ITA Airways takes dogs and cats in the cabin and in the hold, with a 12 kg ceiling including the carrier on the hold side and a 48-hour booking deadline on both. Snub-nosed breeds are the hard stop: not accepted in the hold, not accepted as cargo. Read that line first, because it decides whether the rest applies at all.

ITA Airways's pet policy splits into cabin and cargo. This page summarizes the weight limits, fees, brachycephalic-breed restrictions, and carrier specifications for both modes — sourced from the airline's official pet pages.

How ITA Airways handles your pet

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

In the cabin Accepted
In the hold / cargo Accepted
Snub-nosed breedsNot accepted

Cabin policy

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-14
Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-06
Snub-nosed breeds listFrench BulldogPugBoxerBoston TerrierPekingeseShih TzuLhasa ApsoChow ChowBullmastiffCane CorsoDogue de BordeauxBrussels GriffonAffenpinscherJapanese ChinShar PeiMastiffverified 2026-07-14
Minimum age12 weeksverified 2026-07-06
Advance booking notice48 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Advance notice hours48 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Carrier size20 × 24 × 20 cmverified 2026-07-06
Max weight (pet + crate)12 kgverified 2026-07-06
Crate must have/besoft-sided ok, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, a carrierverified 2026-07-06

Hold & cargo policy

Hold: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-07-06
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Snub-nosed breeds listFrench BulldogPugBoxerBoston TerrierPekingeseShih TzuLhasa ApsoChow ChowBullmastiffCane CorsoDogue de BordeauxBrussels GriffonAffenpinscherJapanese ChinShar PeiMastiffverified 2026-07-14
Hold: One-way fee200 EURverified 2026-07-20
Hold: Minimum age12 weeksverified 2026-07-24
Hold: Advance booking notice48 hoursverified 2026-07-20
Hold: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Hold: Carrier size24 cmverified 2026-07-06
Hold: Max weight (pet + crate)12 kgverified 2026-07-06
Hold: Crate must have/behard-sided ok, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, a carrierverified 2026-07-06
Cargo: Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-06-19
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Snub-nosed breeds listFrench BulldogPugBoxerBoston TerrierPekingeseShih TzuLhasa ApsoChow ChowBullmastiffCane CorsoDogue de BordeauxBrussels GriffonAffenpinscherJapanese ChinShar PeiMastiffverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: One-way fee200 EURverified 2026-07-20
Cargo: Advance booking notice48 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Advance booking required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Advance notice hours48 hoursverified 2026-07-14
Cargo: Carrier size24 × 30 cmverified 2026-07-06
Cargo: Max weight (pet + crate)12 kgverified 2026-07-06
Cargo: Crate must have/behard-sided ok, soft-sided ok, water bowl, ventilated, IATA-compliant, absorbent liner, live-animal label, a carrierverified 2026-07-06

Health & documents

Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Microchip · Required Yesverified 2026-07-22
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-07-14
Microchip required · Microchip required Yesverified 2026-06-19
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-07-22
Rabies vaccination · Min age at vaccination12 weeksverified 2026-07-06
Health certificate required · Health certificate required Yesverified 2026-06-19
Rabies vaccination required · Rabies vaccination required Yesverified 2026-06-19

Other rules

Minimum age12 weeksverified 2026-07-06
Pet passport required Yesverified 2026-06-19
Dangerous breeds banned Yesverified 2026-07-06
Restricted breeds listAmerican Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Cane Corsoverified 2026-07-06
Breed restrictions apply Yesverified 2026-07-06
Assistance animals accepted Yesverified 2026-07-14

Service & assistance animals

Fee waived Yesverified 2026-07-14
Recognized Yesverified 2026-07-28
Cabin allowed Yesverified 2026-07-20
Forms required Yesverified 2026-07-20
Documentation required Yesverified 2026-07-14
The animal must be added to the booking at least 48 hours before departure. The number of places reserved for animals, in the cabin and in the hold alike, is limited per flight, so the slot is confirmed at booking rather than at the airport. Add the pet in the same session as the ticket, and check the confirmation lists it.
Brachycephalic breeds are not accepted for hold or cargo carriage on ITA Airways. The restriction follows the breed list, not the individual animal's health record, and it applies regardless of crate size. Check the breed against the airline's brachycephalic list before pricing any hold option, and plan a cabin-eligible route where the weight allows it.

Frequently asked

Can snub-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds fly ITA Airways?
Snub-nosed breeds such as bulldogs, pugs and Persian cats are not accepted in the hold.
How much does it cost to fly a pet on ITA Airways?
On flights within Metropolitan France, ITA Airways charges from 200 EUR in the hold, one way per pet. Longer routes cost more — price your exact itinerary.
How far in advance must I book my pet on ITA Airways?
Add your pet to the booking at least 48 hours before departure — do it when you book the ticket, not at the airport.
What if my flight is delayed past my health certificate validity?
If the certificate window expires before you board, you'll need a re-issue. Build a 1-2 day buffer between the cert date and departure to absorb minor delays.
What happens if I forget a document?
At the destination airport: at best, an extended inspection while you produce backup; at worst, the pet is held in quarantine or returned to origin at your cost. Bring printed copies.
A pet in the hold on ITA Airways is priced by route band, and 200 EUR one way covers the Egypt and Middle East band. Shorter Italian sectors sit below that figure and long-haul above it. Price the exact itinerary rather than a round number, and add the fee for each direction separately when budgeting a return.
ITA is workable if the breed clears the brachycephalic list and the dates leave 48 hours to confirm. Cooper is too big for any cabin, so hold pricing is the number I always check first — and here it moves with the route, not with the animal. Give Pawgo the itinerary and it will build the personalized plan.
Get YOUR personalized plan for ITA Airways →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.