All you need to know about international pet transport to Italy

Italy is one of the most pet-friendly countries in Europe. Italians love their puppies and many families have one or more pet dogs. Pet dogs are allowed in most public places, including most tourist attractions.

Microchip your pet

Pet microchipping is an important first step in international pet travel. Most countries insist on an ISO-compliant microchip for easy identification of your pet during travel. A microchip is a small chip the size of a rice grain that is implanted under your pet’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Every microchip has a unique identification number with which one can access the pet and pet owner’s details.

Make sure your pet has an ISO 11784 compliant 15-digit pet microchip implanted. If your pet already has a microchip that is not ISO-compliant, you can bring your own microchip scanner with you when the pet enters the country. Alternatively, you can ask your vet to implant a compliant chip and make sure you mention the number and implant dates of both microchips on all your pet’s records.

Vaccinations

All pet dogs and cats travelling to Italy must be effectively vacinated against rabies. The rabies vaccination must be administered after the implantation of the microchip. Your pet must receive the vaccination at least 21 days before the date of travel. A rabies vaccination certificate signed by an authorised vet must accompany your pet.

The rabies vaccine must an inactivated vaccine as recommended by WHO or a recombinant vaccine. It must be administered according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the vet must make a note of the vaccine name, number, date of injection and validity period on your pet’s rabies certificate.

If your pet dog or cat is travelling to Italy from a non-listed country, they will have to undergo a rabies titre test (RNATT) to check for the effectiveness of the rabies vaccine. Blood for the test must be drawn at least 30 days after the vaccination if it is a primary vaccine. If your pet has received a booster shot, blood can be drawn after 21 days of immunisation.

The blood sample must be sent to an EU-authorised lab for analysis. If the level of antibodies in the blood meets the EU standards of at least 0.5 IU/ml, your pet dog or cat can be transported to Italy after three months from the date of the titre test.

Health certificate

Pets travelling to Italy from non-EU countries need a health certificate issued by an authorised vet in the country of origin. The health certificate is an important document and must contain identification features of your pet as well as the microchip details.

The health certificate must be endorsed by the government agency in charge of pet exports in the country your pet is flying from.

Moving with family pets are considered as non-commercial moves, and you will need a non-commercial health certificate to accompany your pet. The pet parent has to fly into the country within five days of the pet’s travel and give an undertaking that the pet shipping is for personal reasons and does not involve the sale, purchase or transfer of ownership of the pet. Each pet parent is allowed to travel with a maximum of five pets in the non-commercial category.

The health certificate must contain the following details:

• Proof of rabies vaccination
• Rabies titre test results, if required
• Description of pet
• Contact details of the pet owner

Quarantine rules for international pet travel to Italy

Why are pet quarantines necessary?

When pet dogs and cats travel from one country to another, they need to follow specific pet import regulations to enter the country. They must be fully vaccinated against several canine and feline diseases and undergo treatment for internal and external parasites. These rules are in place to stop the spread of animal diseases from one country to another.

Pet quarantines are in place to monitor the pet for any illness or disease before letting the pet enter the country. It helps to check the introduction of exotic diseases that could potentially harm the country’s flora and fauna.

However, not all countries have mandatory pet quarantine; countries with strict biosecurity laws, such as Australia and New Zealand, have compulsory quarantine of pets, depending on where they are flying in from. Other countries insist on pet quarantine upon entry only if all pet import regulations are not fulfilled satisfactorily.

Pet quarantine rules in Italy

Pet dogs and cats travelling to Italy must follow all pet import rules. All pets flying to Italy must be microchipped and vaccinated. The rabies vaccination must be administered at least 21 days before the travel date if your pet is travelling from an EU country or a third country with a low incidence of rabies.

If your pet is flying in from an unlisted country, they will need a rabies titre test (RNATT) 30 days after the rabies vaccination. Pets have to wait three months from the test date if the titre test result is favourable before entering Italy.

All vaccination details must be recorded in the pet passport or the health certificate along with your pet’s microchip number. If your pet fulfils all the above pet import regulations satisfactorily, they will not be expected to undergo quarantine upon entry into Italy. Pets failing to comply with the rules will be placed in quarantine or sent back to the country of origin.

Responsibilities of pet owners