Italy
Entry Requirements
Is Italy a good place to travel or relocate to with cats and/or dogs?
Here are reviews and details to help you see if Italy is a good place to travel with your cats and/or dogs
Official Italian government website on importing pets
Official government website on pets coming from the US to Italy
Entry Requirements from Non-high Rabies Country
Also called “Part 1” and “Part 2” listed countries
Medical Requirements:
The anti-rabies vaccination must be valid at the time of travel. For first-time vaccinations or if a previous vaccination has not been kept valid, you need to wait at least 21 days before traveling.
Documentation Required and how to get it:
Health certificates are issued by veterinarians from the country of departure.
For pets coming from the US, the certificate has to be endorsed by a USDA Endorsement Office. A valid endorsement must be obtained ten days before your pet is scheduled to arrive in the European Union.
Taking a pet from one EU country to another is pretty simple, and the EU pet passport has all the information you’ll need. If you are coming from outside the EU, and will be traveling throughout the EU or returning repeatedly get an EU pet passport to make your life easier. Future visits can be made with the EU pet passport instead of a health certificate.
Airlines may require additional documentation from a vet stating that the pet is fit to travel.
Entry Requirements from High Rabies Country
Also called “Unlisted Countries”
Medical Requirements:
Get an EU-authorized lab to analyze your rabies titration test (blood sample) three months before traveling (list of rabies testing authorized laboratories on the Europa website). As long as the rabies vaccine remains current, the results of an initial test will remain valid.
Documentation Required and how to get it:
Health certificates are issued by veterinarians from the country of departure. Make sure you check the timeline requirements of the departure country.
Upon arrival in any EU country, it is recommended to get an EU pet passport for pets traveling throughout the EU or returning repeatedly. Future visits can be made with the EU pet passport instead of a health certificate.
Airlines may require additional documentation from a vet stating that the pet is fit to travel.
Additional Considerations
Microchip Requirements:
(ISO) standards ISO 11784 and ISO 11785 given before or at the time of the rabies vaccine.
Quarantine Requirements (if any):
NA other than exceptional circumstances
Breed Restrictions:
There is a lot of conflicting information about this, but according to the US military, Italy does not have breed restrictions.
Number of pet restrictions:
5 pets per person
Other: Some cities in Italy have regulations requiring dogs to be walked regularly
Other:
It isn’t required, if you are visiting between May and September, you may want to get the Canileash vaccine to protect against Leishmaniasis. It’s a chronic illness spread by sandflies
Is this country considered high-risk rabies for entry into the US?
No, but the Italian Government requires that all cats and dogs traveling from Italy to the U.S. must have a Pet Export Certificate that can be obtained from an authorized veterinarian of the local ASL (Azienda Sanitaria Locale), who will check the validity of the vaccination against rabies.
Is this country considered high rabies for entry into EU countries?
No
Are you flying to Italy?
Read Flying with a Dog Under the Airplane Seat: The Ultimate Guide
Read Flying with a Big Dog: Travel Tips for Ease & Safety
Read Flying to Italy from the USA with a Dog
This information was last updated January 2023. If you notice any errors or updates, please let us know by contacting us here.
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2 Reviews on “Italy”
Italy has been one of the most dog friendly countries we have ever been to.
Our dogs went into the grocery store (although we never could quite figure out the rules on that), fine dining, historical sites, beaches, hikes, trains, subways – pretty much everywhere! That was lovely and super helpful without a car.
The disadvantage is more about the walking around. There aren’t many sidewalks and roads are busy and narrow. My biggest concern was being hit by a car.
They also aren’t great about keeping dog poo off the streets (varies by city/region)
We loved it and are looking forward to going back again.
Italy might be one of the most dog friendly places in the world. It doesn’t seem like there is much of anywhere they can’t go. This includes eating inside some restaurants, walking around grocery stores and this one really blew my socks off – even in some of the major outdoor archeological sites like Pompeii. I think traveling with dogs to Italy is a great choice because you don’t just have to pick one place and stay there. It’s super easy to get around on the trains too. The tickets are 1/2 price for big dogs.