateur vegetable varieties: fees

The administration fee is £100 for amateur vegetable varieties.

Administration fee collection

APHA issues invoices after it publishes the application in the Seeds Gazette.

This is usually the month after APHA receives your application. For example, if you send your application in January, you will receive an invoice in late February.

°ä´Ç²Ô³Ù²¹³¦³ÙÌýsscl.receipts@gov.sscl.com if you have questions about invoices.

Reference collection: annual fee

The annual fee covers the maintenance of the reference collection once it’s added to the variety listing for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. You will need to pay it once a year, usually in April. APHA will invoice you.

The annual charges only apply to some crop types. These are:

  • £261.09 for potatoes
  • £584 for herbage including perennial, Italian, hybrid rye grass and white clover
  • £199.98 for swede

You do not need to pay an annual fee for all other crop types.

Updates to this page

Published 9 February 2022
Last updated 29 May 2026 Show all updates
  1. Added the combined fee for the potato VCU trials.

  2. Updated the fees for variety listings, plant breeders’ rights, DUS testing, VCU trials and reference collection.

  3. Reverted to previous fees. The fees will change on 1 February 2026.

  4. Updated the fees for variety listings, plant breeders’ rights, DUS testing, VCU trials and reference collection.

  5. National List is now the GB and NI Variety Lists.

  6. Amended the table in the Ornamental crops section to remove the Chrysanthemum and Rose crop species and the Distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) test fee for each, as they are taken into account in the decorative varieties category.

  7. Updated distinct, uniform and stable (DUS) testing fees.

  8. Update to ornamentals contact details for NIAB.

  9. Added fodder kale to DUS fee list.

  10. Updated fees. Added section on testing fees for genetically modified (GM) varieties.

  11. Added fees for potato VCU trials.

  12. Added information about fees for DUS report purchases.

  13. First published.

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